Burnout in Middle Management

What is a burnout?

Burnout is a serious issue that can affect individuals in various industries and positions. Understanding the nature of burnout is crucial for preventing it, especially as it increasingly intersects with learning pressure and upskilling demands in modern organizations. As explored in this analysis on the burnout cost of upskilling, burnout is no longer only a wellbeing concern, but a structural risk for performance and retention.

According to Maslach, an American social psychologist and Professor of Psychology at UC Berkeley, burnout is a prolonged response to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors on the job and is defined by three dimensions:

• Exhaustion: Feeling overextended, both emotionally and physically.
• Cynicism: Taking a cold, detached attitude toward responsibilities.
• Ineffectiveness: A growing sense of inadequacy and reduced professional efficacy.