SANITY

… about our responsibility

Well, the past 1,5 years have been kind of hectic, for everybody working in pretty much any kind of industry. Employees complain about burnout, companies are cutting costs on trainings and coaching, and pretty much everyone is suffering. The individual, the support professionals and unavoidably all companies where these individuals form an organization. 

So let’s see, how this develops… Organizations are shrugging and referring to high fluctuation rates. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics, the average time spent on the job in the recent years is 4,2 years. Considering this number, it might even be logical to not invest in employee development, as all the invest made by the current company will be harvested later by another one. So we are in a kind of a Mexican standoff here. While productivity targets are rising and stress levels follow, our expectations grow for support from the organization. Considering the above, this might have us, as individuals, in quite a quagmire.

And with the world’s professionals screaming for help, all eyes are on the employers. While still keeping costs below the painful threshold, they introduce measures like one week off for all employees. Now, highly applaudable and looks good on social media, BUT… If you’re any good at your job and feel ownership of your work, you know you will not be able to “de-stress”. Taking a week of when in flow is tragedy, taking a week off in disengagement won’t make a difference. The only mental state where this might actually be a (however still band-aid) solution is when you are, what we call, frazzled. Is this then a confession, that all employees are worked to a state of extreme physical and psychological fatigue? Sad to hear…

So with increasing need for help and band-aid solution offered to please the press, what is left to do? I say, we take back the responsibility and ownership for our sanity.