Support Strategies for Middle Manager Burnout

Your best people are planning their exit. Right now. And you might be ignoring it. If you believe that this is the conversation that's happening in your office right now: "I'm tired of being tired." "Maybe it's time to update my resume." "I can't remember the last time I felt excited about Monday." Then you must read this post. I get it. We're all trying to do more with less. But here's what the research is telling us, and honestly, it's not pretty: 1. 76% of employees are experiencing workplace burnout (Gallup, 2023) 2. Half of managers admit they're too exhausted to lead effectively 3. Teams with high well-being? They're 23% more profitable All of this data translates that burnout isn't just hurting people. It's hurting the bottom line. The thing is, most of us know our teams are struggling. We see it. We feel it. But we don't know where the hell to start fixing it. Here's what actually works (backed by real data, not feel-good fluff): 1. Build recovery into how you operate → End meetings 5 minutes early. → Block 90-minute deep work sessions. → Make it normal to say "I need a break" without guilt. 2. Create real psychological safety → Admit when you don't know something. → Let people disagree with you without consequences. → Ask "What's blocking you?" instead of "Why isn't this done?" 3. Model what you want to see → Take your vacation days. → Stop sending emails at 10 PM. → Show your team that rest isn't a character flaw. You can't pour from an empty cup. Neither can your team. This week, try this: → Cancel one pointless meeting. → Use that time to actually check in with someone. Not about deliverables. About them. Because I've learned, the teams that last aren't the ones that sprint the hardest. They're the ones who know when to catch their breath. Your people don't need another motivational speech about pushing through. They need permission to be human. What's one small change you could make this week to help your team breathe a little easier?

Your managers are being squeezed. And something’s gotta give. Constant pressure from up top coming from leadership, and the demands from bottom, the people they're leading. It’s suffocating your mid-management team. The result? – Burnout – Disengagement – People leaving jobs Mid-managers are the critical glue in a company. They translate strategy into action, build engagement, and drive performance. When they struggle, it trickles down and affects their teams (and your clients). Leaders, here’s how we can fix this 👇 1) Improve communication – Be honest, transparent, and open sooner – Stop hiding behind closed doors and start talking (really talking) with your managers 2) Offer training and development – Ask THEM what they need to be successful - then deliver it – Investing in their growth is an investment in the company 3) Recognize and appreciate – Spend time with your team and show them how they’re valued – Connect with them genuinely and thank them often 4) Promote work-life balance – No after-hours call, no late-night messages, no slacks that can wait until tomorrow – Lead by example and show that you take their life part seriously Your mid-management team is your performance multiplier. They’re connected to the team getting the job done. Treat them well, and your team and clients will feel it. And the squeeze won't feel so tight. As a mid-manager or leader, how are you managing the pressure?

Last week, I overheard two moms talking about their careers. I was at the children's museum with my kiddos on their first day of summer break. We were getting in some great together before summer camps started. As my kids played around, I overheard these two moms sharing why they chose to leave the workplace. One said something like: "I was a software engineer for most of my career. In the last few years, I got promoted to management. And honestly, that's why I chose to leave. I hated being a manager. It was so awful." The other agreed: "Me too. I loved my career until I started being a manager of a team. When I got promoted, it was like I had to do all of my normal responsibilities. Nothing came off my plate. And ON TOP OF THAT, try to figure out how to manage all these different people and personalities. It's exhausting." You all. This isn't the first time I've heard people talking to each other like this. For many, managing a team isn't considered a revenue-generating activity. It's seen more like a bonus job. So many leaders I've coached say things like: "I didn't get a single thing done today. My to-do list just sat there. I got distracted all day with things my team needed." And I have to gently remind them: Helping your team is working, too. Player-coach models can work well if expectations and workload are actively managed. Instead, at many companies, we structure our organizations to promote people into roles where they assume management duties ON TOP of their existing responsibilities. And then we wonder why there is an epidemic of burnout among middle managers. So how do we fix this? Managing a team is a learned skill, just like any other skill. If we put someone into a management role, don't expect them to wing it. Don't expect they'll be a perfect manager from their first day. Give them real resources like development opportunities, peer support, coaching, and feedback. If your middle managers are burned out, do a quick audit: How much is truly on their plates? Are you expecting them to do the work of an individual contributor AND a manager? You'll lose the saved cost of extra overhead by having to re-spend it on recruiting and onboarding. Managers deserve more support, resources, recognition, and balance. Managing people is HARD WORK. It's real work. It generates revenue. It is the central nervous system of your organization. It's time companies start recognizing it. What do you think? Do you think mid-level managers have too much on their plates?

"Chances are managers in your organization are feeling burned out. Middle managers have felt the squeeze of having to execute strategy from above while coaching and developing their teams below them — often without receiving the same type of development or empowerment from more senior managers." In this Harvard Business Review piece, Rebecca Zucker shares six strategies to help burned out managers recharge, from recognizing burnout to re-assessing, re-prioritizing and re-distributing work. I've got a seventh strategy to add to this list, which at Thrive Global, we call “Thrive Time.” It’s based on the recognition that, of course, getting results and meeting deadlines often requires putting in extra time and going the extra mile. Thrive Time is what allows us to have high performing teams without burning out. It means taking time off to recover and recharge after you’ve met the deadline. It could be a few hours, a morning, a day or more. And it doesn’t count as paid time off. That’s because we want to make it clear that recovery isn’t separate from work. It’s an essential part of work. More here: https://lnkd.in/dGYKWQZg Image credit: #HarvardBusinessReview #Burnout #Stress #Managers #Prioritize #Assess #Recover #Recharge #ThriveGlobal

#Managers have always been the “sandwich generation” of the workforce - balancing the demands of #Leadership with the needs of their own team. But recent developments have made their roles more complex and demanding, resulting in managers feeling overworked and burned out. Many managers are feeling depleted and exhausted, negative and cynical, and overall less confident. All of these feelings are classic signs of #Burnout. In fact, many studies are showing that at least 40% and often over 50% of managers are experiencing burnout. What are you doing about it? Are you recognizing the signs of burnout in your team and taking steps to help combat it with a focus on #WellBeing, flexibility, and additional training? Mitigating burnout starts with a few areas of focus: (1) Focus on managers' growth and development. (2) Focus on #WellBeing and self-care. (3) Ensure managers feel connected to the purpose and mission of the organization. (4) Provide more training in soft skills, like empathy. (5) Support managers in having emotional conversations with employees. (6) Create a psychologically safe environment for managers, too. (7) Recognize and reward managers’ efforts. (8) Give managers permission to truly take time off. (9) Be flexible. At WebMD Health Services we are on a mission to Empower #WellBeing in Everyone - that includes #Managers - the "sandwich generation" of the workforce. "Sandwich Generation" = The "sandwich generation" consists of people sandwiched between two sets of opposite-aged dependents, often neglecting their own needs to look after their families. Translated for the "workforce" = The "sandwich generation of the workforce" consists of managers sandwiched between leadership and individual contributors, often neglecting their own needs to look after their employees. https://lnkd.in/gtvnkKkn #WellBeing #WellBeingMatters