Addressing Burnout During Team Transitions

You’ve been promoted to VP of Marketing. Your team’s smaller than it should be. The goals are 2x last years. And you’re expected to somehow keep morale up. Retaining talent used to mean perks, titles and a decent culture deck. Now? It means protecting your team from burnout while still hitting targets that feel impossible. You’re managing people who are: → Tired of being seen as a content vending machine → Jaded by MQL goals that don’t reflect biz impact → Wondering if they’re even growing anymore And honestly, they’re not wrong to feel that way. The game has changed. But a lot of companies haven’t. So what can we as marketing leaders do? Here’s what I’ve attempted to anchor on: Say the quiet part out loud. Be honest about the pressure. The gaps. The unknowns. Teams don’t need perfection, they need trust. Redefine “growth” Not every quarter can be a promotion. But learning something new? Getting visibility? Leading a project? That’s still growth. Frame it that way. Protect your people from bad process. Half the burnout comes from doing too much of the wrong work. Fix the inefficiencies. Say no for them if they can’t. That’s your job now. Don’t just ask for output. Ask how they’re doing. Not in a “how’s everyone feeling?” Slack message. 1:1. Real talk. What’s working, what’s draining, what do they need more of? It’s literally not a perfect. But it’s a start. Because if you don’t make space for your team to feel human… They’ll leave to find a place that does. And if we keep losing good people to burnout? What’s next? You doing more?

I see it all the time — the HR team ships branded yoga mats... While the VP of Sales still pings reps at 11 p.m. “Employee-wellness swag” doesn’t lower anxiety — boundaries do. Here's the harsh truth for senior leaders: Swag is easy. Swag is cheap. Real wellness is neither. Your employees don’t need another water bottle or stress ball. They need a goddamn permission to switch off. I once advised a tech giant which was spending millions on wellness initiatives, yet their turnover stayed stubbornly high. They couldn’t figure out why. But a quick glance at Slack said everything: - Leaders messaging at 10 p.m. - "Urgent" emails on weekends. - Unspoken expectation of 24/7 availability. Branded swag won’t fix broken boundaries. Here’s what actually reduces burnout: 1. Clearly define availability hours — and respect them. 2. Stop rewarding the “always on” culture. 3. Train your leaders to practice restraint, not urgency. 4. Give explicit permission for people to disconnect. Want to boost employee performance? Forget swag. Set boundaries instead. Because true wellness comes from respect... Not from a branded tote bag. P.S. What do you prefer? The yoga mats, or the clear boundaries? 

For the second time in a week, I've spoken with a recently hired, early career Data Analyst who suddenly was asked to take over management of a team.  Here's what I advised... 🔸 Clarify roles, priorities, and expectations Unexpected changes are often stressful, both for you and your team. Have an open discussion with your new supervisor re: the main things they want you and the team to accomplish in the short and medium terms, and how they will evaluate yours and the team's performance, and share that w/ the team. 🔸 Your team's development and success is now your primary focus You were probably just getting used to having your own slate of analyses. Now those projects, even the most important ones, become secondary priorities to leading your team. But don't try to do two full-time jobs - that is a surefire path to burnout and unhappiness. In the conversation with your supervisor, discuss how you can offload or delay some of the work that was on your plate to make sufficient time to manage your team. 🔸 Talk honestly with your team about your lack of experience Be open that you weren't expecting to be in this role, and have a lot to learn. However, stress that you are fully committed to the job, and will work together with them to ensure they have access to the knowledge and resources they need to do their jobs well. 🔸 Open door, but come prepared If your team needs a fair amount of technical direction, indicate your willingness to always have those conversations, but that anyone bringing a technical problem to you have tried three things first to solve it. Learning how to solve problems on your own is a great skill, and sometimes too open a door can inhibit that learning. 🔸 Stress the importance of sharing information and model that behavior People get most stressed when they feel they don't know what's going on. Establish clear communications, and update your team regularly re: what you know. Also, there's tremendous value in peer coaching and learning. Establish opportunities and structures for the team to share information and learn from each other. 🔸 Pay attention to managing up Set up a regular check-in with your manager to ask/answer any questions, inform them of the progress of the team, alert them to any issues/problems on the horizon, etc. 🔸 Get some outside coaching You will probably have some issues that would benefit from discussing with an external coach. Some forward-thinking organizations have this support structure in place for new managers. If yours doesn't, consider investing in it yourself. 🔸 Accept that you and your team will make mistakes Probably a lot of them. However, if you put the interests of your team first, always be honest and transparent with them (and expect that in return), and take responsibility when make a mistake, people will give you a lot of leeway, and will work hard to support you. Be sure to take time to celebrate your team's successes along the way. Good luck! #career