Navigating Organizational Culture: A Guide for Middle Managers Worried About Employee Burnout

Some of the TOUGHEST conversations I’ve ever had at work were when I needed to influence up for the wellbeing of my team.  These always felt precarious, like balancing on the edge of knife; on the one hand the need to drive change or disappoint, on the other a career-limiting move.   

As a manager in the messy middle of the hierarchy, your role is crucial in maintaining a positive work environment for your team. One of the most pressing issues middle-managers often face is employee burnout, which can be exacerbated by systemic practices within your organization. However, addressing productivity, wellbeing and burnout concerns at the next hierarchy level requires some prep and finesse.

Here I share the practical tips I learned for your consideration, so you can feel more confident bringing up these concerns in a way that fosters mutual benefit and won’t jeopardize your career.

• Start with empathy: When raising concerns about systemic practices contributing to burnout, it's important to approach the conversation with empathy. Put yourself in your employers' shoes; understand their goals, and how absenteeism, turnover and other by-products of burnout impact getting to those goals. By demonstrating genuine care and concern for the organization, it’s goals and its overall health, you can establish trust with your manager and create a safe space for open dialogue.

• Gather data: Before initiating the conversation, collect relevant data that supports your concerns. This could include employee feedback, performance metrics, absenteeism and turnover stats, exit interview feedback or industry research on how competitors and other industry successes are approaching the impacts of burnout in their workforce. Having concrete evidence helps validate your concerns and provides a factual basis for discussion, making it harder for your concerns to be dismissed.

• Frame the conversation around mutual benefit: When discussing systemic practices, emphasize how addressing these issues will benefit both employees and the organization. Highlight the potential positive impacts on productivity, employee engagement, and overall performance. By focusing on shared benefits, you can align your concerns with the organization's goals, making it more likely your suggestions will be taken seriously.

• Choose the right timing and setting: Consider the timing and setting for your conversation. Find a suitable time when both you and your boss are open and available to listen. Additionally, choose a private and comfortable environment that allows for a candid discussion. Your aim here is to arm your boss with the data and language they need to consider your points, and/or bring them up with their boss.  By setting the right stage, you increase the likelihood of a constructive outcome.

• Use constructive language: During the conversation, use constructive language that avoids blame and criticism. Instead of accusing or pointing fingers, frame your concerns as opportunities for improvement and goal attainment. Focus on specific practices or policies rather than attacking individuals. This approach reduces defensiveness and encourages a more collaborative atmosphere.

• Offer potential solutions: To demonstrate your commitment to finding solutions, come prepared with ideas or suggestions. Present alternatives to the current practices that contribute to desired organizational outcomes, while reducing employee burnout. By offering actionable solutions, you contribute to the conversation in a proactive manner, showcasing your problem-solving abilities and dedication to positive change.

• Seek allies and widen the conversation: Consider involving other like-minded managers who share your concerns about systemic practices. By widening the conversation and sharing both concerns and possible solutions, you increase the collective influence of your ideas and the number of leaders having constructive conversations that address the issue. This also helps minimize the perceived risk of speaking up alone.

• This is not a “one and done”: Addressing systemic practices that impact employee health and productivity are never simple to address.  These practices likely came about as a way to address an organisational need, which is why suggestions and remedies may need to get traction at different levels of leadership before they can be considered and implemented.  This takes time, and multiple conversations to achieve; think about this as planting “idea seeds”, and then tending them so they grow.  Harvest may be a long way off, but it’s worth it to support employee health and organizational capacity.

 
Middle managers have a unique position; you can see both down and up in your organization. This puts you in a unique position to identify barriers and offer solutions to remove operational impediments to organisational success.  Proactively addressing burnout risks that come about because of systemic practices and cultural barriers that employees have no control to change is an opportunity. It’s a chance to initiate change and address both culture and practices that contribute to reduced employee productivity and performance.

By approaching these conversations with empathy, gathering data, focusing on mutual benefits, and using constructive language, you can have productive discussions with your manger (and others) without jeopardizing your career. Remember, positive change starts with a courageous conversation. Consider the benefits to your team and organization in creating a healthier and more supportive work environment for everyone.

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