ProjectsAtWork

Burnout is everywhere in the work world, and it hurts morale, performance and ROI in both obvious and subtle ways. But burnout is a sensitive issue that can be tricky to discuss — and even harder to fix.

Many people are reluctant to admit that they are suffering from burnout, while others may not even realize it. They think the problem might be their own doing. Others know that burnout is affecting them, but they don’t see a way around it and feel trapped — until they quit, quietly or otherwise.

We recently polled the ProjectManagement.com community about burnout and its main causes, asking: If you’ve experienced burnout in the past year, what was the main cause?

More than 40 percent of almost 200 respondents said they were overwhelmed with too much work and too little time. About 20 percent are uninspired with no direction or sense of purpose. Another 20 percent feel unappreciated with little recognition or support. About 8 percent said they feel disconnected, lacking collaboration or a team bond. And a fortunate 12 percent said they had not experienced burnout in the past year.

It doesn’t help that far too many organizations and managers do not even acknowledge that burnout is an issue, so they don’t recognize (or simply ignore) its symptoms. As a result, they never actually reckon with the causes of burnout. But they certainly suffer the consequences, from turnover to turmoil that hinders execution and stifles innovation.

The latest episode of PMI’s Projectified podcast focuses on Overcoming Burnout and Change Fatigue, with guests Rose James, PMI-ACP, PMP, and Mary Tresa Gabriel, PMP, discussing how they are helping organizations and teams find healthier ways to deal with these issues. Project team leaders can benefit from their insights.

The first step in overcoming burnout is simply to talk about it. “This helps [team members] understand they are not alone in their journey. Everyone has gone through it,” Gabriel says. “Don’t treat is as a sign of weakness.”

And that kind of transparent communication can help to reduce burnout. “Because when our team members want to talk about burnout, it is more likely they are okay to show their vulnerable side, which comes only when they trust you and when they are open to share with you,” Gabriel says.

In addition to providing a safe, open environment to discuss burnout, project leaders have an ongoing responsibility to provide clear direction to team members. Without it, “they may feel lost, confused, and struggle to find the real meaning of what they are doing,” Gabriel says.

Likewise, project leaders need to protect their teams—and themselves—from excessive workload and unrealistic timelines, which was the leading cause of burnout, according to our PM.com poll.

“If they are constantly faced with unclear expectations and shifting priorities or lack of proper information about the changes, this itself can cause a lot of uncertainty within the team, which can cause burnout.”

Easier said than done, right? In the podcast, James highlights two interconnected “pieces” that project leaders should connect.

The mindset piece can be as straightforward as making sure to take frequent breaks from the work to help the mind relax and reduce stress. But just as important, James says, is “to reframe threats as challenges, because when you are in a burnout state, your mind tends to see challenges as threats, or little mishaps as huge threats. If you put too much pressure on the team to achieve the goal too fast or to implement the change too fast, or frequent changes, your team is going to crack.”

The behavior piece is even trickier, James says. It’s about teaching the team how to learn to say ‘no’ tactfully. How do you do that? James says that project leaders and team members must make the case —in reasonable, rational language—that adding more to their current list of initiatives is going to diminish the quality of output.

And if that doesn’t work? Well, when delivering value isn’t valued more than just delivering … when the talk of mental wellbeing is just, you know, talk … then burnout will continue. And everyone will lose.

So, make your case or make your move.

There isn’t much good that can be said about COVID-19, but it appears that many organizations, project leaders and teams rose to the challenges it posed to their work.

All of us are doing things differently than we did 16 or 17 months ago before offices closed and travel ceased. Our organizations are planning, managing and delivering projects differently, too. And in measurable, demonstrative ways, that’s actually turned out to be a good thing—or at least the start of something good.

Forced to pivot suddenly in March 2020, many organizations and teams became more focused on outcomes than processes. It was the only way to keep critical initiatives up and running, to meet strategic goals, to stay in the game. In doing so, a new kind of organization is emerging—something Project Management Institute’s new report, Pulse of the Profession 2021: Beyond Agility, calls a “gymnastic enterprise.”

These gymnastic organizations are empowering their people to become "changemakers" who, regardless of their role, are inspired and equipped to turn ideas into reality. This happens when people continuously get better at what they do, by building a holistic portfolio of skills. And it happens when they're supported by a strong organizational culture, strong leaders, and a strong talent management function.

Here are some key findings from the report, released last month:

>> Despite the pandemic, organizations and their people found new ways of working and delivering value, with digital transformation leading the charge. And although many planned projects were put on hold, of those that did forge ahead, more met original goals and business intent, more were completed within budget and on time, and wasted investment due to poor project performance declined compared to last year's survey.

>> Gymnastic enterprises were more likely to have high levels of organizational agility (48 percent versus 27 percent) and to use standardized risk management practices. They were able to adapt faster to the pandemic, being far more likely to have undergone business change in 2020. And they were much more likely to have seen increased productivity (71 percent versus 53 percent) and better project outcomes in 2020—in turn, resulting in less wasted investment, according to the report.

Gymnastic enterprises are empowering their people to work smarter in three key ways:

   1. Mastering different ways of working—whether that’s agile, predictive, or hybrid approaches, or a range of tech-enhanced tools

   2. Elevating people skills—what the report calls power skills—to ensure effective leadership and communication

   3. Building business acumen to create well-rounded employees who have deep expertise and can see the bigger picture.

The report explores these new ways of working:

>> Gymnastic enterprises are more likely than traditional enterprises to use agile and hybrid approaches, and less likely to use waterfall. Yet it isn’t as simple as moving away from waterfall, but rather taking a more balanced and customized approach for the project at hand.

>> Gymnastic enterprises are outpacing traditional enterprises in the use of cloud solutions, the Internet of Things, AI and 5G mobile internet to manage projects. But more importantly, they're using technology to augment human skills and help their people continuously improve, prioritizing the enterprise-wide adoption of complex problem-solving techniques; AI-driven tools; on-demand, microlearning apps; and career assessment tools.

Ultimately, it comes down to a people first approach. With their focus on augmenting human skills, and on creative collaboration, gymnastic enterprises put the highest priority on collaborative leadership. They also prize adaptability, an innovative mindset and empathy.

But building an environment where changemakers thrive doesn’t just magically happen. The role of organizational culture cannot be understated. Gymnastic enterprises are far more likely than traditional enterprises to prioritize delivering customer value, aligning with organizational values, and embracing digital solutions, according to the report.

Where gymnastic enterprises aren't doing better than their traditional counterparts, however, is diversity at the top. For example, just 44 percent have at least one female leader in the C-Suite. But they're working to plug the gap: 63 percent are putting a high priority on fostering a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion, versus 51 percent of traditional enterprises.

So there’s still very important work to be done. There always is. But many organizations, with changemakers at the forefront, are moving in the right direction.

You can download the full report here.

Inspiration is the great intangible that can push teams to greater heights. Can you instill it?

It’s true: money can motivate some people. So can fear. But at the end of the day, if someone does not want to do something, they most likely won't. They most definitely won't do it well.

Every project leader knows the frustration of trying to motivate an underperforming or unwilling team member. But there are ways to cultivate an atmosphere where motivation has a chance to grow, where so-called “lost causes” can find their value. It happens when leaders recognize individuality, be inclusive and build trust.

One of the best ways to motivate people is to include them in decisions. If someone has been excluded from a decision that affects their work, they’re not going to feel that they are a contributing, respected member of the team. Inclusion can inspire a non-engaged team member to get more involved.

Inclusion goes hand in hand with treating each team member as an individual. In project work, people are motivated by different things and at different times. Some people, for example, enjoy making decisions with quick results; they feel most comfortable toward the end of a project when daily decisions bring them nearer the finish line. Others thrive on generating ideas and are happiest at the beginning of a project, when people are brainstorming and defining the work ahead.

The key to keeping people motivated is to accommodate differing work approaches. Look at the goals throughout the project and at the people who are going to be most influential and beneficial. That shifts as you proceed through the project. You don't change the team. You phase on and off people based on what they're driven by.

In order to motivate people, you really have to understand what people want. You've got to offer them something that touches their heart, their passion.

To help people connect with their inner drive, project managers should provide clear expectations, direction in the work, opportunities to perform, open and timely feedback, rewards and ongoing support. They should involve them in preparing plans and in deciding, as a team, what the rewards for their work will be.

Finally, trust-building fuels and sustains motivation. A team works best when its members trust the project manager and each other. Demonstrating trustworthiness means recognizing that people make mistakes and do not deserve punishment when they do. In an environment where people trust their managers and each other, they feel empowered to take initiative in their work.

Spend time with each person on your team. Really listen to their ideas, opinions and concerns. It's also important to respect their commitments to other projects. And even more important to show that you acknowledge their lives outside of work.

Remember, inspiration may be the great intangible. But it requires tangible commitment and action from you.

Think your project has risks? Critical dependencies? Demanding stakeholders? Unrealistic expectations? Military veterans know more than most people about how these project management challenges play out in real time.

Military veterans, like few others, have truly absorbed the lessons of teamwork, commitment, planning and trust. They have embodied these principles while completing all kinds of missions under extreme conditions.

And many of these folks can also tell you that the military’s vaunted reputation for discipline is most definitely not in conflict with agility, but rather that these mindsets serve as necessary, balancing principles when working under adverse conditions with non-negotiable stakes.

That said, it is simply not acceptable that former military service members are often underemployed and undervalued, leading to unsatisfying post-military careers. Project Management Institute agrees. PMI has long recognized the benefits that military veterans can bring to the workforce as they transition to civilian life, and it has a dedicated program with resources to help.

The fact is, today’s job market demands highly qualified and skilled individuals who can get up to speed quickly and make an immediate impact on business results. And organizations know that hiring former military personnel can be a winning strategy for maintaining a competitive advantage in the marketplace. After all, they already possess the power skills and experience needed to become successful project managers, from strong leadership to strategic thinking and, yes, grace under pressure.

To this point, PMI was recently featured in the Lifetime television program Operation Career hosted by Montel Williams. Operation Career captures the stories of military veterans transitioning  into civilian life. The segment features PMI membership product manager and military spouse Kerry Brooks and PMI member and veteran Eric “Doc” Wright, who share their experiences with the military and how PMI is a valuable partner to U.S. military personnel, veterans and spouses. The show will air again October 16 at 7:30 a.m. ET.

Check out the PMI program and the show. It’s great to see this kind of win-win effort highlighted.

A new generation of project leaders is rising. Here are six values they bring to the new Project Economy.

A new generation of project talent is rising around the world. With Gen Z entering the workforce and millennials taking on management roles, organizations are being dynamically altered. These project leaders have unprecedented digital fluency, an unflinching readiness for change, a naturally collaborative mindset, a deep commitment to inclusion and environmental issues—and very high expectations about what that means for how we all work.

Unfortunately, too many companies still cling to old-fashioned talent systems that favor experience above all else. For 60 percent of organizations, attracting and hiring the next generation of project professionals is not even a priority, according to PMI’s Pulse of the Profession In-Depth Report: A Case for Diversity. That is a formula for failure.

To better understand how to harness the power and promise of future-focused project professionals, PM Network’s special Future 50 issue highlights 50 young standout project leaders who represent a wave of change and talent around the globe—a "youthquake" that will reshape the future and accelerate innovation in the here and now. In interviews with this year’s Future 50 and dozens of other professionals around the globe, common values and expectations emerge. Here are six takeaways:

1. Ignite a Learning Culture. Finger-pointing and blame are out. They expect a culture that cultivates that learning, growth and risk-taking out in the open, not locked away in a classroom or far from senior leadership. And they want to showcase their skill set, their ideas and to fill a more important role in the organization and projects.

2. Pick Up the Pace. Speed is in, especially for career advancement. More than half (57 percent) of Gen Z workers expect to be promoted at least once a year, according to The Workforce Institute. That might seem absurd to the old guard, but there’s an upside to that relentless ambition: sky-high engagement and a powerful work ethic.

3. Play Well With Others. Closed doors are out. They want leaders who are with them, communicating, listening and removing impediments. They want leaders to understand them as individuals and build an environment that allows them to do their best work. 

4. Cultivate Inclusion. Empathy is in. Big-picture thinking, creativity and empathy aren’t fuzzy ideals; they are must-have skill that project managers need to succeed in The Project Economy. And nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of millennials say they’d look to leave an organization that doesn’t share key values on diversity and inclusion, according to Deloitte.

5. Lead With Purpose. Win at all costs is out. Younger people are less comfortable working for a company that doesn’t share their values, placing a premium on organizations that find a way to deliver financial results and serve the social good. Nearly 40 percent of U.S. millennials said they’ve chosen to work at an organization because of its sustainability measures, according to a Swytch survey.

6. Iterate Everything. Feedback is in. With an iterative mindset about everything, they tend to get impatient when there’s no follow-up after a completed task. They see any gap in the feedback loop as a missed opportunity to course-correct and improve work in that moment. And they’re especially interested in project data and performance analytics. 

Get the full story here.