Time to Resign?

Two things have been stewing in my brain and I’m incredibly interested in your thoughts.  Warning - these two get me a little worked up!  :)

#1 - The Great Resignation

#2 - Burnout, especially in women

LinkedIn is abuzz with #TheGreatResignation.  This notion that a reckoning is coming as employees are being asked to return to office after more than a year of being remote.  Working from home, or as I’ve liked to name it, Living at Work, for more than a year has brought flexibility, stress, independence, and demolished commute times.

It’s also brought new awareness into our lives and a re-evaluation of priorities.

I personally can’t believe that I used to spend 3 hours of my day commuting, and I thought it was normal.  3 hours to and from work, 1 hour with my son.  Yeah, that made a ton of sense!  (Catch the sarcasm?)

So I see the hashtag and the articles for the resignations that are around the corner and I can’t help but be frickin’ excited.

People want more.  People deserve more.  

Let me also right here name my bias...

I don’t believe we’re destined to be miserable at work. 

I believe our careers can be filled with work that energizes us. 

I do not subscribe to the notion that it’s ever too late to switch careers or find more fulfilling work.

Which leads me to #2 - Burnout.

This week I’m presenting to a Women's Employee Resource Group on the topic of Burnout.  How to identify it and get ahead of burnout.

Yes, self care is part of it.  But damn, if that were it, why don’t all those virtual yoga classes, or “me time” walks change our burnout?

It’s because we haven't dealt with the stressor.  The element that is the root of our burnout.

Is it workload?  Type of work?  Company culture?  Level of support (at home or work)?  

And when I think about dealing with the stressor, which more often than not is our job, it brings me back to #1 - The Great Resignation.

What shifts in burnout will we see as more people aren't willing to deal with the BS that’s actually harming them (yes, unrelenting stress is crazy harmful)?

What taste of flexibility or shifts in priorities can you not un-know after the last 15 months?

Do these two topics fire you up like they do me?  :) I’d love to hear from you!  Let me know what’s on your mind!