How to Avoid the Next Waves of Burnout and Resignations

Ready for the “Even Greater Resignation” or "Great Resignation 2.0" or whatever else "catchy" title the papers will give it?

No, no one is, but they’re both coming. As is a wave of “I deserve better” generalised self-respecting attitude of the workers that refuse to be the next victims of burnout and that take their demands for humanity with if they change jobs. So, it’s not avoidable. That we fundamentally change and normalise the openness towards the human topics. If, in the same breath, we could go a step further and mandate the human work we would ironically probably avoid the brunt of the two big dangers above.

So yes, if you want to avoid the waves you have to make the Human Work mandatory. You heard right. Not even suggested, possible, supported or elective – mandatory. Not in an "or else" fashion. Just in an "this is not the fluffy end of Friday stuff anymore, this is Monday right after stand-up and every retro/team meeting work, it is that important" way.

Don’t stop there of course, augment it with awareness regarding the “why” and offer tools that will help make it part of their every day so it sticks to make it last and make it become part of the everyday work but make some type of human work, the habit of thinking and caring about emotions and of discussing them a reality by asking that it mandatorily happens.

Reason with your people first to justify and clarify the need: