Is Boreout the new Burnout? How to keep your staff engaged and motivated
“I’m so bored at work I could cry!”
In our focus on the worrying issue of burnout, we may have overlooked another damaging work trend that sits at the opposite end of the stimulation spectrum – boreout at work.
Where burnout results from being chronically ‘on’, never able (or allowed) to switch off and recharge, boreout is more akin to chronic disengagement. When work is so boring, so mindless and easy that it feels utterly pointless. While perhaps less dramatic, it’s noted that it can still result in health problems – for the worker, and the business. In fact, the symptoms of underwork and overwork can actually look pretty similar.
What’s the problem?
We’re not just talking about a slow day in the office here. Boreout is chronic boredom. Total disengagement from the role, task, project and/or company. It occurs when staff are completely demoralised, disinterested and unchallenged over an extended period. They’ve checked out entirely. It can be summed up as feeling that their work lacks any purpose, meaning or value.
The results of boreout are predictable and severe: low productivity, little to no innovation or creativity, absenteeism, a negative culture. And that’s just at work. On a personal level, it’s linked to depression, stress and anxiety.
Experts have suggested various factors that contribute to boreout. The work environment itself is a big one, with unstimulating, monotonous surroundings such as ‘cubicle farms’ being particularly uninspiring for staff. A lack of purpose is another, whether that’s due to lack of work itself or lack of meaning in the work being done.
How to tackle boreout
The warning signs of boreout include irritability, stress/anxiety, withdrawal and lack of engagement. There are three main types of ‘boreout’ crisis to address:
- Boredom
- Lack of meaning
- Lack of growth
Avoiding boredom
To avoid boredom, you need to maintain appropriate staffing levels, and keep things interesting. People are bored when they have nothing to do. Worse, they may be stressed and anxious that the company is struggling and their job is at risk. If they’ve got nothing else to do, they’ll almost certainly be looking at the door as well as the clock.
The job of management is to ensure that people are busy and engaged; if there’s more staff than there is demand for their time, then you’ve got a workflow or staffing issue. Using a smart staff holiday planner can help balance workloads and ensure fair, visible time-off planning.
Repetition can also create boredom, so try to rotate any repetitive tasks if possible and create opportunities for learning new skills wherever you can.
Providing meaning
If you want people to be engaged, they need to feel invested and connected. The work has to have meaning – people must feel that there is a point to what they’re doing. Vision is important here – a clear and compelling company vision, and a sense of one’s own role in achieving it, can help staff to feel that they are part of something bigger. Make sure you are utilising your staff’s full potential, for their benefit and yours!
Opportunities for growth
We need to feel like we are on a forward trajectory, that we are making progress towards something. Goals, targets and milestones help people to feel like they are moving down a career path that will create opportunity for them.
To create a sense of opportunity and growth, give people responsibility. Offer training and support staff in obtaining further qualifications. Ask for their opinions on things they’re experienced in. Think about promotion pathways and career development plans, and make sure to communicate these and track progress to show that you’re invested in their future.
Key takeaways
Boreout is a truly 21st century condition. We need meaning, intellectual stimulation and challenge to avoid feelings of despondency and pointlessness. We need to strive, and to achieve.
Both burnout (too much stimulation) and boreout (lack of stimulation) are productivity killers, causing general dissatisfaction with work and life. You don’t want to find yourself or your staff at either of these extremes. How do you fix/avoid it? An open and compassionate culture. Active and engaged management to keep individuals and teams working towards future goals that they feel invested in and integral to. Recognition of people’s strengths and career goals. Communication. Communication. Communication!
Author – Phil Norton
Phil is the co-founder of Leave Dates, the employee annual leave planner. He loves problem-solving and making life easier for small businesses. If you book a Leave Dates demo, he will give you a warm welcome and show you everything that you need to know.
