Overcoming Burnout and Change Fatigue

Organizations always look for ways to innovate and improve, but continuous evolution without preparation and strategy can lead to change fatigue and burnout. We discuss this with: 

Rose James, PMI-ACP, PMP, program leader, Edward Jones, Houston: James discusses the typical signs of burnout, why project teams might feel fatigued by seemingly constant organizational change, strategies project leaders can follow to lead their teams through change effectively, and how leaders can help team members recover from burnout or change fatigue.

Mary Tresa Gabriel, PMP, project manager, Dell through SP Software Limited, Bengaluru: Gabriel discusses common causes of change fatigue and burnout and their effects on team members, how she led a team through several client-side changes on a project, the importance of creating a safe space for team members to discuss burnout and change fatigue as well as how project managers and companies can support team members who are feeling burned out.

Key themes

[02:00] Typical symptoms of burnout

[05:08] Why teams might feel burned out by change

[07:12] Leading teams through change with clarity and empathy

[10:22] Helping project teams recover from change fatigue and burnout

[14:59] Project leaders: Keep an eye out for your own burnout

[17:05] What causes burnout and change fatigue—and how they affect teams

[20:23] Managing a project through continuous client-side changes

[22:23] Creating a safe space to discuss burnout and change fatigue

[24:10] Building resilience into project teams

[25:40] Ways project leaders and organizations can support burned-out teams