They never complained. They always delivered. And then one day, they were just… gone. Burnout rarely announces itself, but there are early warning signs.

In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin explain the three stages of burnout and why your most committed, high-performing employees are the most at risk.

Instead of asking, “Are you burned out?” leaders need sharper tools and a better understanding of what burnout really looks like. Cindi and Geoff unpack the subtle signs and explore the cultural practices that cause them. They dig into the dangers of being perpetually “on,” the harm of poorly designed PTO policies, and the myth that key players can’t step away without everything falling apart.

If you manage high performers, this episode’s essential.

Episode Highlights:

The three stages of burnout
Why passion drives people toward burnout
Smarter ways to spot burnout before it’s too late
Organizational traps that fuel burnout
The psychological toll of always being “on call”
How to protect your most committed employees without lowering expectations

Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/e9a1vLG0CIQ

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Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:

Valsania et al. “Burnout: A Review of Theory and Measurement,” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 3 Feb. 2022, 19(3), 1780; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031780

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Ep 92 - Burnout Red Flags in Your Best People