How to Avoid Impossible Assignments
If you're burning out, undoubtedly you're aware of it. Burnout occurs when you expend more internal resources and energy than you take in. It's not just a matter of working hard, which at the best of times can feel exciting and motivating . Burnout is exhausting — whether you are working hard or not. In the office, a very common pattern of burnout is performance punishment . As a great former boss of mine, Phyllis Mayo, explained it: Performance punishment occurs when you accomplish something in an unbelievably tight time frame and— along with a bonus or a pat on the back — you are rewarded with an even more challenging project with an even tighter deadline. What usually follows is another even more impossible assignment and so on, until sooner or later you fail , or burn out trying not to. The worst part? The performance punishment trap most easily afflicts those who are motivated by challenge and achievement, i.e., the most driven talent with the highest potential.