Suzi McAlpine - Beyond burnout : how to spot it, stop it and stamp it out

Are you feeling exhausted, depleted and deflated at work? Could you, or someone you lead, be on the brink of burnout?

Burnout is on the rise, and its costing us. Beyond the personal costs to wellbeing, organisations face costs in lost productivity, engagement and performance, and there are national costs when it comes to healthcare services and the economy.

Drawing on her own first-hand experience, brand new research and countless similar scenarios she has seen in her role as an executive coach, Suzi McAlpine has written this book to help create environments and organisational cultures that reduce the occurrence of burnout.

As well as actionable tools and practical tips for individuals, leaders and businesses of all sizes, this book includes clear information on how to recognise the signs of burnout, and how to treat it.

My mental health journey has been ongoing for many years and during that time I have discovered that the most important aspect when we talk about it is the ability to change the dialogue and to normalise discussion of mental health. I have found that often, mental health is seen as a topic that is not to be mentioned in polite company or in our organisations. I have spent much of my time over these many years bringing the topic of mental health into the light, not only by talking about my own journey, but hopefully, by also making it easier for others to talk about theirs.

The topic of burnout is, I believe, a really good way to get through to people about mental health in a normalised manner encouraging them to consider what is going on both in their lives and the lives of others. From a business perspective, burnout is now becoming a common issue that organisations and managers need to think about in order to ensure that they can assist with their peoples wellbeing and mental health.

When its extreme, burnout means you cannot work anymore. This can lead to extended periods away from the workforce. But unfortunately, there are also many people who are working in a suboptimal manner because of the effects of burnout. This is much more difficult to see and then be able to intervene.

We need to focus on making earlier interventions. We need to make sure that we put a fence around the top of the cliff and in the long run, get to the point the ambulance at the bottom is no longer required. That change, while simple to say, is much harder in practice to do. So when I come across others like Suzi, who have found ways to help this happen, I want to take the time to engage, as this change is so important to me.

What I really liked about this book is the many practical and pragmatic tips that will increase our businesses and managers ability to put simple actions into place that will help their people avoid burnout in the workplace. As well as considering burnout from a business perspective and what leaders can do, this book also offers the same practical advice to individuals themselves, again in a simple and understandable manner.

In what is an increasingly complex world, there is a clear need to raise awareness of the importance of mental health. This includes building a greater understanding of burnout. It also means learning and applying the tips and techniques that the business, the manager or you can use to make sure that burnout in the workplace can effectively be avoided. This book provides the tools to help people to build that fence at the top of the cliff and this is what I am so excited about. It is work like this that increases my faith that mental health can become an everyday topic of conversation with no stigma attached.

So, I would like to congratulate Suzi on her important focus on burnout in the workplace and I know that by encouraging people to talk about this topic, she is greatly assisting my drive to normalise the discussion of mental health. If we can start by acknowledging burnout as a common issue for many individuals, then it is the first step in providing a happier, healthier workplace.

Sir John Kirwan
November 2020