The Next COVID-19 Problem: Administrative Burnout

The current pandemic is a different type of emergency. There is no roadmap to follow and new problems show up every day. Months have passed and the end seems to be further in the future than it has been anytime in the past. It is time to consider the risks associated with COVID-19 burnout and the administrators role to stay ready to lead.

A Local Government Leadership Challenge

Stress is part of the job for a County Administrator or City Manager. The challenges of serving the public, elected officials and an organization is demanding, even without an emergency declaration. In fact, sometimes an emergency can actually make it easier to lead. When a hurricane is coming, many smaller issues are ignored as the community gets behind an effort to prepare, protect and rebuild / cleanup.

That is certainly not the case with this emergency. I have heard many top administrators express the relative ease of handling a hurricane instead of this. There is a playbook and a defined time frame. For this pandemic, not only is there no playbook, there are competing challenges and philosophies.

When Stress Turns to Burnout

According to the Mayo Clinic, burnout isn’t a medical diagnosis. Most important for a leader to know, burnout will manifest in different ways and with varying degrees in different people.

Job burnout is a special type of work-related stress — a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Burnout Will Impact Leadership Ability

People suffering from burnout generally have these identifiable characteristics: (1) chronic fatigue; (2) anger at those making demands; (3) self-criticism for putting up with the demands; (4) cynicism, negativity, and irritability; (5) a sense of being besieged; and (6) hair-trigger display of emotions.

Harvard Business Review – When Executives Burn Out

It’s possible you are already seeing some of these characteristics in yourself or members of your team. In order to deal with burnout, a leader will need to take action.

To deal with burnout, turn to other people

Burnout Prevention and Treatment

The reality the pandemic crisis will not be ending anytime soon and leaders that haven’t already put burnout prevention measures in place must begin to do so now. What will you do for yourself? What will you do for your team?

COVID-19 Burnout Idea – Join a Think Tank

Meet with City Managers and County Administrators serving different locations in a Virtual Think Tank. Benefit from connecting with peers outside the immediate local government network.

COVID-19 Burnout Idea – Focus on Organizational Culture

Bring in a professional facilitator that will create an environment to focus on executive burnout to help sustain the organizational culture. There are many demands on top administrators, perhaps this is a good function to delegate so you can participate with the rest of the executive team.