On burnout

So here we are, well into the third year of this global pandemic. At this point there have been plenty of articles about burnout related to working from home, burnout related to returning to the office, and burnout related to not knowing which to do as new COVID-19 variants come and go, and I’m curious to know if any companies have successfully addressed this topic - and how.

In truth, I think burnout is an issue even under normal circumstances, particularly with lengthy projects. I often wonder if anyone has looked into the relationship between project duration and team productivity/ output. To put it another way, can anyone run mile 24 of a marathon as if it were mile 1?

The UXUI process is particularly suited to the running metaphor as work is typically divided into a series of sprints based on the agile philosophy. Sprint after sprint, designs are iterated upon and improved. But if you put enough sprints together without rest in between, what you actually have is a marathon - and that is simply not sustainable at a sprint pace (unless, of course, you are Mo Farah).

So how do we plan programs accordingly? How do we not only build endurance but also provide rest, beyond weekends, federal holidays, and the occasional PTO?

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Note: these views are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of Nemera or the Insight Innovation Center.