Burnout Has Six Causes
Christina Maslach's research identified six drivers of burnout. Workload is only one. The other five (fairness, control, community, reward, values) predict it more strongly. Most organizations only address the wrong one.
Ask any executive what causes burnout and they'll say "too much work." Christina Maslach, the researcher who literally wrote the diagnostic tool for burnout, disagrees.
Her six-factor model identifies workload as just one of six drivers. The others: lack of control over how work gets done, insufficient reward (not just money, but recognition), breakdown of community and belonging, absence of fairness in decisions, and conflict between personal values and organizational demands.
Workload is the factor organizations most commonly address. Hire more people. Reduce hours. Add wellness days.
But Maslach's data shows the other five factors predict burnout more strongly in combination. A person with a heavy workload, a supportive manager, meaningful work, and fair treatment is far less likely to burn out than someone with a light workload who feels invisible and powerless.
Pick one team this week. Score each of Maslach's six factors from 1 to 5. You'll see which lever actually needs pulling.
