Have you ever had a situation where the lead engineer comes in and says he’s burned out, no longer has an interest in the project, and wants to leave? And what does it even mean — burned out? Well, let’s break it down step by step.
Why do people do things at all?
Fact 1: people do things for different reasons. Wow, that is an insight we deserve, you might say.
But wait that’s true. You probably heard about Maslow’s pyramid. I’m not a proponent of one theory explaining everything in the world. But as a rule, the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle, and I believe there’s something to consider in this theory as well.
So what about the guy who comes and says that he’s lost interest in the project? Did he have a physiologic need to work on the project or was searching for a secure place? No, most likely, he was already very close to the top of the pyramid. And when such people come and say they’re burned out, it’s probably too late to do anything. The project they’re working on simply doesn’t meet their self-actualization needs. The most foolish thing to do is to try to find artificial entertainment for the leading team member. Usually, it doesn’t lead to anything good and only postpones the inevitable end.
An alternative scenario could be a different case. Let’s say an engineer tells you he loves everything — the project is interesting, the team is great, but there’s not enough money to make ends meet. And he asks you to increase his salary to a reasonable amount.
In this case, the criterion is the lowest part of the pyramid. Despite this criterion being quite strong, it is also quite simple. In this situation, problems are easily solved; if everything suits you, you give the person what he asks for. And this criterion of the pyramid immediately becomes unimportant; the person’s motivation remains at the higher levels of the pyramid. Which is a good thing.
So what should I do with that as a manager?
Fact 2: Natural things cannot be conquered, but they can be learned to be used for one’s purposes.
For instance, if you have a bunch of low-qualified workers most likely the main criteria for them is earnings. So you can ask them to speed up their work for extra money in case of success.
Be careful, as the transition from one level of the pyramid to another can happen imperceptibly. A person simply reaches a comfortable income level, and entirely different things become important to him— the team atmosphere, the opportunity to learn new things, and so on.
Imagine a situation where a manager approaches a senior engineer, someone who strives to stay at the forefront of technology, seeks challenges, and tries to solve them in the best way possible. So, the manager comes in, suggesting throwing in a couple of hundred bucks if the engineer accomplishes something. Even though it’s always nice to get a little extra money, it has nothing to do with the motivation of this particular individual, unfortunately.
Theory of closed circles
… or why cost cuttings are a bad thing.
So, it turns out that the higher the pyramid, the more challenging it is for the manager to find the right motivational tools. What is the poor manager supposed to do?
Fact 3: you can’t solve a motivational quiz once forever. It’s a continuous process.
You have to be honest with yourself, people tend to move up the pyramid usually. Starting as a junior — searching for income and learning, and next — a cool team and challenging tasks. Senior — looking for something bigger, historically meaningful in their resume. I call it closed circles:
There are positive circles and negative ones. Imagine, you’ve done something challenging, you’ve learned a lot of new things. And you feel an emotional increase and already can’t wait to start working on something new.
And the opposite circle, you were lazy for the last couple of days (or there were no new cool ideas to implement), you’ve learned nothing, and you feel suppressed and unable to search for new challenging tasks in this state. You just don’t have the resources for that.
If you recognize yourself in any of these situations, know that in both cases, it’s essential to take a break and break out of the closed circle. Otherwise, burnout is likely to occur.
As for the manager, he must ensure that the level of the project and the tasks within it parallel the growth of the team working on it. If there is no natural project growth, people will likely leave the project after a certain point. This is natural, and there’s nothing to be done about it.
The only negative factor is that leaving individuals takes with them competencies, experience, and the former loyalty to the company. Human capital is one of the most crucial assets in IT. Therefore, you need to monitor the project’s quality and the level of the team working on it. If the project is dwindling, and you don’t want to lose the team, then the team needs to find a new project or somehow breathe new life into the fading project.
Having that said, “cost cuttings” without adjustments to the project team equals “shooting into your leg”.
Conclusion
What can we now do with that information? I don’t know, but next time you feel bad about something, don’t … don’t feel, just action! :)