Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Can We Break the Cycle of Burnout? Carol Enneking on Discovering What Really Issues


In an ‘always-on’ world with extra decisions than ever, why do folks nonetheless battle to set boundaries and expertise burnout? On this interview with Carol Enneking, creator of The Rebalancing Act: Knowledge from Working Ladies For Success that Issues readers of Social Way of life Journal will achieve deeper insights into private enrichment.

Enneking explains that the very qualities that drive success—ambition, intelligence, and a powerful work ethic—may also contribute to burnout if left unchecked. In her e-book, she shares private tales and insights to assist others acknowledge these patterns and discover steadiness.

She can also be excited to announce the launch of Rebalancing Revolution, a neighborhood of ladies from varied ages, life phases, {and professional} backgrounds who assist one another in specializing in success that really issues. Created in response to readers of her e-book who needed to proceed the conversations it sparked, this neighborhood gives month-to-month digital conferences with visitor audio system, legacy mapping classes, a web based collaboration app, and an annual wellness retreat. “It’s not simply one other factor ladies need to do,” says Enneking. “Quite, it helps them do all of the issues they do higher.”

So, what can we do to keep away from reaching the breaking level? Carol Enneking shares her perspective:

Meghan Forte: Your e-book The Rebalancing Act explores the struggles of balancing profession and private achievement. What was the most important takeaway out of your analysis?

Carol Enneking : I spotted it wasn’t simply me! Over 70 folks I interviewed confirmed my suspicion about why we’re extra overloaded and exhausted than ever earlier than. From latest school graduates to retirees, their tales had been the identical. The myriad roles vying for our consideration in right this moment’s world are creating an issue we appear to really feel powerless to unravel. On this unimaginable day by day juggling act,it’s simple to lose sight of what issues most. Regardless of having extra decisions than ever earlier than about methods to make investments our time, we are likely to attempt to do every thing, and the impression of expertise in our ‘all the time on’ world has solely magnified the problem. Quite than getting higher with distant work and different diversifications, we now face an epidemic of worn out, burned out, wired staff.I do know this as a result of I used to be one among them. I additionally realized it’s in our nature as ladies to be resilient, so together with studying concerning the traps they fell into, I additionally picked up some nice strategies they used to reclaim steadiness and concentrate on what issues most.

Meghan Forte: What are a number of the most typical traps that stop folks from attaining work-life steadiness?

Carol Enneking: I believe the most important lure might be having the expectation that issues can be ‘balanced’ within the first place. With all of the facets of our busy lives, there are such a lot of elements we juggle at work and in our private lives, that balancing is, at greatest, momentary. That’s the reason the e-book I wrote is known as The Rebalancing Act. It’s all about having the assets, agility, flexibility, and assist wanted to regulate when wanted as effectively and successfully as potential.

I additionally suppose a giant lure is pondering we will do every thing. Whereas we could, certainly, be able to doing all of the issues we would like and must do, it can be crucial that we set boundaries and quit making an attempt to do issues which might be of little or no worth within the greater context of our lives. Typically it’s simple to suppose, “Properly, I understand how to do that,” and even, “I can in all probability do that higher or extra rapidly than anybody else.” So, we comply with do one thing that we don’t get pleasure from, don’t have time for, or don’t wish to do in any respect. After which we marvel why we’re overloaded!

Simply because you’ll be able to doesn’t imply it’s best to. Once we hold our schedules so full of issues to do, now we have no additional time buffer inbuilt to handle unexpected points. And we definitely haven’t any time left to be fulfilled. I all the time prefer to ask folks how they make decisions about investing their most valuable commodity, their time.

Studying methods to say no and let go of the issues that don’t matter is as vital as investing your time and expertise within the issues that do.

Meghan Forte: What matters resonate most along with your audiences once you converse on management and private achievement?

Carol Enneking: I share my very own tales about classes I realized the arduous method, and that’s relatable for lots of people. The exact same attributes that make us profitable can work towards us. Professionals are usually bold, clever, aim pushed, and conscientious. These are excellent traits, however they’ll additionally result in exhaustion, stress, and burnout. That is very true for many who have vital pursuits past work, whether or not these are associated to household, health, volunteerism, hobbies, or all of those! I encourage them to take a while to consider what they wish to be identified for…their legacy. Then, I present them with perspective and instruments to assist them reside with a legacy-focused mindset to allow them to concentrate on what issues most and really feel good letting the opposite issues go.

Meghan Forte: How do you strategy participating audiences who’re feeling burnt out or caught of their careers?

Carol Enneking: Related ideas for attaining private achievement additionally apply to managing your profession. I’ve spent a few years working with staff to assist them handle their profession as an alternative of anticipating another person (i.e. their organizations) to handle it for them. Ladies specifically are typically much less prone to ask for what they need after which they find yourself annoyed once they don’t develop of their careers the way in which that they had hoped. I share some easy workout routines with audiences to assist them determine their strengths and pursuits. Discover the 2 phrases I used: strengths, not abilities, and pursuits, stuff you might not be good at but, however that basically curiosity you. For instance, it’s possible you’ll be actually fascinated by studying extra about advertising, provide chain, or management, however you don’t have any expertise in these areas but. That’s totally different from one thing you don’t know however are in no way fascinated by studying extra about. Likewise, understanding your strengths – issues you might be good at and that you simply get pleasure from doing, is vital to distinguish them from simply abilities – issues you might be good at however that you simply don’t actually love to do. As soon as you might be clear on these, you might be then in a position to think about your excellent function. From there, I assist the viewers think about their present scenario. How do they present up, and ideally how do they wish to be identified? This helps them analyze the hole between their present and excellent states and create their improvement plan. There are different facets of managing your profession, like discovering a mentor, discussing your profession aspirations, and pacing your self, which might be a part of this speak as effectively. Audiences recognize the sensible methods they’ll use to drive a profession that’s fulfilling, rewarding, and aligned with their aspirations.

Meghan Forte: You’ve suggested firms on six continents—how do management and expertise challenges differ globally?  

Carol Enneking: I’ve discovered that individuals management challenges all around the world usually are not that totally different. I did discover, although, that cultural norms somewhere else and inside totally different organizations fluctuate drastically. This turns into fairly advanced when you think about international firms with an organization tradition considerably decided by their headquarters location making an attempt to adapt and marry that with the cultural norms, language, and practices of every nation the place they function. For one shopper, my group carried out an worker survey in 31 totally different languages spanning the globe. Though the quantitative knowledge was useful and considerably uniform, the qualitative knowledge – particularly with free textual content responses – diversified fairly a bit. Some teams of staff had been more likely to share their views fairly candidly, whereas others had been extra guarded. This made the manager debriefs and observe up motion planning fairly fascinating. I labored with govt groups in varied divisions within the US, Europe, and Asia and it was completely fascinating! The management groups approached sharing the outcomes with their groups and taking motion on the ends in very alternative ways. I realized a lot from that have and gained a larger appreciation for the significance of respecting native customs on the subject of offering nice workplaces for these staff all around the world.

Meghan Forte: In the event you might give your youthful self one piece of profession recommendation, what wouldn’t it be?

Carol Enneking:  I might say to proceed to research how I spend my time and be comfy saying no to some issues so I can say sure to the issues that matter most to me.

Meghan Forte: What impressed you to specialise in expertise administration, teaching, and management?

Carol Enneking: I went via a private improvement workshop in my mid-twenties that actually modified my life. As a part of the workshop, I set my lifetime objectives and was inspired to dream massive goals. On the time, I used to be in a company advertising function and had anticipated to proceed climbing the ladder in that firm and that enterprise space. I additionally confirmed my 5 uppermost values in that workshop, and one among them is contribution. Via these processes, I spotted I actually loved facilitating coaching. I requested to turn into a facilitator to guide that very workshop inside my firm, and that was the primary coaching I used to be ever licensed to show. From there, I used to be hooked! I took each alternative to facilitate coaching. Having been a part of a rotational improvement program centered on main and managing folks, I used to be notably keen about coaching that will assist folks be simpler managers. I continued to develop and develop my very own management and profession whereas serving to others develop in those self same areas. By doing this for over three many years, teaching turned a pure addition to my choices. I’ve had superb alternatives to work with many alternative firms and 1000’s of leaders through the years, and it has been so rewarding. As for the expertise administration side, expertise is only a fancy phrase for folks. Whenever you concentrate on studying, growing, and facilitating efficient management, you notice all of that’s expertise administration. Honing my abilities in a company function standing up a expertise administration operate for the enterprise rounded out my abilities. Via that function, I realized extra concerning the processes supporting expertise administration from pre-hire via retirement. I’m not an knowledgeable practitioner on each side of expertise administration however have a knack for melding all these items right into a folks management technique that permits companies to succeed in their aims. 

Carol Enneking is an completed senior chief with in depth expertise in expertise improvement, teaching, and govt steering. She has collaborated with main companies, progressive startups, and over 100 firms, empowering companies to leverage their expertise and tradition to drive distinctive outcomes. In her acclaimed e-book, The Rebalancing Act: Knowledge from Working Ladies for Success that Issues, Carol shares insights from greater than seventy interviews and her personal private experiences, providing actionable methods to assist others obtain steadiness and prioritize what really issues.

Carol’s insights from The Rebalancing Act present a invaluable roadmap for figuring out widespread traps and reclaiming steadiness. Via community-driven initiatives like Rebalancing REVOLUTION, she empowers ladies to redefine success on their very own phrases and domesticate lives that convey true happiness. By setting boundaries, specializing in significant pursuits, and prioritizing what enriches their lives, we will break away from burnout and create a fulfilled path towards happiness.

Our honest gratitude to Carol Enneking and her group for the participating interview with Social Way of life Journal!

Purchase the e-book right here!

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