Corporate Artistry: How To Avoid Burnout In Your Business
In my best presumptuous Aunt Margaret impression: “If you want to be successful, you have to become a doctor, an engineer or an architect because if you choose something creative, like being a musician or a chef you have to be really good...” *raising her eyebrows at my béarnaise*
There it is! The blast from the past, the dichotomy of corporate slave vs starving artist!
You have a choice: either you walk the path well-travelled that includes a good paycheck and job security while someone else calls the shots, or you chose the path less-travelled, where you’re on your own and you shall not know how to pay rent next month.
However, what the Aunt Margarets of the world have yet to learn is that the world is changing (hello digitalisation) and the formats of work are shifting (hello home office, standing desks, participative decision-making, holacracy, agile teams, boundaryless careers, freelancing, and outsourcing). Yet, for some reason, our mindset is often still stuck somewhere in the industrial age.
An outdated worldview
The problem with this outdated worldview is that we don’t see ourselves as having much control over our circumstances, leaving us (or our employees) with one of two options.
Doing what we love but not being adequately compensated for our efforts. Moreover, the life of a ‘starving artist’ is also linked with working beyond any support structures, often in isolation.
Having a ‘good job’ but the company dictates what we do (whether or not we agree) and we end up as burned out hamsters in a wheel. And while that may sound a tad exaggerated, for many employees (and entrepreneurs), it’s a reality evident in WHO’s decision to include burnout as an “occupational phenomenon” in their international classification of diseases in May 2019.
Inevitable burnout?
Some of the most cited causes of burnout include workload, a perceived lack of control, unfairness, and a mismatch of values and meaning - things often associated with traditional corporate life. And, considering only three out of ten supervisors address employee burnout, it’s clear that little support is offered when it comes to corporate burnout.
On the flip side, insufficient reward and a low sense of community are also known causes of burnout - and both symptoms of flying solo as an artist.
Simply put, in this day and age, there are no guarantees for safety, money or a happy life - whether you’re an engineer or a design thinking coach, employed or self-employed! Whatever path you choose, it’s time to actively counter the causes of burnout, rather than simply responding to it.
Purpose as a preventative measure for burnout
When, on an individual level, we find a match between loving what we do, being great at it, doing something the world (or a company, ideally both) needs, and something the market is willing to pay for, we find ourselves being led by a sense of purpose.
When people are led by this sense of purpose (which, by the way, isn’t a destination, but a state of being) they experience an alignment between their values and what they do, which leads to them having ‘mastery experiences’ (“I’m good at this - this is working”). This in turn, raises people’s self efficacy - the belief in your own capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce change (if you’re interested in the classics read Bandura, 1977, 1986, 1997).
Self-efficacy also reflects people’s confidence in the ability to exert control over their own motivation, behaviour, and social environment. This feeling pretty much sums up the antidote to the commonly cited causes of burnout.
Psst… Haven’t quite found your sense of purpose yet? Take the Purpose Test.
A new approach to integrating purpose
in business
If being on purpose is a way to reduce burnout, and with burnout becoming a rapidly increasing problem in the workplace, then clearly there’s a need to create new roles that merge the four aspects of purpose:
Passion
Meaning
Income
Mastery
In other words, it’s time we collectively replace this either-or path of either starving artist or corporate slave with a new concept: corporate artistry.
What’s a corporate artist?
This new role is filled by a person who has managed to fuse the best of both worlds by freely and creatively working on something that matters to them while utilising the infrastructure and synergies offered to them through the corporate context.
Corporate artist
/ˈkɔːp(ə)rət ˈɑːtɪst/
noun
noun: corporate artist; plural noun: corporate artists
a person who utilises their creativity within the infrastructure of a company or project and as such realises their purpose.
Similar: intrapreneur; creator; creative
This marriage of the corporate world (collaboration, support via existing infrastructure, profitability and a generally wider reach) and the life of an artist (creative freedom, passion, and the ability to impact areas of genuine interest) is the definition of corporate artistry. The net result is creative synergy, soulful collaboration and overall greater impact, with the reduction of workplace burnout being a natural byproduct.
We all want more corporate artists in our businesses!
“Artists think along the edges of the box because that's where things get done. That's where the audience is, that's where the means of production are available, and that's where you can make an impact.” ― Seth Godin
Corporate artists think along the lines of the box.
They genuinely care about and take ownership of their projects, taking responsibility for the outcome which leads to better results.
They are innovative.
They are happier and stress less resulting in increased productivity.
Corporate artists are an asset to any organisation, and when we consider that employees who experience burnout are more than twice as likely to leave their current employer, the benefits of creating roles that embrace this concept are obvious.
Want more corporate artists
in your organisation?
Creating a culture within our organisations that attracts and nurtures corporate artists means asking ourselves the following questions:
1. How much room are we leaving for creativity?
Known “creativity boosters” include changing your surroundings, spending time in nature and doing something active like going for a run. Creating a company culture that allows employees to step away from the grind and give birth to creative ideas is vital for corporate artistry.
2. Is there a connection between the company’s purpose and the individual’s sense of purpose?
As individuals, we establish a sense of purpose when we match meaning, passion, mastery and income. How does this connect with our company, i.e. our meaning, passion, mastery and profit at a corporate level? How well do these two levels go together?
3. Are we creating an environment that promotes cross-functional synergies (between departments/other organisations)?
Exchange with like-minded people is fundamental as a preventative measure for burnout, as well as a means to foster collective creativity. Promoting this type of collaboration nurtures not only the “corporate” aspect of corporate artistry but the “artist” as well.
4. Do we encourage strong personal brands?
More than mere cogs in a wheel, it’s important that our team members are not only recognised, but deeply valued for their unique, individual contribution. Rather than just working within the framework of a job title, this means we encourage and nurture a strong sense of self, giving them the space to develop a unique identity that enriches the organisation rather than one that simply fits the mould.
We do this by inviting them to have an opinion, to share their point of view, and to make a contribution to the company, all stakeholders and the world at large. Actively showing that we’d be delighted for them to pursue their creative ideas and share them with the world through Instagram, LinkedIn or other channels enables them to have strong profiles as individuals. This creates a culture of thought leaders, while demonstrating an appreciation for the unique value each team member brings to the table.
Simply put, we want our team members to be known for who they are and not only for their role in the organisation, as it shows that we trust and applaud their artistic freedom.
5. Do we create space for emotion in our company?
Studies suggest that employees who repress their emotions in the workplace and experience prolonged emotional dissonance are more likely to experience feelings of stress, frustration and, ultimately, burnout. Creating an environment where emotions are acknowledged encourages employees to address issues before they become unmanageable.
Shift into alignment
Leading an organisation that attracts and nurtures corporate artists and eradicates burnout starts with creating an environment of collaboration, passion, meaning and creative freedom at every level of the organisation - especially within the leadership team!
Is your leadership team in alignment? Or is it time to shake things up? If your team is in need of a gentle shake (or a wobble that registers on the Richter scale…)
If you need help, you know where to find me.
