Burnout @ Corporate: When Trust Deficit Becomes the Real Workload

Thanks for the overwhelming response to my earlier article on Responsiveness. I hope you'll enjoy this one too.

An employee-friendly manager once messaged his subordinate: "It's raining heavily in Pune. Come to the office only if you need a job."

This message went viral on WhatsApp last week.

A friend of mine reacted strongly to it because it reminded him of an incident with his manager at year-end.

"I was about to resign in December 2025 when my boss rejected my Christmas leave, saying, 'I'll be on leave that week, so you need to be here to handle office affairs.'"

"Oh really?" I reacted.

"Yeah, I was shocked. I was about to reply, tumhaara khoon khoon aur hamaara khoon paani, but I controlled myself."

"Good that you showed composure."

"But the incident burned me out. I hadn’t taken any casual leave throughout the year, thinking I would take a vacation with my family at the end of the year. But my boss had planned an overseas vacation, so he prioritised his holiday and cancelled my leave."

“I can understand,” I reciprocated.

“I wanted to call him out on social media as a Toxic Boss, but I had no offer in hand.”

“Hahaha. You can do that on the last day of your job then.”

“Can’t say that. But I was really frustrated then,” he expressed.

"Hmm. But you need to understand that we work in an era where the only thing that matters in the office is HIPPO."

"HIPPO?"

"Yes, HIghest Paid Person's Opinion," I replied.

"I agree."

My response seemed to ease my friend's frustration, and he finally smiled.

Actually, many professionals working in corporates have forgotten how to smile. They often maintain a serious expression because they believe it makes them look more professional and committed.

The worst part is that people who pretend to be busy or serious are often perceived as hardworking and dedicated. In contrast, employees who smile or maintain a relaxed demeanour are frequently mistaken for being casual or less committed.

I learned this from one of my seniors at a previous company. He once told me: "I always thought Gogate was very committed. But after you left the organisation, I realised that although you appeared cheerful and jovial, the amount of work you handled was far greater than what Gogate actually did."

This mindset is one of the reasons many employees experience burnout. Over time, some develop unhealthy coping habits such as smoking or drinking, which can eventually lead to health issues like high blood pressure and diabetes.

However, managers also share some responsibility. Many bosses struggle to trust their team members and end up micromanaging them.

I remember one of my bosses at my first job, after finishing my MBA, made me work for an entire month on the artwork for a single advertisement. In the era of Gen AI, a similar task can be completed in two or three hours at most.

But the fact is that getting work done through others is often more difficult than doing it yourself. Even experienced leaders sometimes find it hard to trust their subordinates. As a result, they overload them with unnecessary tasks. When employees fail to see the value in those tasks, their motivation drops, and eventually management starts considering replacing them. And that is a direct pathway to employee burnout.

Recently, I observed a similar trait in one of my uncles, who is in his sixties. He accidentally locked himself inside my house while staying with us for a day. To help him, I threw the keys down from the terrace and asked one of our security guards to come up and unlock the door. Due to an issue with the lift, the guard took some time to reach our floor, which made my uncle anxious. Then, when the guard struggled to open the safety door, my uncle immediately concluded that another guard should be called. I had to step in and guide the guard properly on how to operate the European lock. Once he received the right instructions, he managed to open it. The incident taught me an important lesson:

Before replacing an existing resource, we should ask ourselves whether we have provided adequate training and support. Often, the gap does not lie in the employee's capability. It lies in the training, guidance, and environment that we provide.

AMP: The Antidote to Burnout

We need to understand that professionals are motivated by Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose (AMP)—not by micromanagement and a lack of trust.

• Autonomy: Employees thrive when they are trusted to make decisions and manage their own work. Constant interference signals distrust, which suffocates creativity and initiative.
• Mastery: People want to get better at what they do. When managers assign meaningless or repetitive tasks, employees lose the chance to sharpen their skills, leading to disengagement.
• Purpose: Work feels fulfilling when employees see how their efforts contribute to a larger mission. Without purpose, even high performers feel like they are running on a treadmill—busy but going nowhere.

When AMP is missing, employees often experience burnout. They feel drained not because of the workload itself, but because of the trust deficit and lack of meaningful engagement. Burnout manifests as emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced productivity. Over time, it can spill into personal life, damaging health, relationships, and overall well-being.

If you are facing burnout, try reframing your perspective:

• Seek clarity on your role and its purpose.
• Invest in skill-building to regain a sense of mastery.
• Negotiate for autonomy in areas where you can take ownership.

And if you'd like to discuss it further, feel free to reach out to me.