I am curious to know how many people are experiencing change fatigue or burn out?
24 replies (most recent on top)
@19r if that is the case, bid council governance is not doing their job. A higher level governance issue.
@19k The project manager used to/should communicate the costs he received from the developers/experts...
Unfortunately, what we see in Project management recently is the Project manager putt challenging costs and delivery dates that suits some customers and negotiate with the line manager the way to force the dev to accept his deal...
@pz in a company that throws program and project managers in the dumpster as commoditized skill sets, what you are describing is project management…
@ph You tell your manager in writing. Please let me know which priorities I should focus on, I am working 12 hours per day.
This way. You have something in writing and let him respond. If he does not respond, you know he does not care.
@q6 If SAP make this deal I can assure you that OnPrem teams will all be empty 😀
If getting rid of OnPrem is their target then this is the best plan to implement !
@b6 You don't want to wait when it gets to sui-idal ideation. I have been there. Your body is just fatigued and not thinking straight. People need time off. People deserve it and that is why we have insurance. It is there take it. You are priority and you have to learn to set boundaries, which most people are not taught.
Your manager does not have to know your medical reason why you leave. It is confidential. Anything medical is confidential.
You say you have a medical emergency, get a doctors note and you take time off. Even if it is two weeks, take two weeks, when you need more time-you take more time.
Managers do not care- They are burning out as well.
YOU ARE PRIORITY, EVERYTHING ELSE IS SECONDARY. YOU ARE NO GOOD TO ANYBODY IF YOU AR E NOT FUNCTIONAL.
Trust the board!
can we all ask for 3 weeks for every year worked if let go. other companies give like 1 month. That way there could be come ppl will voluntarily take it. that way people who don't want to go don't have to be let go.
@ph manager come with his plan (wish list), based on this list of tasks you give your execution plan (with estimated delivery date for each task) and you make a plan that's realistic based on normal working hours and stick to it.
Some manager try to put you on the defensive in order to make you feel guilty or they lure you into some imaginary deal that this will help you in your career or to get the promotion you want...
talk with more experienced guys and they will tell you that this is not sustainable because the exceptional effort you put will be the new normal for you and if you want to get the next promotion you will have to deliver more which progressively will squeeze the life out of you...
Know your worth !
All while others on the team do nothing …
Expectations just keep getting higher and higher as the days go on. How does one say simply- I’m maxed out and can’t handle anymore “priority items”?? It’s not sustainable and I refuse to work 12 hours a day.
@jp If you're in EU don't play the game of being paid by two companies at same time without informing both companies...
If one of the companies sue you then you'll end up in jail (for fraud) and will pay both companies a substantial amount of money...
The software business is so small that you can end up in a company where your manager is a former SAP who kept good connections in SAP 😀
@f1 so sorry to hear this, managers rarely support the employees and basically are just taking care of their jobs and it is really the employee that must take care of themselves and set boundaries.
I hear you, unfortunately it’s becoming increasingly difficult to manage productivity and health.
I would ask not to go through this alone, and when you have down to time, you take the downtime.
More importantly get support.
It’s very important to put yourself first.
Good luck!
@em The people I know who went 2 years off for depression and burn out, all say the same story: it all starts with having a corporate mobile phone, then after leaving the office
they start checking emails, answering calls, remote connecting to a server to answer a question..etc
The result is if you do it frequently, your work life balance is out of the window: you will have no activity outside work, no time with your kids, wife, parents..etc
If this is the life you want good luck.
The irony of the story is, the managers of the people who got sick, when asked why they forced their engineers to work long hours, they responded that it's because they're not well organized and that's why they need more time to complete the tasks that others finish in "normal" hours...
In my opinion everybody has the right to disconnect from work.
They try to present to you every situation like it's life and death issue which is definitely not...you know people never recover completely from a burn out or depression : it's really serious.
@bw so if the customer calls or texts or emails you at 5:05, you ignore it? Because as a former SAP Senior Program Manager I can assure you that SAP will never support “banker hours” or advocate for you punching a time card at 5PM. Good luck
@Ck fan - you are a complete id--t and I really hope you don’t work at SAP, bellends like you are the problem, not CK and the “board”.
Alles gute aus Walldorf
@be stop with the trust the board sh-t.
Health is health the board has nothing to do with this, don’t be so insensitive, burn out is a serious matter. Trust your doctor.
I know people in SAP who suffered from it: from what I've seen It manifests itself in different forms depending on people: some will feel extreme fatigue and it affects their productivity and their desire to do anything.
Others become more nervous and in continuous tension.
The result is the same your body is giving you alarm signs.
My opinion is that we shouldn't absorb the incompetence of some project managers who doesn't know (or care) the cost of each task and keep pushing it to others.
It's really important to step back estimate the cost of your tasks and give your execution plan and be firm on it because your health depends on it: if it matches with theirs then fine otherwise they have to reprioritize or find someone else to do it...you will see that they will choose to reprioritize!
I found the people who didn't suffer from it even in high pressure are the ones who have fixed hours (like 9 to 5) and not one he hour more : and think the day plan to fit in the 9-5 time frame...
There is a reason why the previous generations didn't know the burn out: fixed hours is good start !
I‘m really sorry to read this.
I would trust the board in the hope that it eases the mind.
@a6 Maybe look into a disability leave? I did this when I was working with another employer. The stress, politics, unrealistic deadlines and short staffing made for a very unhealthy environment. I was working crazy hours (Often without breaks) and was circling the drain mentally and physically.
My partner told me to take the disability leave before I suffered a total breakdown. We researched it, I went to the family doctor and a specialist. We submitted the paperwork to the insurance company and was approved.
I’m not going to say it saved my life as I wasn’t sui-idal. I will say that it saved everyone and everything that should mean everything to me . I was just to stressed, anxious & in a negative mindset to care about any of it!
It’s easy to say that work should not be priority one but….when it is causing you harm, it’s time to step back, reassess and rest. Hey you can even use the leave to find something else!
Be well, be safe and be happy!
I'm feeling it too. For me, it's this relentless pressure from directors te expectation that there can't be a single mistake & then they pile on deadlines that are just plain insane. The worst part is, I don't get the resources my team needs to even try and hit those unrealistic asks. It's a loselose and it's completely draining. We've got to find a way to talk about this more openly.
@aa I thought it important to discuss because it’s a reality nobody talks about and I personally think health and your family need you more than SAP that said, it is not easy hence self care is essential. Don’t let them win over your health.
Be well.
@a6 I hear you, best you regulate your sleep. It’s essential. Don’t let your health suffer. No company is worth this
Be well.
i've defintely been experiencing burnout.... After 15 years this way, it's become increasinly difficult to manage. working across different time zones has taken a serious toll on my sleep, my sleep patterns are totally off and overall health suffers.... my sleep patterns are constantly disrupted, and it's been hard to maintain any kind of balance. the stress of it all is building up, and i’m finding it harder to cope lately.
it feels like too much, especially lately.