Burnout is more than just 80’s slang for a stoner or hot, squealing tires on asphalt; it’s a serious obstacle impacting the global workforce.

We sat down on Analysts After Dark with Coach Vic Nichols and discussed what causes burnout and how analysts can confront these feelings. We had a great conversation, but still had some burning questions left unanswered. 

If you are unfamiliar or unsure of precisely what burnout entails, a publication in the National Library of Medicine describes burnout as consisting of 3 primary emotions. Individuals experiencing burnout typically face feelings of exhaustion, cynicism towards their work environment, and inefficacy in the work that they are performing.

The World Health Organization plainly states that burnout results “from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”. Furthering that research, Harvard Business Review elicited the six main causes of burnout and evaluated over 1500 people globally to determine its impact.

The Six Main Causes of Burnout and What BAs Can Do About It

Unsustainable Workload

For unspecified reasons, the Business Analyst position seems to be the catch-all for gaps in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Don’t have a QA person? “Let’s make it part of the analyst’s role.”. Inconsistent or missing Product Owner? “Why don’t we have the analyst fill in for a little while?”. “We are in the process of hiring more BAs, but we need you to take the lead on these 4 projects.” Sound familiar?

While the analyst skill set is broad, because something can be done by the BA it doesn’t mean it should be. When BAs take on additional roles, it can have significant downstream effects on team velocity, business/feature prioritization, development quality, and more. Additionally, when one analyst is doing the work of three, expect to be looking for their replacement as well.

Analysts, if this sounds familiar it is time to reset expectations. Collaborating with other roles is part of being an analyst and there will be overlap between positions. However, if you find yourself responsible for completing more than your fair share of work or performing duties that are outside of your role, speak up. By not doing so, you enable your organization to sustain fragile development processes and deprive yourself of a healthy work environment.

Perceived Lack of Control

When employees lack autonomy, they don’t feel that they have any say over their workday making it easier to “check out” until they are told what to do.

Business analysts don’t often get to choose the projects they are assigned to or the applications they support. This doesn’t mean they don’t have a say over what gets done.

Analysts, you are the expert in ensuring that a project’s requirements are documented. You have the authority to establish agendas and determine how long requirements sessions take.

Insufficient Rewards for Effort

Did you just singlehandedly identify missing functionality that would have sunk your project? What about saving the company a ton of money by developing a better process for engaging its customers? Or perhaps you just busted your butt for the last 8 months to ensure that a project was delivered on time? Whatever it is, you deserve recognition and maybe even a little dough (and no, we don’t mean a pizza party).

Being underacknowledged for exceptional or even hard work generates feelings of animosity, disrespect, neglect, and apathy.

Analysts, if you feel unacknowledged try these things:

1. Speak up! First, tell your Product Owner / Direct Supervisor about your awesomeness.
2. Find a Hype-person! Have other people in the organization tout your excellence. This especially helps if you feel uncomfortable sharing your achievements.
3. Share it Publicly! If celebrities can stamp their name on products they didn’t make and “influencers” can unironically be elated about opening a box you can surely share your hard work.

Lack of a supportive community

Being the only BA in a team or organization can feel isolating. This is especially true if you work in a group that doesn’t foster growth and mentorships.

This can even be attributed to toxic work environments. Working in environments where negativity, jealousy, vindictiveness, and finger-pointing are rampant inhibits trust and obstructs growth.

Analysts, first if you are reading this blog, you have already taken the first step to fixing this! Perhaps it’s not possible to create a supportive community at work, but you can find local IIBA chapters to engage with or join fun-loving late-night BA stream shows.

Lack of fairness

Most people were taught as children that “the world isn’t fair”. While that may be true, it still stings when treated unfairly. The workplace is rife with favoritism, nepotism, inequality, and bias. Unlike some of the other causes of burnout, this one doesn’t have many easy answers.

Analysts, if you feel you are not treated fairly try these things:

1. Foster fairness! Challenge situations in which unfairness exists and build structures/processes that create fair environments.
2. Advocate for yourself! Insist that you are treated with the same respect and dignity as other teammates.  
3. Contact Management / HR If individuals are creating an inhabitable or toxic work environment bring it to the attention of management/HR. Like with good requirements, documentation is key.
4. Find Another Opportunity If consistent egregious situations keep occurring, perhaps exploring other opportunities is necessary.

Mismatched values and skills

Have you ever seen a company put a brand new BA on a flagship project as the Lead BA? Have you BEEN that analyst? Being placed on a project outside your skillset can feel daunting. This is even more true for highly visible projects. Finding yourself unaligned with how a project is being delivered or managed can feel just as serious.

Analysts, if you find yourself out of alignment, try these:

1. Voice your Concerns! It’s possible you are underestimating your skill set or you are knowingly being placed in that position to stretch your abilities. You won’t know until you talk about it.
2. Skill Up! Do some research, analyze similar job postings for comparison, seek an online course, ask colleagues, and do whatever you can to gain know-how in that area as quickly as possible.
3. Seek Clarification! If you don’t agree with how the project is being managed/delivered ask to ensure that you understand it properly. If you still don’t agree once it’s explained, make sure your concerns are added to the RAID log.
4. Come Prepared! If you know that an approach is wrong or inadvisable, advocate for alternatives that align with proven practices. Use whitepapers, reference the IIBA BABOK, recall previous projects, etc. Don’t forget your network of peers as well. There is sure to be someone in your network that has experienced the same concerns.

We want to hear from you!

If you feel more burned out than a smore at a campfire, we are here to help. Share your experience. Odds are that another analyst is currently struggling or has overcome the same issue you are. Then again, sometimes it just helps to get it out.

This is a community! We are here to build one another up, promote excellence and make analysis fun!

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This is Analysts After Dark encouraging you to stay curious and stay positive!