Why did the chicken cross the road?
Well, it depends on the chicken.
I mean sure — probably to get to the other side. But what’s it chasing? For some, maybe adventure. Another may want the cardio. Still another saw the ice cream truck.
Burnout? Same deal.
The biggest mistake we keep making is assuming everyone’s crossing the road for the same reason. Or…that burnout always means too much work.
I mean, sometimes. But not always.
When my kids were little, they played every sport. And my husband coached every team. He loved the bonding time. I loved not being in charge of snacks.
At first, he coached the way his coaches did. Classic drills. Sprinting. Skill-building.
And for some kids, it worked.
But others kept struggling. Not because they lacked skill. Sometimes the gap was
confidence. Sometimes, strategy. And sometimes working well with team members.
Same issue on the surface. Totally different roots underneath.
Same thing with burnout.
We keep trying to fix it by taking stuff off people’s plates.
And yes, sometimes that’s the answer.
But not always.
Here’s what else could be going on.
Burnout isn’t always about too much
That said, too much is still too much.
Leaders need to prioritize. Thoughtfully. Often. Across functions.
And when you add something, check if there’s actually space. Otherwise, the whole thing spills over.
Burnout is disconnection
It’s not about happy hours and team trivia.
It’s about trust. Shared language. Real conversations.
People need community that feels natural, not forced.
Burnout is a loss of purpose
If your people spend their days clicking through spreadsheets or following stale scripts, they need help seeing why it matters. Help them connect the tasks to something that feels worth it. That alone can help refill the tank.
Burnout is busywork and bureaucracy
When systems are outdated and processes are clunky, people get tired fast.
It’s not the work that’s exhausting. It’s all the extra steps that don’t need to be there
Burnout is too much change, too fast
Change is fine. Necessary. But constant shifting with no clear reason? That wears people out. If the plan changes weekly, nobody feels stable.
Burnout is the outside world, leaking in
People are carrying a lot these days. Stress. Uncertainty. Constant bad news.
That doesn’t stay at the door just because the workday starts. We have to make space for that reality.
So yeah, some chickens are overworked.
But others are disconnected, aimless, stuck in chaos, or just trying to hang on.
If we treat every case of burnout the same way, we’re going to keep missing the mark.
So let’s slow down.
Ask better questions.
Get curious about what’s really going on before we try to solve it.
Because not every chicken is crossing for the same reason.
And not every burnout story needs the same fix.
Need help with this?
Talks. Workshops. Plans that actually help.