Has cynicism infected your organisation? (Harvard Business Review, 25 May 2023)

Summary

Burnout is a workplace syndrome characterised by three core attributes: 1) energy depletion or exhaustion, 2) a cynical or negative attitude toward one’s job, and 3) reduced professional efficacy.

That second attribute, workplace cynicism, may be the least-understood aspect of burnout in part because of its complexity. In contrast to exhaustion and diminished efficacy, whose causes and effects are relatively straightforward, cynicism can be caused by a number of workplace factors, and it can be expressed in a broad range of emotional states and behaviours.

Cynicism is dangerous to both individual and organisational health and can also spread rapidly throughout teams through a phenomenon known as “emotional contagion.” It’s possible to improve even deep-seated cynicism — and better yet, to prevent it from infecting your organization in the first place. The author of this Harvard Business Review article offers strategies to help reverse existing cynicism and to create an anti-cynical culture at work.