RED Talk on Fixing Burnout: A Smarter Way to Work and Lead (alumni, students and staff only)

Associate Professor Carol Gill explores why Australians are so vulnerable to burnout, and how mindfulness can help us thrive again.

According to the OECD Better Life Index, Australians are among the most burnt-out employees globally, ranking 32nd out of 41 countries regarding work-life balance. Burnout results in employees being less productive, less creative, and more likely to do the bare minimum at work.

In the post-COVID era, this manifested as Quiet Quitting, with employees seeking ways to meet workplace demands by doing as little as possible, rarely performing beyond their required duties. Burnout also contributes to high sick leave and turnover rates, substantially affecting individuals, their leaders, and organisations.

This talk examines why we are vulnerable to burnout and how we can work smarter, not harder. It also highlights Carol's research on how mindfulness can prevent the depletion of cognitive and emotional resources, which decreases emotional exhaustion and increases affective well-being.

Our Research, Expertise and Data Talk series, or RED Talk, features our world-renowned faculty members sharing the big ideas from their research. The series showcases our thought leadership through a 15-minute lunchtime-friendly talk followed by a 15-minute audience Q&A, offering practical insights that can be used today.

About Carol Gill

Carol Gill is an Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour at Melbourne Business School.
 
Carol has specialised in the fields of executive learning and development, human resource management and organization development, as both an academic and practitioner, for more than 25 years. She is a registered organisational psychologist, accredited coach, and certified fellow of the Australian Institute of Human Resource Management. Carol has worked in key roles within major private and public-sector organisations in leadership and executive development, human resources, workplace performance, employee relations, recruitment, and change management.
 
Carol’s research, which has been published in the Journal of Management, Human Resource Management and elsewhere, explores personal, behavioural, and organisational integrity. In particular, Carol is interested in Leadership in organisations and work teams. Her recent focus has been on authentic leadership and alignment of employees to strategic imperatives and organisational values in a changing organisational context.
 
Carol teaches People Management and Leadership on MBA programs and designs and delivers Executive Education.