Recap of Clarion’s Burnout and Resilience Webinar

17 Oct

Burnout and resilience are hot topics in the workplace right now, and for good reason. As the pace of work accelerates and we continue to deal with the long-term effects of the pandemic, stress levels are soaring. To address this, we recently hosted a free live webinar, Thriving at Work: Building Resilience and Preventing Burnout in the Workplace, on Tuesday, October 8th at 14:00.

This blog post is a recap of a Q&A session we held with the webinar host, Clarion’s Director, David, to dive deeper into why this conversation was so crucial and to share insights from the session.

Webinar Recording

If you missed the webinar, please email communications@clarioninsight.com to request free access to the full recording.

Q: Why is this topic of burnout and resilience important to you?

A: As a change professional, I’ve spent years working in environments where I’m helping people navigate complex and behavioural changes.

A significant aspect of my role involves working with people, and I’ve observed a growing concern regarding work-life balance and stress management. In fact, I’ve seen this in every organisation I’ve collaborated with. Post-lockdown, the intensity of these issues increased, and this stress has become a major challenge for both individuals and organisations.

There’s also a noticeable increase in the anxiety experienced by younger generations. As a parent of four children, I’ve seen the difference in stress and anxiety levels between my younger children, who are just entering the workforce, and their older siblings.

It’s not just a personal observation, though—it’s a trend affecting broader society. Burnout has become one of the biggest risks for organisations today. Addressing it is critical not just for the success of any change initiative but for the overall health and sustainability of the workforce.

Q: Why did you decide now was the right time to host a webinar on burnout and resilience?

A: We’re at a critical point where burnout is no longer an isolated issue. It’s affecting people across all industries and demographics. There’s a lot of information out there on burnout, but some of it can feel superficial or even like clickbait. What’s missing is practical, applicable advice on how to effectively address burnout and build resilience in real, meaningful ways.

Now is the perfect time to have a conversation that cuts through the noise. We need clarity on what stress and resilience really mean and how to approach these issues in the workplace.

Q: What personal expertise or skills did you bring to this webinar?

A: With 30 years of experience as a change professional, I’ve had ample opportunities to work on various aspects of organisational change and people management. Recently, I deepened my focus on organisational psychology through postgraduate study, and I’m especially interested in how wellbeing, psychological safety, neurodiversity and other key factors interconnect.

Q: What new or surprising insights did you gain while preparing for this webinar?

A: I was continually struck by the sheer scale of the burnout problem. We often underestimate just how widespread and serious it is. As human beings, we probably aren’t designed to handle the relentless scale and pace of information and stimuli that modern life throws at us. We think we’re coping, but in reality, most of us are struggling more than we realise. The problem is only getting more pronounced as new generations enter the workforce with unique challenges and stressors.

Q: What has been the most challenging part of planning this webinar?

A: The most challenging part has been narrowing down the topic. Burnout and resilience are interconnected with so many other concepts, like psychological safety and neurodiversity. I tend to think in a big-picture way, linking different ideas together, so it’s tough to confine myself to just this one aspect.

Also, I thrive on interaction. I love being in workshops or live sessions where I can respond to real-time questions and engage with people directly. Webinars, by contrast, can feel a bit static since there’s less dynamic interaction. That’s been an adjustment for me, but I hope I delivered as much value as possible in this format.

Q: What key takeaways do you hope the audience left the webinar with?

A: I want people to understand the scale of the burnout problem. It’s massive and it’s growing, particularly with the new generation entering the workforce. The younger generation, in particular, is coming into the workforce with higher levels of anxiety, and we need to address that head-on.

Secondly, I hope the audience walked away with practical tools to build resilience and prevent burnout. It’s not just about reacting to burnout once it happens—it’s about being proactive in managing stress before it spirals out of control. I discussed how resilience can be viewed not just as a reactive measure, but as a proactive one. It’s about actively managing stress in everyday work to prevent it from ever reaching the burnout stage.

Q: How does this topic align with the overall mission of Clarion?

A: Clarion is all about guiding organisations through change in complex environments. Change itself is inherently stressful. Especially when dealing with high-stakes change in a complex environment, we ask people to adopt behaviours that might seem risky to them or different from what their colleagues are doing. That adds an extra layer of stress, which is why it’s crucial to be mindful of burnout and resilience throughout this process. We have to recognise that people only have so much capacity for change, and that capacity is directly linked to their sense of wellbeing.

Actively managing change delivery is crucial for a healthier workplace. When change is done well - it fosters a sense of understanding and reduces uncertainty and anxiety among employees, especially when leaders have been effectively coached to lead the way.

Poorly managed change often leads to confusion, misalignment, and increased stress. At Clarion, we try and ensure that employees feel informed and supported, which ultimately helps them to navigate change more smoothly.

INTERVIEW ENDS

Final Thoughts

As workplaces evolve, resilience and burnout prevention aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re essential. During this Q&A, we heard firsthand from David about the growing burnout problem and the need for practical, proactive solutions.