Project Heroes and Burnout

Gap of Slackness discusses the gap between project heroes. Project heroes are the team members who make the impossible possible. However, their powers are not boundless. If they get into trouble, this is an indicator that the organization is getting into difficulty.

Organizations should not rely on project heroes and should be cleared of a charge by them. Project heroes can help out in short-term challenges, but should not be part of an organizational strategy. If the organization does not fill the gaps that were bridged by the project heroes, this implies a need for a continuous, high-speed working style.

Stress and work overload can lead to burnout syndrome. The burnout phenomenon manifests itself in varying ways. It is not an easy task to detect it before it is too late; that is, the only thing you will "see" from your project heroes are sick notes.

Although it seems that burnouts are a new phenomenon, they are, in fact, pretty old. Typically, in the...