A physician I know I’ll call Dr. Good was once passionate about his work and caring for his patients. He exuded compassion, joy and optimism even though he often faced tragic circumstances.

I recently reconnected with Dr. Good. The change in his outlook and demeanor was startling. He was morose, cold and seemingly uncaring. I asked how things were going. He sighed and said a new medical group owned his practice and all they seemed interested in was paperwork and processes. What he loved most about his work — caring for patients, solving the riddles of what ailed them and knowing he made a difference in their lives was secondary. He was considering quitting and possibly leaving medicine altogether.

Dr. Good isn’t alone. Record numbers of people have quit their jobs recently. Many cited the COVID-19 pandemic and burnout as the reasons for what’s dubbed the “great resignation.” Some believe that unless work changes, retaining talent isn’t going to get any easier.

What, exactly, is burnout? Does burnout explain the changes to Dr. Good?

The three components of burnout are emotional exhaustion, depersonalization — or cynicism — and reduced personal accomplishment. Someone must score low in all three areas to be considered burned out. Burnout isn’t synonymous with depression or being stressed out.

I work at Triad, an employee assistance program that provides confidential conflict resolution, counseling, crisis support and training for organizations and their employees. Triad has received numerous requests from well-intentioned organizations, particularly those in health care and education, to provide training on burnout. Sometimes the request feels like a “fix” for workers who are burned out — to help staff with resiliency and stress and time management skills to endure the sometimes grinding nature of their jobs.

A more meaningful and long-lasting approach to burnout often has nothing to do with workers. Instead, burnout signals an organization should redesign the work environment and jobs to help employees find greater meaning in their work and lead happier and more productive lives.

ADP Research Institute recently surveyed more than 50,000 workers to determine what improves engagement, inclusion, performance and retention. Of all the predictors, three questions were most powerful:

Was I excited to work every day last week?

Did I have a chance to use my strengths every day?

Do I get to do what I’m good at and something I love?

The results led Marcus Buckingham, head of people and performance research at ADPRI, to write a Harvard Business Review article — https://hbr.org/2022/05/designing-work-that-people-love — about how organizations must redesign work with love at its core. What does that mean? Is it possible to rekindle the passion of someone like Dr. Good?

Here are three core principles to incorporate into everything a business does:

People are the point. Employees, rather than customers or shareholders, are the most important stakeholders. This starts with recruiting individuals and matching their specific strengths and loves to their jobs. Dr. Good was an excellent recruit. To salvage his potential, determine his professional and personal goals, provide ongoing educational opportunities and encourage him to grow and develop.

One size fits one. Each employee is unique with distinct interests, loves and skills. Dr. Good loves patient care. Strive to minimize unnecessary barriers to patient care. Another doctor might enjoy processes and systems that increase efficiency. Create teams that celebrate idiosyncrasies and understand individual loves and loathings that contribute to patient outcomes versus cookie cutter approaches.

In trust we grow. For employees to discover and contribute their loves at work, leaders must explicitly make trust of coworkers, their boss and senior leaders a priority. Trust workers to exercise their autonomy and give them freedom to do their jobs the way they want.

Data from the Mayo Clinic in its research into burnout in doctors and nurses suggests that 20 percent of the work you love to do is the threshold. If it’s less than 20 percent, you’re far more likely to experience physical and psychological burnout. Curiously, more than 20 percent doesn’t seem to net much increase in resilience. A little love of what you do at work can make a big difference.

John Gribben is a consultant for Triad, an employee assistance program serving employers in Colorado and surrounding states. Triad provides support for employers and employees confronting a variety of unresolved personal and work-related problems. Gribben also belongs to the Western Colorado Human Resource Association. Reach Gribben at 242-9536, john@triadeap.com or by visiting the website at www.triadeap.com. For more information about the WCHRA, log on to www.wchra.org.