Does doing less mean failure?

For high performers, admitting that the workload has become too much can feel surprisingly risky.

If being capable, dependable, and willing to take on more helped us succeed, what does it mean when we suddenly can't do it all? Are we failing? Will people see us differently? Are we giving something up that we worked hard to earn?

In this episode, Jen and Meredith explore why acknowledging burnout can feel so difficult and discuss the importance of skills like delegation, trust, and asking for help.

They highlight the important role managers can play in helping develop those skills, as well as the employee side of the equation: noticing our own warning signs and creating enough awareness to recognize when something needs to change.

Connect with us for more great conversations:

Jen @ Jen Werner Coaching

Meredith @ MKO Strategies

The opinions expressed in this podcast are strictly those of Jen Werner and Meredith Olsen.

The advice or suggestions offered are not intended to take the place of individual 1:1 coaching or replace mental health resources.

Music used in this episode: "Forward Motion" by Reveille. Licensed for use by Big Hair and Glasses.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does burnout look like in real life?

In this episode, Jen and Meredith discuss the early signs of burnout and what both managers and employees can watch for before someone reaches a breaking point. Increased sensitivity, lateness, disengagement, absenteeism, and changes in typical behavior can all signal an issue. They also look at how high performers can quietly normalize unsustainable workloads until their “normal” becomes far too much.

The takeaway is that burnout rarely begins with a dramatic collapse. It often starts with small but noticeable changes that can be addressed early.

Connect with us for more great conversations:

Jen @ Jen Werner Coaching

Meredith @ MKO Strategies

The opinions expressed in this podcast are strictly those of Jen Werner and Meredith Olsen.

The advice or suggestions offered are not intended to take the place of individual 1:1 coaching or replace mental health resources.

Music used in this episode: "Forward Motion" by Reveille. Licensed for use by Big Hair and Glasses.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when one person is doing it all?

In this episode, Jen and Meredith talk about how rewarding high-performing employees with more and more responsibility can unintentionally create burnout, weaken the rest of the team, and make the organization overly dependent on a small number of people.

We discuss what happens when one or two employees carry too much of the workload, absorb knowledge that should be shared, and become the default person for every urgent task. At the heart of the episode is the realization that getting 110% from one employee is not worth it if the rest of the team is underused and the star employee is on the edge of collapse.

Connect with us for more great conversations:

Jen @ Jen Werner Coaching

Meredith @ MKO Strategies

The opinions expressed in this podcast are strictly those of Jen Werner and Meredith Olsen.

The advice or suggestions offered are not intended to take the place of individual 1:1 coaching or replace mental health resources.

Music used in this episode: "Forward Motion" by Reveille. Licensed for use by Big Hair and Glasses.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why workplace well-being is bigger than individual resilience.

In this episode, Jen and Meredith answer the question: How does burnout impact retention, productivity, and workplace culture?

We explore the impact to the organization when employees burn out. And how burnout is more effectively discussed as a business issue in conjunction with an individual well-being issue. It surfaces in turnover costs, lost productivity, strained teams, disengagement, and weakened culture.

Connect with us for more great conversations:

Jen @ Jen Werner Coaching

Meredith @ MKO Strategies

The opinions expressed in this podcast are strictly those of Jen Werner and Meredith Olsen.

The advice or suggestions offered are not intended to take the place of individual 1:1 coaching or replace mental health resources.

Music used in this episode: "Forward Motion" by Reveille. Licensed for use by Big Hair and Glasses.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why do we care so much about burnout?

After participating in a workplace mental well-being forum, Jen and Meredith continue the conversation about burnout, leadership, and the role managers can realistically play in supporting employees.

Drawing on more than two decades each in corporate America, they reflect on what they’ve learned about team dynamics, communication, leadership, and workplace well-being.

One important distinction emerges quickly: leaders do not need to become therapists. Supporting employee well-being can be as simple as practicing strong, consistent leadership—communicating clearly, listening well, understanding available resources, and creating an environment where people can do their best work.

Connect with us for more great conversations:

Jen @ Jen Werner Coaching

Meredith @ MKO Strategies

The opinions expressed in this podcast are strictly those of Jen Werner and Meredith Olsen.

The advice or suggestions offered are not intended to take the place of individual 1:1 coaching or replace mental health resources.

Music used in this episode: "Forward Motion" by Reveille. Licensed for use by Big Hair and Glasses.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does this look like in the real world?

In this episode, Meredith shares two great examples of tackling difficult conversations head on.

The first explores the tension between different communication styles and the second centers on public criticism, unclear expectations, and the difficult decision to address an executive. These examples highlight ways we might recognize when something isn't working, trust ourselves enough to express that, and trust that others will hear us.

Hard conversations do not need to be perfect to be productive. Each time we use our voice, clarify an expectation, or advocate for respectful treatment, we make the next difficult conversation a little more possible.

Connect with us for more great conversations:

Jen @ Jen Werner Coaching

Meredith @ MKO Strategies

The opinions expressed in this podcast are strictly those of Jen Werner and Meredith Olsen.

The advice or suggestions offered are not intended to take the place of individual 1:1 coaching or replace mental health resources.

Music used in this episode: "Forward Motion" by Reveille. Licensed for use by Big Hair and Glasses.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much difference can a single word make?

In this episode, Jen and Meredith use punctuality as a surprisingly revealing example of how easily we assume other people understand words, expectations, and social norms the same way we do. When those expectations aren't met, it can be tempting to attach meaning to the behavior: They don't respect me. They don't value my time. They should know better.

We explore what can happen when we communicate our preferences more directly, stay curious about someone else's perspective, and remember that expressing a need doesn't automatically make it a universal rule. Because even something as ordinary as “on time” can remind us that clarity is kinder than an assumption.

Connect with us for more great conversations:

Jen @ Jen Werner Coaching

Meredith @ MKO Strategies

The opinions expressed in this podcast are strictly those of Jen Werner and Meredith Olsen.

The advice or suggestions offered are not intended to take the place of individual 1:1 coaching or replace mental health resources.

Music used in this episode: "Forward Motion" by Reveille. Licensed for use by Big Hair and Glasses.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are we simmering in a bowl of assumption soup?

In this episode, we explore how the same word, behavior, or situation can mean very different things to different people.

We discuss the limits of labeling things simply “good” or “bad,” the value of direct communication, and the assumptions that build when people believe they already understand one another.

Connect with us for more great conversations:

Jen @ Jen Werner Coaching

Meredith @ MKO Strategies

The opinions expressed in this podcast are strictly those of Jen Werner and Meredith Olsen.

The advice or suggestions offered are not intended to take the place of individual 1:1 coaching or replace mental health resources.

Music used in this episode: "Forward Motion" by Reveille. Licensed for use by Big Hair and Glasses.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.