The poisoned chalice promotion....what to do when you inherit a burnt out team.
Getting a promotion at work can feel like a double-edged sword and sometimes, that promotion just isn't what we expected. Our feelings of accomplishment and jubilation can quickly turn to dismay when we realise that we have inherited a burnt-out team. You’ve walked into a team that’s low on resources and high on pressure.
They're showing all the signs of burnout; they're cynical or frozen in survival mode. If you ever find yourself in this situation here's what to do:-
Stabilise the basics.
Before anything else, make sure there’s clarity. Does everyone know what’s expected of them? Are the team’s priorities clear? Can they access what they need to do the job? Because when people are overwhelmed, even simple tasks can feel impossible without clear expectations and the right tools in place.
Create space to listen.
Book 1:1s with each team member. Ask what’s working, what’s not, and what’s making their job harder than it needs to be. Listen without jumping to solve. This mirrors the advice from Kahn (1990) on psychological meaningfulness. When people feel heard, they engage more deeply.
Slow down before you dive in.
You will feel pressure to prove yourself. To act fast. But trust is built when people feel seen and understood, not when they're hit with a new action plan in week one. Slow down to understand the real blockers. Once you’ve built that foundation of trust and clarity, you’ll know exactly where to pick up the pace.
This is the essence of Go Slow to Go Fast: don’t confuse activity with progress.
