From Burnout to Brilliance

Joanne Lockwood

Tags: Diversity, Inclusion, Mental Health, Burnout, Resilience, Psychological Safety, Emotional Intelligence, empathy, learning and development, behavioural change

Transforming Workplace Stress into Personal Brilliance

Emma Parnell shares her transformative journey from burnout to brilliance, emphasising the vital role of self-care, emotional intelligence, and fostering inclusive and psychologically safe environments.

In this episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood is joined by Emma Parnell to explore the transformative journey from burnout to brilliance. Emma, an L&D manager, shares her personal experiences and insights into creating inclusive environments where people can thrive. Joanne and Emma delve into the importance of recognising personal and professional boundaries, as well as the role of emotional intelligence in fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging.

Emma Parnell has over 30 years of experience in learning and development. She is dedicated to fostering inclusive environments that unlock the potential of every individual. With a career that spans various roles and industries, Emma’s superpower lies in her resilience and her ability to inspire others to embrace their differences. In this episode, she candidly discusses her personal battle with burnout and her journey towards recovery, providing valuable insights into the importance of self-care and setting boundaries.

Both Joanne and Emma stress the need for organisations to embed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into their DNA rather than treating it as a tick-box exercise. They discuss the challenges of creating engaging and inclusive training content and the significance of scenario-based learning to drive behavioural change. Emma shares a touching story about a colleague with bipolar disorder, highlighting the importance of understanding and embracing individual differences in the workplace.

Joanne and Emma also tackle the misconceptions surrounding DEI efforts and offer strategies to ensure that these initiatives are seen as integral to organisational success. They emphasise the need for leaders to demonstrate emotional intelligence and to create psychologically safe environments where employees feel valued and heard.

The episode concludes by underscoring the transformative power of self-care and resilience in overcoming burnout and achieving brilliance. By sharing her journey, Emma provides hope and practical advice for those experiencing similar challenges.

A key takeaway from this episode is the importance of recognising and addressing burnout through self-care and boundary-setting, both personally and within organisations. Listeners will gain valuable insights into creating inclusive, psychologically safe environments that foster belonging and allow individuals to thrive. Whether you’re a leader, a DEI champion, or someone navigating the pressures of modern work life, this episode offers practical guidance for achieving brilliance amidst challenges.

Published: 03.04.2025

Recorded: 28.01.2025 Episode Length

Duration: 0:59:22

Shownotes:

AI Extracts and Interpretations
app.castmagic.io The Inclusion Bites Podcast #154 From Burnout to Brilliance
Other Links
seechangehappen.co.uk SEE Change Happen: The Inclusive Culture Experts
Inclusion Bites Podcast on YouTube

Clips and Timestamps

Embracing Diversity and Inclusion: “It’s the responsibility of child perhaps as well as learning and development and people who manage people to find out what the superpower is of the person that they’re hiring, because they can surprise you.”
— Emma Parnell [00:02:39 → 00:03:46]

The Importance of Inclusive Leadership: “Quietness doesn’t mean that somebody hasn’t got something to contribute.”
— Emma Parnell [00:04:19 → 00:04:22]

The True Essence of Inclusion: “One of the things that I think would be amazing in the future is if it was part of an organization’s DNA and not, don’t forget, we need to have a policy on it.”
— Emma Parnell [00:08:56 → 00:09:10]

Creating Engaging Content for Learners: “But I think what you must always do as a creator of training is put yourself in the position of the learner.”
— Emma Parnell [00:12:15 → 00:12:22]

The Power of Learning Experiences: “Rather than just telling people how to think, what to think, when to think it, you just empower them to explore how they feel about it.”
— Emma Parnell [00:15:00 → 00:15:09]

The Power of Collaborative Learning: “And I think that when you can get people together in a room and give them a challenge, a problem to solve together, So that you, as a facilitator, you lead the session, but you let them do the work, do it all, and discover it, and lead it, and enjoy it, and come to their own conclusions.”
— Emma Parnell [00:26:44 → 00:27:02]

The Importance of Psychological Safety in the Workplace: “But everybody should feel safe to be able to say when they’re worried about something, when things are going wrong.”
— Emma Parnell [00:29:50 → 00:29:58]

The Importance of Psychological Safety in Teams: “So it’s psychological safety is it’s for some teams I’ve worked in, it’s quite natural, actually. It’s, you know, everybody respects everybody else, and everybody can speak when they need to. And say if they’re not happy about something or say if they need something to be different.”
— Emma Parnell [00:30:50 → 00:31:05]

The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Management: “And, again, it just creates a more inclusive environment if particularly management are emotionally intelligent and empathetic and can appreciate listening to other people rather than making assumptions about things and using emotional intelligence to ensure that they treat everybody as individuals and not just a blanket view of how to manage people, for example.”
— Emma Parnell [00:36:31 → 00:36:59]

Experiencing Burnout: “I didn’t know why. So, it was a little bit like an out of body experience in the sense that I could, I could almost see myself looking down on me at my desk thinking, why aren’t you doing the things you need to do?”
— Emma Parnell [00:38:53 → 00:39:04]

Definition of Terms Used

Psychological Safety

Definition: Psychological safety refers to a workplace environment where individuals feel comfortable expressing their thoughts, asking questions, and admitting mistakes without fear of ridicule or retaliation.
Relevance: Crucial for fostering an inclusive and innovative workplace where employees feel valued and can contribute fully.
Examples: Encouraging team members to speak up during meetings, non-judgmental feedback sessions, open-door policies for management.
Related Terms: Employee Well-being, Inclusive Cultures, Emotional Intelligence, Trust in the Workplace
Common Misconceptions: Some may think psychological safety means avoiding conflict altogether, but healthy debate and constructive criticism are also part of a psychologically safe environment.

Burnout

Definition: Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress, often related to work.
Relevance: Understanding and addressing burnout is vital for maintaining a productive and healthy workforce. It can directly impact employee performance and retention.
Examples: Chronic fatigue, cynicism towards one’s job, reduced professional efficacy.
Related Terms: Stress Management, Employee Well-being, Resilience, Work-life Balance
Common Misconceptions: Many assume burnout is solely an individual’s problem, but organisational culture and management practices significantly contribute to it.

Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Definition: Emotional Intelligence is the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions positively to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, and overcome challenges.
Relevance: Key for building strong relationships in the workplace, fostering a collaborative environment, and improving leadership capabilities.
Examples: Active listening, empathy in communication, emotional regulation during stressful situations.
Related Terms: Social Intelligence, Self-awareness, Empathy, Emotional Regulation
Common Misconceptions: Some believe that EQ is an inherent trait and cannot be learned or developed, but it can actually be improved with practice and training.

Diverse Teams

Definition: Diverse teams refer to work groups composed of individuals with different characteristics, backgrounds, and perspectives, including but not limited to ethnicity, gender, age, and cognitive diversity.
Relevance: Diverse teams are crucial for innovation, creativity, and comprehensive problem-solving in an organisation.
Examples: Teams that include both younger and older members, people from various cultural backgrounds, or those with different professional experiences.
Related Terms: Diversity & Inclusion (D&I), Cross-functional Teams, Multiculturalism, Neurodiversity
Common Misconceptions: Some view diverse teams as harder to manage due to potential conflicts, but when managed well, they outperform homogeneous teams in the long run.

Learning Culture

Definition: A learning culture is an organisational environment that encourages and supports continuous learning, critical thinking, and the sharing of knowledge within the business.
Relevance: Cultivating a learning culture is essential for ensuring employees’ ongoing development, innovation, and adapting to change.
Examples: Regular training sessions, access to online learning platforms, mentorship programmes.
Related Terms: Continuous Learning, Organisational Development, Knowledge Sharing, Employee Development
Common Misconceptions: Some believe a learning culture only involves formal training programs, but it also includes informal learning and knowledge sharing among peers.