Angela Lee (pictured), Senior Vice President and Regional Claims Director, Southeast for Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA), can attest that she felt drained and fatigued during her 21 years in the insurance industry.
“I’ve certainly felt it at various points throughout my career,” Lee said. “One thing I learned recently is that prioritizing self-care is critical. It has been a challenge to find the time to do activities.
“I have a rule that if it’s on my calendar, it will happen. So, I found that it has been helpful for me to schedule time. I make dates with myself, either just to go to Starbucks or to meet a friend or colleague for lunch, just to take a step away from my desk.”
Lee, who will speak on a panel at the Atlanta Women in Insurance Summit in March, you know all too well how hard it can be to unplug while working from home during COVID-19. Having joined MMA two years ago at the height of the pandemic, she was also determined to prove herself in her new role.
“There was never a time to turn off because your computer was always there. I felt like I was probably working more hours and taking on more work,” the insurance chief recalled. “Trying to test yourself in a new role and get a feel for the company and your responsibilities is very stressful.”
How can women be better allies with other women in the workplace?
For Lee, internal pressure plays a big role in women’s burnout levels. Managing their roles at home and at work can be immensely exhausting for women, who often find themselves the primary caregivers for their children. But women also need to stand up for each other during difficult times by showing empathy, she said.
“I think we often feel that we need to do more than our male counterparts to show our value in a particular role, especially as we move forward,” Lee explained. “Internal pressure causes us to stay up and work late, work weekends, and sometimes even take time away from our families just so we can prove ourselves.
“Because we hold ourselves to a higher standard, I have often found that women can be hard on each other. We hold each other accountable, which is great. But I think we need to do it empathetically and be an ally and support each other.”
The vicious cycle of internal pressure and burnout can affect working women. Lee said this was especially intensified for her during COVID-19, but it also helped her develop a greater perspective on work-life balance and mental health.
“You get to a point where you think, ‘What am I doing this for?’” Lee said. “It gives you some perspective on what’s important, on how to value your mental health and be at your best so that you can lead your team in the right way. It made me think about what I could do better and the fact that I need to prioritize.”
How can insurance leaders prevent burnout among staff?
Instituting much-needed changes to her daily routine, prioritizing work, and self-care habits have made a world of difference for Lee. As an insurance leader, she wants to make sure her people can overcome excessive fatigue. The key, she said, is communication.
Burnout is contagious. Create both upstream and downstream implications for everyone involved.
So how can burnout be prevented?
Set healthy boundaries. pic.twitter.com/Yw83qfSPig
— Google Cloud Tech (@GoogleCloudTech) December 26, 2022
“I encourage my team to be open and frequent in their communications. I catch up with them regularly to ask, ‘How’s your workload? Are there concerns with the volume? Having trouble with capacity?’ and I want them to be vocal and honest,” Lee explained. “It helps to have meaningful conversations about workload management, especially if adjustments need to be made.
“There are now many different ways to eliminate some tasks that contribute to fatigue so that claims professionals can focus on more meaningful tasks.”
And contrary to what some may believe, burnout is not cured by simply taking a vacation. Leaders must address the underlying causes of stress among their staff if they want to see significant improvements in morale and avoid turnover.
“If I take time to rest and relax, that can certainly ease the exhaustion in the moment. But it doesn’t address the root causes of burnout, which is often your workload, time commitments, and obligations to internal and external stakeholders,” Lee said.
The annual Women in Insurance Atlanta Summit aims to highlight women and their achievements and contributions to the industry. Register now for the in-person conferencewhich will take place at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel on March 2, 2023.
