# How to avoid tech burnout from big transformations
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2021-08-06
Category: BUSINESS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/business
Meta Title: Avoiding Tech Burnout: Key to Successful Transformation Projects
Meta Description: Discover how developer burnout is detrimental to your business and learn how to protect, nurture, and value your tech teams for successful digital
URL: https://financedigest.com/how-to-avoid-tech-burnout-from-big-transformationshtml

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_By **Mark McNally,** CEO and founder of_ [_Worth Internet Systems_](https://worth.systems/)

If you’re reading this, you most likely embarked on a transformation project over the last year. Maybe it was driven by your response to the pandemic. Or perhaps you planned it before and expedited it due to the crisis.

What many [businesses didn’t anticipate was the enormous pressure transformation](https://www.financedigest.com/3-reasons-why-businesses-get-stuck-at-the-starting-gate-of-digital-transformation.html "3 Reasons Why Businesses Get Stuck At The Starting Gate Of Digital Transformation") requirements would put on their tech teams. Not only is [developer burnout detrimental to the business](https://www.financedigest.com/reasons-to-hire-a-web-developer-for-your-business-website.html "Reasons to Hire a Web Developer for Your Business Website") in the short term. It can also derail your long-term transformation strategy.

As well as burning out tech teams, studies have found that only [5%](https://www.standishgroup.com/news/32) of big transformations are successful. More often than not they fail. The reality is that large-scale change takes years. In most businesses, implementing change properly is an incremental activity.

In our [experience of helping clients to achieve success with their digital transformation](https://www.financedigest.com/transforming-the-banking-experience-to-be-mobile-first-and-people-centric.html "Transforming the banking experience to be mobile-first and people-centric") projects, we have found that if you look after your people, you’re more likely to prosper.

## Are you burning out your tech teams?

Tech burnout is more common than you might think. 83% of software developers feel burnout from work, according to a study from [Haystack](https://www.usehaystack.io/blog/83-of-developers-suffer-from-burnout-haystack-analytics-study-finds) [Analytics](https://www.usehaystack.io/blog/83-of-developers-suffer-from-burnout-haystack-analytics-study-finds). It’s a sobering figure because it has real consequences, affecting productivity, product quality, [team morale and project](https://www.financedigest.com/italys-de-nora-teams-up-with-ges-on-hydrogen-battery-project.html "Italy’s De Nora teams up with GES on hydrogen battery project") timeframes.

COVID-19 has undoubtedly been a contributing factor over the past year. 81% of [software developers](https://www.financedigest.com/reckon-software-goes-from-strength-to-strength-with-appointment-of-new-partner-development-manager.html "Reckon Software goes from strength to strength with appointment of new Partner Development Manager") reported an increase in burnout as a result of the pandemic. They cite increased workload as the main reason, with other factors including inefficient process, and unclear goals and targets.

We are also seeing tech teams getting pulled in multiple directions, which is another [big challenge](https://www.financedigest.com/big-banks-can-be-challengers-too.html "Big banks can be challengers too"). They are often split between [today’s tasks and tomorrow’s](https://www.financedigest.com/in-planning-for-today-dont-lose-sight-of-tomorrow-avoiding-short-termism.html "In planning for today, don’t lose sight of tomorrow – avoiding short-termism") aspirations: moving the business forward with new projects on one hand. Getting side-lined by maintaining business as usual on the other – or putting out fires in other areas of the organisation.

## The worsening skills shortage

Meanwhile, there is a serious [shortage of skilled](https://www.financedigest.com/lack-of-collaboration-and-skills-shortage-is-limiting-organisations-ability-to-meet-ifrs-9-requirements.html "Lack of collaboration and skills shortage is limiting organisations’ ability to meet IFRS 9 requirements") technology practitioners out there, including good quality developers. Over 70% of technology employers are experiencing skills shortages this year, found a recent [study](https://www.robertwalters.co.uk/solving-the-uk-skills-shortage/technology-research.html) by recruitment firms Robert Walters, totaljobs and Jobsite.

It’s a problem that is getting worse, with another report discovering that [58%](https://www.techrepublic.com/article/tech-workers-are-getting-ready-to-quit-heres-what-is-pushing-them-to-leave-their-jobs/) of UKI tech workers in IT and computing jobs are considering a new role. The talent exodus could [cost businesses](https://www.financedigest.com/green-initiatives-cut-self-storage-business-space-stations-energy-costs-by-75.html "Green initiatives cut self-storage business Space Station’s energy costs by 75%") up to £17bn.

The real issue with losing developers isn’t your inability to [solve a problem](https://www.financedigest.com/british-start-up-reveals-the-secret-to-solving-the-problem-of-identity-fraud.html "British start up reveals the secret to solving the problem of identity fraud") through software so you can be more agile. It’s worse than that. Losing people – a primary business [asset](https://www.financedigest.com/making-your-accountant-an-invaluable-asset-to-your-business.html "MAKING YOUR ACCOUNTANT AN INVALUABLE ASSET TO YOUR BUSINESS") – means losing your business.

Retain, develop and grow your [tech talent](https://www.financedigest.com/duecourse-attracts-former-apple-tech-talent.html "DueCourse Attracts Former Apple Tech Talent") on the other hand, and you’re on track to achieving a successful transformation.

## How to do it right

We believe you can transform in a way that protects, nurtures and values your tech teams. Here are four principles we use ourselves and encourage our clients to embrace.

**1\. Start small to win big.**

Huge transformations don’t usually work. Small and medium transformations, however, are over 10 times more likely to succeed. So, build something small that works well and scale it up over time. That’s the best way to make big transformation work.

Also, we find that transformation is not a destination; it’s a journey. In practice, that means having an approach that values open communication and interaction across the [whole team; an appetite for continuous development; and a willingness to fail and start again, or course-correct at any point](https://www.financedigest.com/are-your-it-team-telling-you-the-whole-truth.html "Are your IT team telling you the whole truth?").

**2\. Learn by doing.**

Work in small continuous iterations. Allow [feedback and new data to be continually integrated back into the strategy](https://www.financedigest.com/three-strategies-for-beating-back-imposter-syndrome.html "Three Strategies For Beating Back Imposter Syndrome "). And re-orient the direction in which you’re going. For you this could mean making your teams more self-organising, more creative, or more empowered to make decisions.

At WORTH, we’ve built up significant expertise [across the years in development continuity](https://www.financedigest.com/workday-continues-momentum-across-europe.html "Workday continues momentum across Europe") principles like continuous integration, continuous delivery and continuous deployment. In our experience, when you move from traditional innovation to making automated, continuous improvements, you build better products and services, and enable the [business to transform](https://www.financedigest.com/exact-launches-practice-management-solution-to-help-transform-accountants-into-trusted-business-advisors.html "Exact launches Practice Management solution to help transform accountants into trusted business advisors") organically.

**3\. Make better decisions faster.**

The common lag on big projects is slow decision making, caused by teams working in traditional silos. Discover the beauty of multidisciplinary product teams. Ones that [combine expertise](https://www.financedigest.com/emvco-and-pci-ssc-combine-expertise-on-3-d-secure-2-0.html "EMVCo and PCI SSC Combine Expertise on 3-D Secure 2.0") from different aspects of the product delivery spectrum: design, engineering, test, ops, UX, security.

As you foster an environment of teamwork, openness, co-creation and diversity, you will accelerate your quality and speed of decision making. As a result, projects will run more effectively.

**4\.** [Invest in your people.](https://www.financedigest.com/how-a-british-tech-brand-can-maintain-category-leading-position-and-continued-growth-by-investing-in-the-uk-people-and-infrastructure.html "How a British tech brand can maintain category leading position and continued growth by investing in the UK people and infrastructure")

The best way to avoid burnout and address the [skills gap is to value and invest](https://www.financedigest.com/quantamental-investment-trends-to-make-profits-through-creative-skills.html "Quantamental Investment Trends to Make Profits Through Creative Skills") in your people. Nurture and [invest in your tech](https://www.financedigest.com/uks-dominos-expects-tech-investments-to-hit-2023-profit.html "UK’s Domino’s expects tech investments to hit 2023 profit") teams through coaching and mentoring that grows and upskills them.

Ensure that your people have a purpose and find their work meaningful. That they [understand the aims](https://www.financedigest.com/activision-aims-to-help-uk-regulator-better-understand-our-industry.html "Activision aims to help UK regulator ‘better understand our industry’") and business outcomes of a specific transformation initiative. And that they are unified, collaborating closely as a problem-solving team that is free to experiment and free to fail.

Collaborative teams that feel empowered to innovate, make their own decisions and bring about change are one of your strongest assets.

The pandemic taught us the power of [digital transformation](https://www.financedigest.com/redefining-the-human-touch-with-data-driven-digital-transformation.html "Redefining the human touch with data-driven digital transformation"). But it also taught us the value of human life. The [secret to successful transformation](https://www.financedigest.com/devops-the-secret-tool-thats-transforming-financial-services.html "DevOps: The Secret Tool that’s Transforming Financial Services") is, therefore, to start small and grow incrementally while looking after the wellbeing of your tech talent.

**About the author**

Mark McNally is CEO and founder of [Worth Internet Systems](https://worth.systems/) a technology agency that partners with businesses to power product development and deliver bold digital transformations.

![](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/picture103-1736838040234-compressed.png)

Mark McNally, CEO and founder of Worth Internet Systems


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