> But the real, long-term solution is to take a higher-level view: your goal isn't to be the SME, it's to make your team the SME. Invest your time in creating durable artifacts like high-quality documentation, tutorials, or recorded demos that answer common questions. Identify others on your team who are interested in the subject and actively mentor them. This creates a triple win: you get credit for growing others, your teammates experience growth and gain visibility, and the company reduces its reliance on a single person.
Assuming the SME advice for promotion is mostly correct, doesn't making your team the SME makes you not the SME anymore, which removes your SME moat for a promotion?
Reframing the question: if someone really wants to be promoted, doesn't it make sense to be the SME until the promotion and just ignore/put off requests to not burn out?
Just wonder if you had tried blocking your calendar for a couple of hours so others won't or can't schedule meetings with you. Of course they will try to override you and or don't care...
To be clear, I agree with this article from the perspective of working at a company that has a positive work environment, and is not toxic. These strategies are GOLDEN in these kinds of workplaces. I just wanted to add my perspectives from the POV of why burnout can happen in other companies though.
I think it's important is to categorise the kind of workplace culture you work in before following this article. For example, in some companies the reason people burnout is not because they work very hard, but that their hard work is not recognised, rewarded or validated by higher-ups. If you are the glue for the team, as the most competent team member, and are pulling the weight of the whole team, then it's important to feel like your efforts are being respected. Good work deserves recognition, especially in our field where the work is so challenging. If it's not recognised, you will not be able to continue performing well, you will burnout, and it's a recipe for failure. Good teams MUST have good managers, and good culture should be embodied by everyone in the company from the most senior executives down to the junior ICs. In many big companies the culture is high-performing but positive overall. I've seen some smaller places where the same can't be said however.
If the team in general works very hard, but doesn't get compensated well, then I think that's also a red flag. If there is a silent culture of unpaid overtime to get work done, and nobody wants to value you, then that is a major cause of churn and burnout. I've seen companies that put user experience way above work-life balance, and the company should listen to employees when they raise issues such as feeling unrewarded, stretched and disempowered.
I personally feel motivated when the whole team pulls their weight, delivers work to the best of their ability and everyone's efforts are recognised. If the culture is not good, no amount of mentorship or teaching will avoid burnout. These kind of issues need to be flagged early and if you're not listened to when asking for recognition, then I think the best option is to look for another team.
Thanks for the article!
> But the real, long-term solution is to take a higher-level view: your goal isn't to be the SME, it's to make your team the SME. Invest your time in creating durable artifacts like high-quality documentation, tutorials, or recorded demos that answer common questions. Identify others on your team who are interested in the subject and actively mentor them. This creates a triple win: you get credit for growing others, your teammates experience growth and gain visibility, and the company reduces its reliance on a single person.
Assuming the SME advice for promotion is mostly correct, doesn't making your team the SME makes you not the SME anymore, which removes your SME moat for a promotion?
Reframing the question: if someone really wants to be promoted, doesn't it make sense to be the SME until the promotion and just ignore/put off requests to not burn out?
Great insights Steve.
Incredibly timely, relevant, and insightful. Favorite post so far.
Super B 👌
Become the SME but don’t stop at yourself. You will get many more accolades for upleveling your team after you become the expert.
I thought I was alone with this self-defeating behavior. Thank you!
Totally agreed with the approach of leveling up people around you so you are free to work on something else.
Just wonder if you had tried blocking your calendar for a couple of hours so others won't or can't schedule meetings with you. Of course they will try to override you and or don't care...
To be clear, I agree with this article from the perspective of working at a company that has a positive work environment, and is not toxic. These strategies are GOLDEN in these kinds of workplaces. I just wanted to add my perspectives from the POV of why burnout can happen in other companies though.
I think it's important is to categorise the kind of workplace culture you work in before following this article. For example, in some companies the reason people burnout is not because they work very hard, but that their hard work is not recognised, rewarded or validated by higher-ups. If you are the glue for the team, as the most competent team member, and are pulling the weight of the whole team, then it's important to feel like your efforts are being respected. Good work deserves recognition, especially in our field where the work is so challenging. If it's not recognised, you will not be able to continue performing well, you will burnout, and it's a recipe for failure. Good teams MUST have good managers, and good culture should be embodied by everyone in the company from the most senior executives down to the junior ICs. In many big companies the culture is high-performing but positive overall. I've seen some smaller places where the same can't be said however.
If the team in general works very hard, but doesn't get compensated well, then I think that's also a red flag. If there is a silent culture of unpaid overtime to get work done, and nobody wants to value you, then that is a major cause of churn and burnout. I've seen companies that put user experience way above work-life balance, and the company should listen to employees when they raise issues such as feeling unrewarded, stretched and disempowered.
I personally feel motivated when the whole team pulls their weight, delivers work to the best of their ability and everyone's efforts are recognised. If the culture is not good, no amount of mentorship or teaching will avoid burnout. These kind of issues need to be flagged early and if you're not listened to when asking for recognition, then I think the best option is to look for another team.