Boreout - the silent risk
Overwork and burnout have long since established themselves as serious risks in companies and are now recognized as a syndrome in their own right. A wide range of preventative measures, health programs and management training courses are now available. In contrast, the opposite phenomenon - boreout - is still often ignored.
Boreout is actually the opposite of burnout and refers to chronic underload. This can also have similarly serious effects on mental well-being as permanent stress. It leads to demotivation, inner resignation and, in the long term, to a loss of productivity and innovation. "Boreout is not an individual deficit, but often the result of structural mismanagement in companies," says Lars Thiele, Managing Director of Emendo Leadership Consultants GmbH in Hamburg. "Where role profiles and skills do not match, a void is created that is not immediately apparent - but the effect is serious. Boreout costs companies money in the long term - not through absenteeism, but through unused capacity, higher staff turnover and declining team dynamics. Not to mention the possible psychological or health effects for those affected themselves."
Motivation needs fit, not just presence
Boreout rarely occurs suddenly. Rather, a feeling of growing irrelevance develops over time - often among employees whose work generates little intellectual or emotional resonance. In addition, the increasing standardization of processes and the high degree of formalization often deprive committed employees of the freedom of action that would be necessary for independent, meaningful work. There is also a strong impact on employees who are in direct contact with customers. Those who work with customers on a daily basis but experience no scope for creativity and always work through the same processes often lose the motivation to get actively involved. Where initiative used to be required, today it is often a case of working through checklists - a breeding ground for boreout behavior, even among committed personalities. In many companies, performance is still primarily defined by physical presence - a view that is outdated and does not do justice to actual productivity. Subtle signals such as withdrawal, cynicism or apparent indifference often go unnoticed as a result. "It's not about maximizing employment, but about creating meaning. People want to be needed, not just kept busy," emphasizes Thiele. A recent Forsa study (1) shows: For 52 percent of employees, a meaningful job counts and 63 percent want good management behavior1. If neither is provided, employers face the threat of sick days and staff turnover. The latest Gallup Engagement Index 2024 (2) also confirms this trend: only 9% of employees in Germany still have a high level of emotional attachment to their employer, while 79% work to rule. The result is a massive loss of motivation, innovative strength and willingness to perform, which damages companies in the long term.
Leadership as a lever against demotivation
However, the responsibility for preventing boreout does not lie solely with HR departments or individual coaching. What is needed is a management culture that systematically links tasks to competencies, opens up perspectives and establishes emotional intelligence as a management tool. "In our training courses, many managers become aware for the first time of how closely the experience of meaning is linked to performance and how crucial their own attitude is," says Thiele. In addition to tools for analyzing potential, the focus is on concrete strategies for action - such as the dynamic design of task profiles, targeted development discussions or the conscious shifting of responsibility to motivating contexts.
At the same time, this attitude paves the way for a new performance culture. Organizations that dismiss boreout as a marginal phenomenon run the risk of losing significant potential - and they do so more quietly than loudly. A modern management culture, on the other hand, measures performance not only in terms of activity, but also in terms of impact, initiative and commitment. "Those who dismiss underperformance as a luxury problem fail to recognize its strategic explosive power," warns Thiele. "Boreout is not a sign of weakness, but an alarm signal for leadership." Precisely because the signals are often quiet, it is all the more important to consciously address the issue. If organizations take this seriously, it not only results in a clear leadership mandate, but also the opportunity to further develop corporate culture for the future.
(1) Forsa study on willingness to switch, 2025
(2) https://www.gallup.com/de/472028/bericht-zum-engagement-index-deutschland-2023.aspx?utm
Source and further information: www.emendo-consultants.de
