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every day. It wears down the engine. Can you outsource? Can you train junior staff? Can senior staff jump in? Do something. And while you’re figuring it out, let people know that you see this problem and want to address it. Does this rock star get “voluntold” for projects? Are other managers assigning work without checking in? Can your rock star say no? Work together to unload or postpone tasks. DROPPED BALLS ARE A CRY FOR HELP. Here’s something I bet you didn’t know. You are more likely to see a rock star drop the ball than ask for help. Unanswered emails, administrative mistakes, or a missed meeting are not signs that they are careless or disorganized. This is their check engine light. They have too much to do and are desperately trying to make everyone happy. Think of that old I Love Lucy episode at the candy factory (Google it, it’s hilarious). Managers, ask yourself: Are they truly disorganized or do they have too many balls in play? Disorganization from a high performer is often a symptom of overload. Instead of reprimanding, ask yourself if all those “balls” are theirs to juggle? Normalize rest. Normalize redistribution. Normalize saying “I need help.” Don’t assume silence means everything is OK. Amy Edmondson’s The Fearless Organization emphasizes the importance of psychological safety. High-performing teams thrive when people feel safe to speak up. That includes asking for rest and help. Check to see if you have created a space where your rock stars can ask for help. FROM CRACKED TO CONSCIOUS. As a former cracked employee, I’ve had to let go of the rock star identity. Rock stars burn out. They break down. They head to rehab. Don’t let that happen to your team. I’ve learned to identify my own role in over-production. I have shifted from being useful (where I’m doing all the things) to being valuable (where my efforts move the business forward). This isn’t easy for many of us. Quiet cracking may be a catchy phrase, but the reality is devastating. Help your high performers learn to ask for help, pace themselves, and build an identity that extends beyond running on fumes. Help them understand the key differences between being useful versus valuable in your organization. One of my friends, a manager of a 10+ person marketing and business development team actually had them identify tasks that are useful versus tasks that are valuable. She shared that it helped them internally identify how to add the most to their team without burning out. Because the real rock stars know when to rest, when to ask for backup, and when to step off stage before they kick the lights out. Let’s stop the cracking please! Let’s build cultures where recovery is respected, contribution is sustainable, and being seen doesn’t require being shattered. Janki DePalma, LEED AP, CPSM is director of business development at W.E. O’Neil. Contact her at jdepalma@weoneil. com .
JANKI DEPALMA , from page 3
often don’t have a check engine light. They just keep driving until the engine fails. Taylor Swift captures it well here: “I cry a lot but I am so productive, it’s an art.” What are some of the signs? Here’s a non-exhaustive list of how cracking can be overlooked: 1. “I can always count on her to step up.” Think of your direct reports like cars. Can a car drive consistently at 120 mph? Sure. Should it? Absolutely not. Just because someone is doing the work of multiple people doesn’t mean they’re not straining under pressure, even if they are smiling. 2. “He multitasks so well. What a team player!” Maybe. But it’s more likely that there’s too much work spread across too many areas. This person may have no agency and no time to focus. Often, high performers get “borrowed” by multiple teams. What are the long-term consequences of flexibility? 3. “If it were a problem, they’d say speak up.” Not necessarily. Admitting we need rest is hard for top performers because our identity is built around being rock stars. While we’re here, can we reassess this term “rock star”? Rock stars – think the Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi – are expected to be dazzling, tireless performers. But we know that rock stars often battle stress behind the scenes. The lifestyle isn’t sustainable. The more someone performs at a high level, the more they’re expected to keep doing so without limits, without rest, and often without support. Expectations get raised. Over time, this leads to emotional exhaustion and identity entanglement. When your worth is tied to being the one who always comes through, asking for help feels like failure. That’s how rock stars crack, not with a bang, but with a quiet collapse under the weight of expectation. So, what can you do? Managers, start by paying attention. Look at the time stamp of those emails. Emails you receive at 3 a.m. are usually the result of anxiety. Is weekend work the norm? Please pay attention to the people who never take vacation. That’s like bragging you never get an oil change for your car. Next, start asking better questions. Instead of the standard “How are you doing?” which guarantees a “fine” or “busy” response, try: ■ Do you feel like you have control over your workload this week? ■ What’s something you’re doing that I should pass along to someone else?
■ What’s one thing I can do to make this week easier?
These questions signal that you’re paying attention and that you care about longevity, not just output. Kim Scott, author of Radical Candor , talks openly about how managers should care personally about their employees. This includes paying attention. Once you start noticing signs, it’s time to act. WORKLOAD ADJUSTMENT. Yes, hiring is expensive and slow. But if someone is consistently putting in overtime, that’s like driving a car at 100 mph all day,
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THE ZWEIG LETTER DECEMBER 8, 2025, ISSUE 1612
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