Crashing into presence: burnout, strategy and building systems that breathe
A short fictional creative writing exercise I’ve done from the 5 Minute Creative Writing Exercise. It started with a bang. I was driving Clara: supermarket run, maybe the pool or tennis next. And then: crash — into the Waitrose frontage. Miraculously, Clara was OK. But she looked at me with wide eyes and whispered, “Daddy, why were you so careless?”
In that moment, I realised I’d been on autopilot — worn down by constant workplace stress, deadlines, blurred boundaries. That crash wasn’t just physical — it was existential.
It reminded me: if systems don’t support presence, they break. And beyond individual burnout, that breakdown can ripple through entire teams and services.
1. Spot the cracks before they break
Your action: Embed simple tools and feedback loops that don’t just measure absence — but emotional strain too.
2. Designing teams for resilience, not speed
Dsign firms like Nexer Digital involve diverse users early on — not just because it’s policy, but because listening slows you down in an empowering way .
Your action: Build time into workflows for connection. Schedule quiet check‑ins. Invite diverse voices into decisions.
3. Shifting from efficiency metrics to presence indicators
Most councils benchmark performance on speed and volume. But presence — slowness, relationship, emotional safety — gets neglected. Camden Council’s workforce strategy now highlights relational practice, reflective supervision, listening circles and mental health support — acknowledging emotional impact as strategic (ascpractice.camden.gov.uk).
Your action: Protect time for teams to pause together. Reflect. Be heard.
4. Designing services that slow down and tune in
Data and KPIs can blind us. Stories and lived experience show us where services fail people in real time. Report authors at New Local emphasise building systems that listen — not just survey — embedding participation as a culture, not a tick-box. Meanwhile, Barcelona’s Decidim platform makes narrative inputs as important as stats for shaping public decisions.
Your action: Pilot a story-first consultation. Invite people to describe a moment when a service let them down. Let those experiences shape your next decision.
Final reflection
When I first went back to that supermarket, Clara said: “Daddy, don’t crash again.” Her trust that I’d learn from that moment has stayed with me. And it’s reminded me: real transformation starts with presence — personal and organisational.
If your team is designing strategy, change or public service delivery, start from the inside out: build systems that allow people to be fully human.
Call to action
🔧 What one change can you make this month to increase emotional safety or presence in your organisation?
🔄 Share it — let’s reflect and iterate together — for teams and systems that don’t just deliver, but sustain.
