Your highest achievers are often the people you have to watch most closely for burnout.

Not because they’re struggling.

Because they’re really good at handling more.

They say yes. They solve the problem. They take the extra project. And because they continue to perform, it can be easy to assume they’re fine.

But high performance can mask overload for a surprisingly long time.

So how do you know when your best people are carrying too much?

Don’t just ask, “How are you doing?”
They’ll often tell you they’re fine.

👉Instead, ask: “What are you carrying right now that I may not be seeing?”

It shifts the conversation from performance to capacity without making them feel like they’re being questioned about whether they’re coping.