While writing an article on performance for work, I stumbled across a study titled, What’s in a game? A systems approach to enhancing performance analysis in football. It covers the physiological, technical, and tactical components of football to determine key performance indicators that predict successful performance.

The study acknowledges that football is a complex sociotechnical system – where humans interact with technical aspects of an organization within a constantly changing environment. Like when football (soccer) players wear GPS vests to track distance, speed, deceleration, etc…

Sociotechnical theory is about joint optimization of excellence in both technical performance and the quality in people’s work lives. But Sociotechnical theory is founded on two main principles, one of which states that the interaction of social and technical factors create conditions for both successful and unsuccessful organizational performance.

Sports teams go to great lengths to keep players fit and safe. Player availability and fewest players injured are key measures captured. So is the amount of money paid annually to injured players:

Baseball: $700 mill
NFL: $450 mill
NBA: 350 mill
Premier league: $300 mill

This got me thinking – how does “keeping players fit and safe” play out in the technology domain? According to Occupational Health and Safety estimates, $20 billion is paid annually to workers due to musculoskeletal disorders such as fibromyalgia and repetitive motion injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Those who work hunched over a computer all day can attest to the soreness and fatigue that sets in due to poor ergonomics. These examples of “bad interactions” between humans and machines are often unexpected and unintended – a result of a sociotechnical system that neither works smoothly together, nor optimizes performance.

Compound these physical ailments with the conflicting priorities that tech workers juggle while learning new skills, and responding to system outages and incidents at all hours, and we have an indicator for burnout. When people become disengaged with their work and feel a general sense of apathy, stress levels rise. Computerworld’s 2017 IT salary survey found that 46% think their job is either stressful or very stressful, with 18% saying their job is more stressful this year than it was the previous year.

The long hours and constant demand result in a load that cannot be maintained – no matter how much people love their job. Eventually, overloaded people find themselves exhibiting burnout symptoms – physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism and detachment, and feelings of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment.

Sports teams measure players using GPS systems and heart monitors, and questionnaires. Some coaches also take a personal approach. I like what Leicester City Head of Fitness & Conditioning, Matt Reeves says, “You can get carried away with all the automated data, so sometimes you can’t beat just asking a player how they feel. We take a holistic approach and try to make it more personal by understanding each individual.”

How do tech organizations gauge the fitness and safety risks of their people before it’s too late? Predictive analytics help. Similar to sports, self-reporting has its advantages. In their DevOps Metrics article, Mik Kersten and Nicole Forsgren state, “Monitoring job satisfaction proactively (through survey data) and not just reactively (through turnover metrics in HR databases) should be a priority for all technical managers and executives.”

Rarely have I been asked how I’m doing from a health/fitness/safety perspective. When that rare gem-of-a-manager does sincerely ask me how I’m doing, I feel blessed.

Granted, premier football players make a gazillion dollars. But what’s the cost to the business when people burnout? Given the burnout potential in technology (from too many hours hunched over laptops and other devices), how can we enable fitness and safety in both technical performance and quality in people’s work lives? How about we start by taking a cue from Leicester City and just ask people how they are doing from a fitness and safety perspective.