Congrats on that promotion. Are you sure you want it?

A promotion can create a short-lived increase in satisfaction before new demands and stressors reduce that initial high. When a role does not match a person’s strengths and interests, it can contribute to a burnout pattern called “rust out,” marked by disengagement, boredom, and a quiet search for more engaging work. This can happen when the work is not difficult, but it fails to use a person’s best talents. A leader who accepts nearly every opportunity out of loyalty may later feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and worried about performance, reputation, and future advancement. Before accepting a promotion, it helps to evaluate fit and ask questions to prevent misalignment.

"“I wish I had slowed down to reflect more deeply on this opportunity before saying yes.” That's what Tanya told me in a coaching session. Even though she had just been promoted, she was close to burnout. Tanya was only a few months into her director of client management role at the technology-focused consulting firm where she'd spent 15 years. She was overwhelmed and exhausted at a time when she expected to feel accomplished. While she said yes to that promotion, she wished she had slowed down to ask a few questions first."

"Recent studies show that promotions often increase job satisfaction temporarily, usually for less than a year, until new stressors and demands of the role kick in, causing the temporary high to fade. Tanya was worried that this misalignment would affect her performance, tarnish her personal brand, and hurt the likelihood of future promotions. Her experience is far from unusual."

"Misalignment in a role can lead to a unique type of burnout called rust out. Researchers found that rust out reveals itself as feelings of disengagement, boredom, and a quiet pursuit for more engaging work (read: daily job searches). This happens when we are understimulated at work because our best talents and skills are underutilized. In Tanya's case, accepting this misaligned promotion led to her feelings of overwhelm, exhaustion, and boredom. The work itself wasn't hard, she just wasn't using her best talents of product innovation and process improvement."

Read at Fast Company