When Excellence Becomes a Burden: A Quiet Problem in Education
There is something I have observed repeatedly in schools, and once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
When an employee shows exceptional ability... works faster, delivers better results, solves problems without supervision... the system responds in a predictable way:
They get more work!
Not more pay.
Not a clearer role.
Not better support.
Just more work.
How the Cycle Begins
It usually starts innocently.
An employer notices that one staff member: executes tasks excellently, understands systems quickly, needs little supervision, and “gets things done.”
Instead of asking, “What role is missing here?” or *“Who else needs training?”
the employer asks, “What else can this person handle?”
Before long:
- tasks meant for two or three people sit on one desk,
- new roles are silently absorbed,
- and no new staff is hired.
The employer is happy. The work is getting done.
But underneath the surface, something unhealthy is happening.
The Hidden Consequences No One Talks About
This pattern creates three serious problems at the same time:
1. Unemployment: A role that should exist never gets created, because one person is covering it.
2. Redundancy: Other employees on the same grade level are slowly sidelined, not because they are useless, but because they were never developed.
3. Overwhelm: The exceptional employee becomes overworked, overstretched, and emotionally drained.
The system looks efficient, but it is not fair.
And the Question No One Answers
1. Does the exceptional employee get a raise for doing the work of two people?
Often, no.
2. Does the sidelined employee get a pay cut for doing less?
Also, no.
So you end up with people on the same level, earning the same salary, but carrying very different loads.
This is not excellence.
This is imbalance.
This mindset has roots in Frederick Winslow Taylor’s Scientific Management Theory, which focused heavily on efficiency and output.
While it improved productivity, it failed to account for:
1. Human emotions,
2. Motivation,
3. Growth,
4. Fairness.
In many average schools today, this thinking still shows up:
1. Reward output with more labour,
2. Ignore emotional cost,
3. Delay structural change.
Education suffers when people are treated like machines.
This system teaches unhealthy lessons:
🔶 To the exceptional employee:
“Your worth is tied to how much you can carry.”
This leads to burnout and poor boundaries.
🔶 To the sidelined employee:
“Your effort doesn’t matter.”
This leads to disengagement and loss of confidence.
No one truly wins!
A Moment for Reflection
If you are a teacher reading this, pause and ask yourself:
🔶 Am I being rewarded with growth, or punished with overload?
🔶 Have I normalised carrying responsibilities that were never mine?
🔶 Am I silent because I fear losing relevance?
And if you are in leadership:
🔶 Are you building systems, or surviving on people’s over-functioning?
🔶 Are you developing staff, or just using the most capable ones?
☘️
Dear Educators,
Being excellent should not cost you your wellbeing. Learn to lead yourself, set boundaries, and ask the right questions... without guilt.
To school leaders:
Efficiency without fairness is exploitation. Sustainable excellence requires structure, clarity, and respect for human limits.
And to the education sector as a whole:
We must stop celebrating burnout as commitment!
Because when excellence becomes a burden, everyone eventually pays the price. 🥲
Please share this blog with an educator 😊
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to Relis Educators Hub Ltd.,
where we help you help every child thrive.☘️
Like & follow us on our:
Join our community for ongoing support:
Comments
Post a Comment