Organizational Causes of Burnout Archives

Reading the Signposts that Can Lead to Burnout

You or one of your key leaders may be at a crossroads. Just a choice or two will determine where you end up. Burnout is one destination. You get there by way of people, attitudes, actions and reactions that wear you down and make you realize control of your own situation is fast slipping away. You allow others to get there by not caring, not paying attention or not knowing what to do and just pretending you don't see it. Reading the signposts that can lead to burnout may be crucial in determining what you do next. As a leader, [...]

Reading the Signposts that Can Lead to BurnoutGary Wood2018-10-29T03:28:20+00:00

Preventing Police Burnout, What You Can Do

I've discovered that you can play a role in preventing police burnout. I'm no expert in this area but here's what some of the best practices include. We look at 4 groups who can contribute to solutions. Helping Your Colleagues Be supportive of new people. Your goal is to build them up to be the best they can be. Don't make it a competition but a collaboration. Assist them in every way possible. If it ever comes up, don't be a part of ostracizing for any reason. And watch if they begin to withdraw themselves from the daily camaraderie. Make [...]

Preventing Police Burnout, What You Can DoGary Wood2018-10-29T04:48:54+00:00

Pastor Burnout, This is Not the End of the Road

I probably don't have to tell you that pastor burnout has reached near epidemic proportions in our Christian community. I well understand what it is to be 'on call' 24/7, ministering each week, financially challenged, looked to for even the smallest decisions and having to deal with challenging people who's attitudes seem designed to frustrate even the smallest steps forward ... along with realizing that I probably only see a tiny fraction of my own weaknesses. You're probably saying, “And that's only the beginning.” I get that. I know you have your story too. Maybe you are succumbing to the [...]

Pastor Burnout, This is Not the End of the RoadGary Wood2018-10-29T04:49:07+00:00

Employee Burnout – There Are Solutions

Dealing with employee burnout and the stressful periods that lead up to it cost organizations huge sums of money every year. But more tragic than this is the fact that all that thought leadership and contribution has been lost. It's gone. Our clients have been men and women who are leaders or professionals in small business, large corporate settings, government, nonprofit and community setting. What that says to you is that overload and burnout happens everywhere across every spectrum of workplace experience. Workplace stress comes in a variety of shades. Recognizing employee burnout and doing something about it will take [...]

Employee Burnout – There Are SolutionsGary Wood2018-10-29T04:49:15+00:00

Career Burnout

Career burnout is often accelerated by subtle (or not so subtle) signals from those above (read, management). If you are the owner ... you may put out these messages. Executives often perceive and talk about negative work attitudes or postures that are taken by those they report to. Even at the highest levels of the organization this can occur. It is clear that one key area of job burnout is the conflict between the values of doing well on the job and doing well at home and in your personal life. Having a healthy total life is crucial for success. [...]

Career BurnoutGary Wood2018-10-29T04:49:36+00:00

Lack of Resources and Burnout

Lack of resources and burnout go together . When there's a constant expectation of delivery and you don't have resources to draw from, it's pretty hard to deliver. Sure, we've all pulled off 'the impossible' before. But when it is a chronic feature of the system, one day it will finally be too much. Work stress will spike. Frustration and inability to affect the system will grow. This is one of the causes often linked with career fatigue.. It really ties in with the overburdened to-do list and impractical or impossible time lines. The leader finally has just had enough. And [...]

Lack of Resources and BurnoutGary Wood2018-10-29T05:26:04+00:00

Unreasonable Project Deadlines Can Lead to Burnout

Multiple unreasonable project deadlines can lead to burnout. Of course they are not the only contributor to this level of significant stress. They present only one element of the total picture. But when these impractical or impossible expectations just keep coming, they suck the life out of some of the best people the organization should keep. I suppose there are many reasons for it but it does seem that an increasing number of leaders and executives are working with or handing down very impractical or totally impossible time lines and deadlines. It takes Herculean efforts to meet them. Often it [...]

Unreasonable Project Deadlines Can Lead to BurnoutGary Wood2018-10-29T05:26:22+00:00

When the To-Do List Can Lead to Burnout

There's one time when the to-do list can lead to burnout. When it's continually unreasonable. Keep giving a person an impossible to do list and burnout will inevitably come. Think about that: the impossible, unreasonable and the inevitable. Talk about a toxic to do list. One of our Fortune 500 clients was given major responsibility to oversee and move forward over 50 projects at one time. Clearly, nobody gave attention to stress and time management as serious concepts. This is what happens when things keep getting downloaded in the midst of an environment that promotes cuts with only one measuring [...]

When the To-Do List Can Lead to BurnoutGary Wood2018-10-29T05:26:28+00:00

Good Relationships Reduce Burnout

Good relationships reduce burnout in organizations. When you know and enjoy the people you work with and burnout is non-existent, there's something to look forward to each day when you arrive at work. Otherwise it can be stressful. Real friendships at work that go further than the day-to-day back and forth of business communication are why many key leaders and professionals love their work. We need community. We need positive friendship-based relationships with other people in our organizations. But when that is absent, it's a killer. And sadly, we live in a climate where far too many professionals spend their time looking [...]

Good Relationships Reduce BurnoutGary Wood2018-10-29T05:26:33+00:00

Company Recognition Reduces Burnout

Company recognition reduces burnout - no matter what the organization, for profit or not for profit, large or small, recognizing good people for the good things they are doing and the contribution they are making is core to managing stress in the workplace. I once remember being told by a leader that there's no need to tell someone that they're doing a good job. Nonsense. We all need to know when we're doing a good job and we need to be recognized for the contribution that we're making. I know I've never been perfect but I always have tried to thank people [...]

Company Recognition Reduces BurnoutGary Wood2018-10-29T05:26:40+00:00

Balance, Not Burnout – Free eBook