“Don’t let anyone tell you that you never had it in you in the first place.” Just don’t go so far that you get fried.

- wallpaper for the game Burnout Paradise

So What is Burnout?

Some definitions go along the lines of:

- a response to work stress that leaves you feeling powerless, hopeless, fatigued, drained and frustrated

- a prolonged response to repeated emotional and “between people” stress at the job

- has 3 aspects: exhaustion, cynicism, inefficacy. The opposite is engagement with energy, involvement, efficacy.

Managers, you ignore this issue at your peril. If you tell someone they never had it in the first place, I swear, you’ll be asking for trouble (if not outright hatred).

So How Do You Kill the Burnout Beast?

1. Manage Your Work

- avoid over-commitment (a weakness that I still have to address)
- make sure you have enough of the right resources i.e. delegation
- watch out for perfectionism and not settling for what’s “good enough”
- try not to focus on things that are urgent yet not important to the overall scheme of things

2. Embrace Renewal

How do you start your day? What is your way of:

a. daily renewal
b. long term renewal
c. sanctuary places/activities

3. Do the Right Work

The most neglected one of all – doing the right work which gives our lives meaning and significance.

Are you giving your life meaning?
Are you connecting with other people?

“There is an interesting convergence of thinking here. Author and educator Parker Palmer defines burnout as a “state of emptiness.” Best-selling author Richard Leider talks about the “rustout syndrome” that has consumed many of us. (See text box at right here) Business leader, social entrepreneur, and best-selling author Bob Buford talks about the “smoldering discontent” that many workers feel today, realizing they have spent decades building lives of success but not of significance.” (Original Quote Source)

So How Do You Give Life Meaning in Practice?

1. Find creative ways of serving family, workplace, nation, world or cause.
2. Choose organizations with the right mission and culture that fits who you are.
3. Take ownership of your job and infuse it with your values, strengths and passions. Change the job to fit you – don’t fit yourself to the job alone. Go the extra mile.

Sources

http://discussionleader.hbsp.com/gergen-vanourek/2008/12/three-ways-to-beat-burnout.html

[This article also has statistical data on burnout in the USA]

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