The Story
Early in our consulting careers, we saw many nonprofit boards struggling – not enough money, no full-time directors, board members at odds with each other, no plans for the future. Many were experiencing a high turnover rate as people burned out from trying to do too much with way too little.
Many of these boards had members who felt if they didn’t do the work, no one would — and they felt trapped. They had passion, they had drive, but what they didn’t have were resources. They were burned out.
Once we saw this pattern of highly dedicated and passionate people struggling to do the good and necessary work in their communities, we decided to focus on caring for the people first, and then addressing organizational concerns.
While our expertise is in organizational development, we found ourselves working with many nonprofit organizations. We soon recognized their need for our help and began to ask ourselves these questions: Why do nonprofit organizations struggle with burnout? What feeds burnout? What awoke burnout from its dormant stage in the organization? Will the organization be receptive to our expertise? Then, how can we help nonprofit organizations rise from the ashes of burnout?
Yes, those were our beginnings: recognizing a need and then deciding to meet that need, well and strongly.
A major focus is to help nonprofit organizations Battle Burnout
Burnout comes in many forms and can wreak havoc in an organization. If you’ve recognized that, then you’re on your way to solving the problem. That’s what we’re here for. We coach you and your team to increase your individual and organizational effectiveness with a value-centered approach to Battle Burnout. We educate your organization on the signs of Burnout and help you Battle Burnout by giving you the necessary skills to extinguish it.
Did you know that Burnout is a combination of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion? Herbert J. Freudenberger coined the term “Burnout Syndrome” in the early 70’s. People affected by the syndrome suffered from mood fluctuations, disturbed sleep and difficulty concentrating, as well as physical ailments such as backaches and digestive disorders. Freudenberger defined burnout syndrome as “a state of mental and physical exhaustion caused by one’s professional life. Burnout is the result of too many pressures and not enough support.
People who suffer from Burnout experience some of the following:
- Negative self-image
- Poor attitude
- A feeling of being detached
- Apathy
- Disengagement
It is a fact that people who are passionate about their jobs suffer most from burnout. People who are not passionate about what they do don’t burnout; they don’t even warm up!
Deb Olejownik’s book, Bouncing Back: Overcoming Obstacles, is the best & most realistic range of topics relevant to bouncing back from obstacles such as stress, burnout and relationships, all of which affect your energy and balance.