In today's 24/7 business environment, burnout is a major problem
among business executives. How much time and money is your
company losing because of executive burnout? Do you know you can
avoid burnout in your staff--and reap higher profits? Here are
four things you can do this week to avoid business burnout now
and in the future:
Focus on self-transformation. For example, practice re-writing
your job description given your evolving challenges, and think
about how to become the perfect candidate for the job you already
have. A leader who focuses first on self-transformation will have
the energy and perspective needed to thrive. A focus on self-
transformation also inspires confidence from employees, and can
keep a leader attuned to issues of organizational transformation.
Bob Carlson, board member and recently retired co-CEO of Reell
Precision Manufacturing in St. Paul, MN, took seriously the
challenge of living up to Reell's values and principles and in
the process, found himself transformed: "Having to frame
decisions within the context of Reell's values and principles,
has made me a better person." As a result, he found that he had
more energy, made better decisions, and that employees had more
confidence in him.
Empower others to take ownership of the organization’s values and
mission. Help employees to find their personal passions and
connect those to the organization's values and mission. Once
employees share the vision for the organization's future, the
leader's personal load is lightened. Jean Quinn, co-director of
Sophia Housing in Dublin, Ireland, is committed to empowering
everyone in her organization. She recently trained her managers
in how to see themselves as leaders so they would feel
comfortable taking more responsibility. Her load was lightened
and the organization's effectiveness increased dramatically.
Practice listening. Listening is a powerful tool for
understanding an organization, building relationships, and
knowing how to invest energy strategically. This practice
manifests as leaders listen to themselves, to their senior
leadership team, to individual employees, and to a higher power.
A leader can also provide guidelines for employees that encourage
respectful listening. The resources of everyone’s inner wisdom
then are brought to bear on problem-solving and more effective
decisions result. Focused listening times can be employed during
staff meetings, daily briefings, or during separate designated
listening times. Jim Fitzpatrick, CEO of Mercy Medical Center in
Mason City, Iowa, commits himself to listening to the pulse of
the organization, especially when making major decisions.
Recently he appointed a Mission Discernment task force to help
him listen to the wisdom of clinicians, financial managers, and
chaplains in deciding how to address pre-adolescent mental health
needs. The result? An effective partnership with a local
outpatient mental health agency that increased energy and vision
for all concerned.
Take breaks. Everyone needs times of pulling away for refreshment
and perspective. Leaders can't afford not to take time apart for
renewal. This can be as simple as a walk outside at lunch, or a
commute listening to music that feeds one's soul. Seeking out
supportive friends or mentors both inside and outside of the
organization can also help refresh the leader. Furthermore,
leaders can provide opportunities for their teams to be
refreshed, thus lightening their load. Etta Erickson, program
director of oncology programs at HealthEast, a healthcare system
in the Twin Cities in Minnesota, holds an annual overnight
retreat for the oncology leaders' partnership council. Retreats
include meditation time as well as time for telling funny stories
and playing golf. Frequent breaks renew energy, give new
perspective, and increase creativity and productivity.
There are dozens more ways to avoid burnout and achieve greater
effectiveness by bringing spirituality into the workplace, but
just start by following these four simple strategies and see how
quickly your energy is renewed.
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