Published by IL NET / ILRU NetWork Quarterly

May 2002

The battle with burnout

By Richard Petty, IL Net Director

Just about any time independent living folks gather, the conversation eventually turns the subject of burnout. Discussions may start out on other topics-staff turnover, difficulty meeting goals and objectives, office morale-but they almost always come around to burnout.

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines burnout as "exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration." That's an apt description of the condition, but it doesn't speak to burnout's toll on our community-on the people and organizations who have a huge responsibility to people with disabilities. Burnout is a chronic problem at all levels of the independent living profession. It's driving off good people-draining our collective energy.

It occurs to me we've come to accept burnout as part of the natural progression of our careers. We seem to expect it-and since it's inevitable (we think)-there's nothing to do about it. Burnout happens.

I'd like to think that's not true. As a manager, I'd like to think there are things I can do to make work less stressful for the staff I work with. It is, in fact, my responsibility. As an employee, I wonder if and how I can avoid burnout's pitfalls

It's a big topic with a lot of different angles. In this issue of ILRU NetWork we start out small, hoping the information included here will inspire readers to take a closer look at their own circumstances. We learn from Lee Schulz and Ann Meadows, two independent living veterans who have good perspectives on what it takes to beat burnout. Dr. Karen Ballard offers us invaluable insight gained from her years of studying how prisoners of war react to and manage stress. And we've collected some resources we hope are useful in your own battle with burnout.

Part of our job is to inspire consumers and encourage their hopes and aspirations. We can do that best when we, ourselves, feel inspired and hopeful. We must address burnout for our own health and well-being and for the good of the entire disability community.

BURNED OUT?

One-fourth of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives. - Northwestern National Life Three-fourths of employees believe the worker has more on-the-job stress than a generation ago. - Princeton Survey Research Associates Problems at work are more strongly associated with health complaints than are any other life stressor-more so than even financial problems or family problems. - St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Co. 40%: Workers who report their job "is very or extremely stressful" - Northwestern National Live 29%: Workers who report they feel "quite a bit or extremely stressed at work" - Yale University

Source: Stress at Work, published by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and available on the Internet at www.cdc.gov/niosh/stresshp.html

Burnout & you: chance or choice?

When Dr. Karen Ballard is feeling stressed, she reminds herself of the pilot who endured several years as a prisoner of war in Viet Nam. Nearly starved and frequently beaten by his captors, the pilot stunned interviewers when he said he had so much to be grateful for in the time he was held. For him, the hunger and beatings weren't the biggest problems. The hardest part of imprisonment was complete isolation in a cramped and dirty room.

The pilot told about a female rat that found her way into his lonely cell. He felt blessed by her companionship and the opportunity to witness, over time, the birth and mother's care of three litters of babies. The rat was his only contact with another living being for a long time-and its presence was a gift, he said, that gave him strength and the ability to endure extreme stress and hardship.

That pilot's story, Ballard says, exemplifies some really important concepts for dealing with stress. First, she says, he had the ability to distinguish between what he wanted (better conditions, more and better food, freedom) and what he really needed (contact with another living being) to survive imprisonment. Beyond that, Ballard adds, he had the ability to recognize a gift when it was presented to him. "Sometimes," she says, "gifts don't come in the packages we expect."

Ballard is a program development and evaluation specialist at the University of Arkansas' Cooperative Extension Service. She started paying attention to research on stress and burnout when-at 23 years old-a high score on a stress test placed her in the "imminent death" category. "I was going through a hard time, but thought I was feeling okay," Ballard says. "The instructor said I might feel all right at the time, but it would get worse."

That experience caused Ballard to question traditional approaches to dealing with stress and burnout "that emphasize deficits and declare people victims." From her point of view, there's something wrong with that. "It predicts outcomes and doesn't take into account a person's assets and resourcefulness," she says.

"I started thinking about who has the most stress and began looking at research on prisoners of war," says Ballard, whose own brother was a soldier in Viet Nam. The research showed that POWs either died quickly or "they not only survived imprisonment, but, in many cases, did remarkably well when they returned home."

What distinguished the survivors? "The awareness that they had choices," Ballard says. "They may not have had a lot of choices-they may not have had very good choices. But they had the capacity to evaluate their own resources and select the best available choices for their situations. They couldn't control all of their circumstances, but they chose to control what they could."

That's something we can all learn, Ballard says. "It's purely a perspective," she says. "We believe we have no choices. That's probably the most stressful thing we do to ourselves. We may not have all the choices we want, but we always have choices."

Taking stock of your stress.

Ballard says trying to figure out what those choices are is the first step away from the path that leads to chronic, toxic stress and burnout. She recommends an "honest" self-inventory to identify what's causing the stress. "Write it down. Think about what makes you angry, unhappy, sad-what makes you not want to go to work," she advises. "Make an exhaustive list. This is a critical step to gaining control. Work on it for days if you need to."

Once the list is done, Ballard suggests sorting it into three categories:

#1 People who cause you to feel stressed;

#2 Types of work or working conditions that stress you out; and

#3 Things you are doing that contribute to your stress.

It's that last category, Ballard says, that shows if a person is really interested in decreasing stress-or just in blaming. It's also the category that individuals have the most control over and can usually change the quickest. "All of us-if we're really honest with ourselves-do things on a daily basis that increase our stress. If you don't have anything in that third category, you're kidding yourself," she says.

As an example, Ballard describes someone who frequently stays up late, has difficulty getting up in the morning and is often late to work. The result? A stressful conflict at the beginning of each day with a manager who values punctuality. A "blamer," she says, will find fault with the boss. But, Ballard points out the situation is totally within the worker's control. "Blaming others is a terrible approach to stress management. If your own tardiness is causing the conflict and stress," she adds, "it's usually easy enough to get more sleep, get up earlier and get to work on time. It's a matter of personal choices."

Of course, Ballard admits, not all stressful situations are that easy to identify-or fix. But the process for getting to even the hardest ones is much the same. It's all about honest self-awareness and recognizing that you do have choices. "Self-awareness without self-honesty is kind of like ice cream in a desert," Ballard says, "it doesn't last long."

All the self-awareness in the world may not change the people and work activities you identified in the first two categories. Ballard says, "There are some pretty obnoxious people out there. Some of them have developed a whole work strategy around getting power by capitalizing on our dislike of conflict. Others are simply just truly miserable people under tremendous personal stress that bleeds into the workplace." It's important to analyze whom you're dealing with, she adds, in order to make choices about how to respond to them in ways that minimize your own stress. It's easy to take their behaviors personally, Ballard continues, but most of the time it's about them-not about you.

Assessing your organizational environment is equally important, Ballard says. "I see people who spend their whole careers in the wrong job setting. By the end, they are really angry people. Not because it was a particularly terrible environment-it was just the wrong place for them."

Ballard uses the example of a hospital emergency room to make her point. "I couldn't function in that environment," she says. "It's too fast paced, unpredictable, chaotic and gruesome for me." There are people, she says, who thrive in that atmosphere-people who would quickly burn out in a more structured and sedate setting.

Applying that analogy to the independent living community, Ballard observes that there are some things that haven't changed in a long time-and are not likely to change anytime soon. "The nature of the business is there may not ever be enough funds; there will probably always be more people than you can serve. You're probably always going to feel like there's more to be done. If that's something that gives you angst every night when you go home, you may need to decide if this is really where you want to be."

"It's a matter of moving toward what's best for you," Ballard concludes. "Individuals who burn out are often the ones who are in jobs that don't play to their personal styles and preferences. Their strengths are not rewarded. They are constantly battling an environment that just doesn't suit them. "One definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results," Ballard says.

Whatever the cause of stress, Ballard says it's important to pay attention when you are experiencing chronic stress. "Your health depends on it," she adds.

For Ballard, the bottom line is best summed up in the Serenity Prayer, often associated with recovery programs. The short prayer, she says, provides guidance for dealing with the unmanageability of people or circumstances in our lives-major sources of stress for all of us. Likewise, it provides options for determining how you respond to "things" in your life that may cause you stress. "If you're looking for a stress management strategy," she says, "the Serenity Prayer says it all."

Dr. Karen Ballard is a program development and evaluation specialist at the University of Arkansas' Cooperative Extension Service. Reach her by phone at 501-671-2218 or send e-mail to kballard@uaex.edu.

Are you leading your staff to burnout?
Leaders set the pace for organization's health

It's true that Dr. Karen Ballard places a lot of emphasis on individual responsibility for recognizing and managing stress. (See related story, opposite page.) What does that mean for organizational leaders? Are they off the hook?

Sorry.

"The leader," Ballard says, "sets the tone and organizational values, and has significant influence over certain kinds of stress that is generated at a workplace."

One common mistake managers make, Ballard observes, is to surround themselves with staff members who mirror their personality and work style. "This is neither a secure, visionary or well-developed leader," Ballard says. She explains that the organization's growth is often stifled-and its future threatened-when everyone views and approaches things the same way. Staff who are different often feel devalued and especially stressed in such a setting.

It is a common idea that managers who create the most stress are the ones who impose the most structure. But in this day of limited funding and increasing accountability, the opposite is more often the case. "The laissez-faire manager will openly acknowledge that he or she doesn't like detail work, doesn't pay much attention to procedures and formal office communications," Ballard observes. The self-described "laissez-faire manager" may be well liked-personally, that is. A close look at their agency, though, may reveal high absenteeism, low productivity and a high turnover rate for certain administrative positions. Weak employee benefits and a poor retirement system often characterize an organization with a manager who refuses to develop critical managerial skills.

Regardless of the individual management style, Ballard suggests that any manager who has trouble dealing with conflict likewise contributes significantly to stress and burnout throughout the organization. "If you have two employees you are going to have conflict. If you can't deal with it," she notes, "you actually cause conflict to fester and increase."

"Dealing with staff members who aren't contributing is an important function of a manger," Ballard continues. "Other staff are required to carry more of the burden in these cases, and this is incredibly demoralizing over time. Staff view this as a culture where the manager's actions reflect that the work and clients really don't matter. Employees usually don't want to be involved in the conflict, but they need and appreciate a leader who will take the responsibility to honestly address problems-and do it fairly and in a timely fashion."

"Managers who avoid dealing with problems magnify the initial problem and never become leaders." Ballard observes. "There's no shame in not knowing how to deal with confrontations. The shame is when managers stick their head in the sand and don't try to learn. They sacrifice the health and morale of the agency for their own emotional comfort. Their actions speak more loudly than any administrative memo."

For leaders who know they have room for improvement, Ballard suggests identifying the key management functions that they dislike the most (like addressing conflict) and obtaining professional training and/or coaching to ensure the future health of your organization. "Leaders always have the guts and commitment to do this" Ballard observes.

SILC director says setting priorities and learning to delegate helped beat back the flames of burnout

In 1985, Ann Meadows began her career in independent living with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. She started as a part-time skills trainer at West Virginia's Huntington Center for Independent Living (now known as Mountain State CIL). In 11 years with the CIL, Meadows' responsibilities grew-first as a full-time trainer, then as a supervisor for trainers at the Huntington center and its satellite in Beckley. Eventually, she became the CIL's vice-president for programs.

Evaluating her own work style, Meadows says she really gets into the nitty-gritty of a job. "I'm the kind of person that enjoys reading the Rehab Act and state plan for independent living," she says, laughing. "I'm a fix-it kind of person-a mediator. I like it when everybody gets along-when everything is perfect. I also have a long history of being really, really bad at saying no."

Like many people she worked with and for, Meadows said she didn't have prior experience as a supervisor and was not exposed to much management training-even as her responsibilities grew. "That kind of training tends to fall off the priority list in a busy center with a budget that always seems stretched," she says. For the most part, she just tried to figure things out on her own.

By the mid-90s, Meadows recalls, she began to feel overwhelmed. "I was really frustrated. My responsibilities kept growing. I didn't feel like I was able to get staff to do what they were supposed to be doing. I didn't feel like I had the necessary authority to effectively supervise staff. I was spending all my time following up on their work-and feeling really behind in my own," she says. "Driving to work in the morning I would start to feel this sense of dread. I was feeling real burned out."

About that time, the statewide independent living council was being formed. Meadows was interested in the SILC (she was, after all, quite familiar with the federal laws that applied). She got involved with a task force of the new organization. In 1996, when they advertised for a director, Meadows scrounged up the courage to apply.

She got the job. As executive director of West Virginia's SILC, Meadows got a fresh start and an opportunity to do some things differently. Often, her days are filled with the same types of issues and problems she encountered in her old job-lots of things to do, never enough money, never enough staff. The biggest change appears to be in the way Meadows handles things.

First, Meadows says, she had to learn how to establish and stick to priorities. A harder lesson, she recalls, was how to delegate. "It's really important," she says, "but it's really hard to do. It's hard to take time to teach somebody else. It's hard to let go of things-especially if you think you can do a better job."

Nonetheless, Meadows says she has realized that everyone benefits when she delegates. Staff members learn new skills and gain confidence. Sometimes they fail, but Meadows says that's an important part of personal and organizational growth. Meanwhile, by delegating, she has more time to tend to her own priorities.

Meadows reports she has also learned to say "no!" "I've learned it's not as bad to say 'no' as to take on something I'm not going to be able to do well."

Meadows says her newfound skills have helped her steer clear of the frustration and burnout she experienced before. Still, she says, she would like to have more technical assistance and training on how to be an effective manager. "I think it's something we could all use," she says, "board members, directors and staff."

To contact Ann Meadows, executive director of the West Virginia SILC, call 304-766-4624 or send e-mail to ann.meadows@wvsilc.org.

Lee Schulz: Variety, change and risk-taking help to keep burnout at bay

I can't think of a better job than being the director of an independent living center. So says Lee Schulz, who has been the executive director of Wisonsin's IndependenceFirst for 16 years.

"I would get burned out in a boring and repetitive job," Schulz says. "We get to do a lot of different things-from advocacy to providing direct services. We work with a wide variety of people-of all ages and disabilities. The environment we work in changes often enough to keep things interesting."

Schulz embraces risk-taking and facing the challenges associated with managing a growing and thriving CIL. These characteristics come naturally to him, and he says they keep him from being overly stressed in his job. He thinks they are critical traits for any CIL director.

"If you're not a risk taker," Schulz says, "you're going to be in a lot of stress in this job. If you don't take chances to do things like go after money or create new services, your organization is going to shrink and become stagnant and out of touch-things that are eventually going to result in stress for you and your staff."

Schulz understands that what energizes him-change, variety, growth-can be considered real stress makers by others. Staff members are likely to cling to the status quo if they don't have a clear picture of what is changing and why. It's the director's job, he says, to alleviate stress at all levels of the organization. The following are some of his tips for doing that:

• Involve staff in planning for new programs and services and/or other organizational changes. Help them see the need, vision and desired results. Give them a chance to buy into the change.
• Give staff as much control as possible. Establish expectations, make sure they're understood and then stand back. Micromanagement can be a real stressor.
• Let staff have a say in the budget. Folks appreciate seeing the budget and having some input instead of feeling like victims of it.
• Set reasonable expectations. Unrealistic deadlines, budgets and production goals wreak havoc on staff who constantly feel they're behind before they've started.
• Give staff the best resources you possibly can. Having the right tools to do the job is important. You might be able to hammer in a nail using a screwdriver, but it's likely to be a slow and frustrating process.
• Encourage creativity. Rules and procedures are fine-and necessary. But allow some room for staff members to try out their own ideas to get the job done.
• Give staff opportunities to grow. As the organization grows, there will be opportunities for staff members to move into
  management positions or other jobs that allow them to do things they love and are particularly good at. Encourage and
  support that.
• Avoid overextending staff and resources. Trying to be all things to all people all the time can create stress and frustration for staff members and customers alike-especially when resources are limited. Set priorities. Create waiting lists, if you have to. Just be sure everyone understands the reasons and the rules.
• Don't kill off your "stars." It's easy to heap more tasks on the high energy and high performing staff. Make sure you give them enough of what they truly enjoy doing. On occasion, ask them to do a self-assessment to determine if they've taken on too much. If necessary, cut back their workload.
• Be flexible. People have different needs and different ways to avoid stress. Some prefer to put in a few extra hours to feel more in control of their workload. Some don't. You can't mimic other people. You have to do what's right for you.
• Make it fun. An "all work and no play" attitude contributes to a stressful workplace. Things like practical jokes, informal socializing, small gifts, fun awards, shirts with the company logo, and company outings contribute to a more relaxed and
  pleasant work environment. The larger the organization, the harder it may be to keep up the climate-but it's important to
  keep trying.

Contact Lee Schulz, executive director of IndependenceFirst, send e-mail to lee@independencefirst.org or call 414-212-2800.

Beating Burnout HOTLINKS

The World Wide Web is a bountiful resource for information about identifying and dealing with burnout. Following are a few of our favorite sites.
The Fried Social Worker - www.friedsocialworker.com American Psychological Association Help Center/Psychology at Work - www.helping.apa.org	National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health - www.cdc.gov/niosh/stresshp.html FastCompany.com (search on burnout) - www.fastcompany.com

NetNotes

• Speaking of burnout ... How about a Nodding Monkey to help you relax on hectic days. A yo-yo? Maybe you can rake a way stress with a mini Zen garden? If you're looking for something fun to brighten up the day (or get a smile out of that grumpy coworker), we found a couple of websites offering a variety of inexpensive gizmos and gadgets. Check out www.desktoy.com and www.officeplayground.com for more information and inspiration. (No, we do not get a kickback from these companies-honest!)
• In our last issue, we featured ideas for assisting people with disabilities in preparing for and responding to disasters. It seems every day's newscast includes mention of the potential for more terrorist actions. Some parts of the nation have already experienced terrible floods. Hurricane and forest fire season is well underway. Not to focus on doom and gloom, but we're curious to know if and how your rganization is responding to the call for more and better crisis planning. Let us hear from you via e-mail at ilru@ilru.org.
• Mark your calendars for 2:00 p.m. (CDT), Wednesday, July 24, for the next Research Information on Independent Living webcast. The topic: Health Promotion and Prevention of Secondary Conditions, presented by Margaret A. Nosek, Ph.D., and Beth Mastel-Smith. Find out more about RIIL and check out previous webcasts on the ILRU website: www.ilru.org.
• Coming soon: A new addition to the ILRU Bookshelf Series! It's a new brochure which is a collaborative effort between Bobby Silverstein, director of the Center for the Study and Advancement of Disability Policy, and ILRU. Intended to provide an "at a glance" overview of effective legislative advocacy strategies, the brochure highlights the main points of Silverstein's three-booklet series published by ILRU last year. For more information about the brochure, booklets or the Bookshelf Series, contact Carri George, ILRU Publications Coordinator, 713-520-0232, cgeorge@bcm.tmc.edu

For more information, contact:

The mission of the IL NET is to provide training and technical assistance on a variety of issues central to independent living today--understanding the Rehab Act, what the statewide independent living council is and how it can operate most effectively, management issues for centers for independent living, systems advocacy, computer networking, and others. Training activities are conducted conference-style, via long-distance communication, webcasts, through widely disseminated print and audio materials, and through the promotion of a strong national network of centers and individuals in the independent living field.

ILRU is a program of The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR), a nationally recognized, free-standing medical rehabilitation facility for persons with physical and cognitive disabilities. TIRR is part of TIRR Systems, which is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to providing a continuum of services to individuals with disabilities.

Substantial support for development of this publication was provided by the Rehabilitation Services Administration, U.S. Department of Education. The content is the responsibility of ILRU and no official endorsement of the Department of Education should be inferred.

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