Defining the Local Social Entreprenerur - The Burnout Problem
From Melinda Marcus, intern with Handshake 2.0:
I have a problem.
I have a hard time saying "no" to great volunteer and leadership activities. Just this past week, I was asked to be part of a volunteer leadership team for one of the many organizations with which I am involved here at Virgina Tech. I love the opportunity to serve others and gain experience, and I am therefore having a hard time figuring out whether I should do it or not. I really want to say "yes," but I know I should say "no." The thing is, though, that I don't even know how to say "no" in this situation.
Realizing that I have a problem, I wondered if professionals in the non-profit and social entrepreneur world have this same issue - overcommitment and the inability or difficulty to say "no".
As it turns out, they do.
In a blog entitled Mental Meals: Brain Food for Your Business, Bart Gragg, President of Maverick Business Advisors, writes that "because they (non-profit professionals) are givers they are also giving time and energy to other organizations, or individuals... When they don’t have the energy to give anymore, because they give more than receive, they begin to burn."
So, people in this sector like to "do do do" and give themselves passionately. Those are great things - but there seems to be a fine line between passion and burnout.
I don't want to become burned out in my future career, so I'm looking for a cure, or at least a method to prevent burnout.
Here is some radical advice from Ken Goldstein: "I suggest a new movement today: The nonprofit Selfishness Movement. We all need to set aside certain times and days to something entirely selfish (and legal). A little "me time" to guiltlessly get away from the stress of constantly being other-focused." Goldstein has a blog entitled The Nonprofit Consultant Blog in which he writes tips, stories, and advice about managing and running a nonprofit organization.
To me, Goldstien seems a bit selfish. But then again, maybe that is my problem. Maybe I am not selfish enough.
After being close to burning out myself this semester, one of the best pieces of advice that I have received came from my supervisor Anne Giles Clelland. In the midst of my almost-burnout she told me this: "The over-committed, with the best of intentions to serve everyone well, under-serve everyone."
I still have this "problem" of being a giver. But it seems as though practice and prayer are the best things to avert burnout. So, this week I am going to practice saying "no," starting right after I say "yes" to playing in the snow!
You can follow the entire Defining the Local Social Entrepreneur series by Melinda Marcus.
Melinda;
The idea of givers being selfish needs to be looked at. From the givers perspective, any time or recognition they take for themselves they feel is being selfish. But put it into perspective. You don't have to compare yourself to others to see you give too much. You know that already.
But there is no better analogy for the giver than the oxygen masks on an airline. If you don't take care of yourself by putting your mask on first, you will not be able to take care of others that need you. At east come up for air once in a while.
The other thing I ask volunteers to look at it is "How many different things do you give at, whether it be volunteering, at home, at work, where else?" I submit that being a giver is great. But the real fuel for a givers soul comes from giving at the right times, to the right people for the right things and in the right places. Many times people feel that if they give everything to everyone they will ultimately be appreciated (honestly, that is the logic, even though they won't ask for the recognition).
Pick something you are good at or want to try go with that. Don't over extend your talents and stick with your core passions.
Oh, by the way, you are still going to have to learn to say "No!" But this gets easier.
Thank you for continuing the dialogue about this topic. It is so very important.
Posted by: Bart Gragg | November 30, 2008 at 07:07 PM