Are you in “burnout”?

This may appear to be the wrong time of the year to ask such a question. Then again, this tinsel-tossed, God-rest-ye-merry-gentlemen, deck-the-halls set of squares on the calendar may be the best time to discuss burnout.

The holiday season parades by us an idealized Americana.  When our lives do not match a Jimmy Stewart ending, depression and burnout can end up being our holiday fare.

To understand the process of burnout, this book may be helpful, Burnout:  Stages of Disillusionment in the Helping Professions by Edelwich and Brodsky.

The authors provide five, sequential stages of burnout.

Stage one is “exaggerated enthusiasm.”  This is the rose-colored-glasses moment in a relationship or a place of employment when we cannot see or imagine anything but unbridled bliss.  Life is good, work is good and we are constantly getting better.

Stage two is “stagnation.”  This is the moment when reality thumps us right between the eyes.  The person we love does have bad breath in the morning and our company has just raised the co-pay again.

Stage three is “frustration” (my term is “anger”).  In this stage we start flirting with betrayal.  We thought we were promised something and a person or organization brazenly walked all over the commitment.  Please note:  the betrayal is not about a “mistake,” the betrayal is all about a flagrant violation of trust.

Stage four is the worst stage of burnout.  It is called “apathy.”  This is when someone just starts “showing up” for an intimate relationship or job.  The body is there, but the passion took off a long time ago.  The person is “stuck” without a remedy.

Stage five is called “intervention” and has two possibilities. 

First, the burned out person can make a radical change to improve his/her damaged life.  This choice may include therapy from a trained professional, a career shift or a month to stare at ocean waves pounding out a cadence of promise.

Second, burned out people can take the easiest and most destructive path:  trait anger.  This is when someone becomes a seething person who has an angry response to another sunrise, the laughter of children and especially the holidays.  These people believe life has been incredibly victimizing and the only recourse is to maintain a mantle of anger so he/she is not hurt again.

Obviously, if this description of burnout describes you, this is a great time of the year to give yourself a gift of a new beginning.

Life does deal out a bad hand—how we play it is always a choice.

Anger should be a visitor, not a live-in.

Holidays should be perfect celebrations of imperfect lives.

Have you heard the term, “the ownership culture”?

If not, you will. 

The “ownership culture” is a moniker used by companies rewarding their employees for working like “they own the company” by…making them owners.

If you want to know more about this simple but powerful principle that increasingly creates healthy organizations by sharing profits with everyone in the company, pick up a copy of A Stake in the Outcome by Jack Stack and Bo Burlingham. (Doubleday Books, 2002, ISBN 0-385-50507-8).

Both of these men are friends of mine and I am a believer.  I have watched this next iteration of “open book management” produce amazing bottom line results when the motivation for working hard becomes intrinsic. 

If you are looking for a methodology to create a healthy workplace, and have enough risk to share the financial future of your company with those who produce your product, pick up this book.

Free Articles

I have written two new articles that can be downloaded and printed in your organization’s newsletter/magazine or used in your career development.

How to Control Your Annual Performance Interview is a set of five linguistic skills you can take to what most of us consider the “annual food fight” between us and our boss.   This article will show you how to leverage your annual performance interview so it benefits you.

The Disciplines of Leadership is my summation of four attributes that create effective leadership.  This article is especially helpful if you are presently in a leadership position or aspire to one.

You can access these articles by going to our website at www.execenrichment.com and choosing the DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES option.   After you fill out a short form, you’ll see the available articles listed.

New Keynote Address

If you are looking for a positive keynote address that will entice an audience to develop a proactive view to change, you may want to contact me about “Save Your Fork.”

When I was a child (about two millennia ago) my mother would often surprise us at the end of the meal by saying, “save your fork.”  Those words were the verbal announcement that dessert was on the way.

In this keynote address I supply all the verifiable data and then some liberal doses of inspiration to make the case that change always contains promise.

Click on “reply” to this LeMonAide or give me a call at 800-373-4040 if you want more information about this new keynote presentation.

Have you noticed, everyone is apologizing?

In one day I received seven apologies.

The person at the Hilton desk “apologized” because the restaurant was not open at the published time of 6:30 a.m.  The cab driver “apologized” that he did not have change for my twenty dollar bill.  The client “apologized” that the presentation room was too cold.  The participant “apologized” because she did not express herself adequately.  The credit card customer service agent “apologized” that they made an error…in their favor.  The flight attendant “apologized” to 50 of us because the flight was delayed and she hoped (along with everyone else who works for the airline) that the delay did not inconvenience any of us.  And, the next hotel desk clerk “apologized” that my non-smoking room had just been given to another person.

I am so sick of hearing “We apologize…” because it is patently disingenuous.  No one means what they are saying.  Somewhere, in some customer service training course these people were taught, “If you do not know how to justify the horrendous service we are providing…just apologize for all of us.”

What I would like someone to say is, “We failed you” or “We did not fulfill our promise to you” or “We are having a crappy day and you don’t deserve this.”

I am looking for someone who has the fortitude to communicate failure. 

You know, I am really O.K. with “We should not have done this to you, but we are asking for a second chance.” 

No, and I do not apologize for writing this column.

Have you heard this term—“the involuntary bump”?  If not, you may on your next flight.

“Involuntary bump” means an airline can call out your name at the gate or even in the airplane and inform you that you have been “bumped” (thrown off) this flight.  With fewer seats, more passengers and the practice of over-booking rampant, involuntary bumping is becoming commonplace.

I know, you are saying, “How can they do that?”  Well, the federal government requires airlines to first ask for willing volunteers who are compensated with a free ticket or an amount of money toward the purchase of a future trip.  It may surprise you that in the first six months of 2006 airlines gave money or tickets to 353,274 voluntary customers.

What happens if no one takes the bait?  Well, here is where the “involuntary bump” shows up.  The airline can call out your name and throw you off this flight (they will choose people who are not frequent fliers and are using the least expensive fare). 

What are your rights?  If you get involuntarily bumped, you get cash in return if the following circumstances are met.

If the airline can book you on another carrier and you arrive within one hour of your original schedule…you get nothing.

If the airline gets you to your destination within one or two hours of your original schedule you get a payment equal to your one-way fare, to a maximum of $200.00.

If you arrive more than two hours later than originally scheduled, or if the airline makes no alternative arrangements, you will receive twice the amount of your one-way fare to a maximum of $400.00.

You can get bumped but make sure you make some bucks in the process.

If you would like to personally meet with me during the month of September, here is my schedule.  Please call 800-373-4040 to set up an appointment.

Are you often confused about using the right word?  What follows is a collection of commonly confused word groups.

Comprise-Compose:  “Comprise” means to “include, contain, consist of”; “compose” means “to make up.” General Electric comprises five major companies. The five major companies compose General Electric.

Eager-Anxious:  Both terms have a quality of “desirous” but anxious implies fear or concern. Cal was eager to hear the results of his presentation. Cal was anxious to hear if his presentation offended the audience.

Former-First:  “Former” refers to the first of two people or things. When more than two are mentioned, use “first.” The sweater is available in either red or green, but I prefer the former. The sweater is available in red, green or blue, but I prefer the first.

Good-Well:  “Good” is an adjective.  “Well” is typically used as an adverb but may be used as an adjective to refer to the state of someone’s health. Karen earned good grades in school. (adjective) Karen will do the job as well as she can. (adverb)

Historic-Historical:  “Historic” means “important” or “momentous.”  “Historical” means “relating to the past.” The Fourth of July commemorates a historic event: the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The following article provides a historical account of the events that lead up to the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

It is such a small item, it gets by most of us…including me.

I was presenting at a professional meeting and following my address someone came up to me and asked for my card.  I replied, “Just a moment, I have one in my briefcase.”

Sure enough, I found one business card.  It was my last one.

I presented the card.

I noticed the person frown while scanning my card.  I asked, “Is there a problem?”  After a moment of uncomfortable silence this business professional replied, “Can I make a suggestion?  This card is well-designed and…it is dirty and wrinkled.  The card does not reflect the quality of who you are or your skills.”

Physically protect your business card.  The appearance of your card is a mirror of you and your services.

I just do not understand, Lord, why we would be singing “Silent Night, Holy Night” while our world is covering its ears in the dissonance of war and hatred.

I am assuming You must have had other plans for us.  Right?

So where did it all go wrong?  And, don’t blame it all on us.  You could have done something to fix us.  It is like You wound us up and then just wandered off to some other galaxy.

So where are You because we need some serious help here?  Singing “Silent Night, Holy Night” is getting a little old.  We cannot find any silence and holiness is in short supply.

So, where are You?

Bethlehem. 

Is that in Pennsylvania?