Episode 133: Just Say "No" to Nonprofit Burnout

This episode was originally published on April 18, 2018 as part of Blackbaud’s previous Raise & Engage Podcast.

Burnout. We’ve all been there or know someone who has. While work-life balance can be difficult for anyone to maintain, professionals in the non-profit sector face certain challenges that put them at a greater risk for experiencing burnout. How can you prevent burnout on an individual level, and how can an organization’s leadership help prevent employees from experiencing burnout?

Today’s guest is Beth Kanter, consultant, trainer, and author of the book, The Happy, Healthy Nonprofit: Strategies for Impact Without Burnout. Listen to today’s episode to hear what Beth has to say about burnout, why nonprofit employees are at risk for burnout, and how it can be prevented.

Topics Discussed in This Episode: 

What the term “burnout” means in the nonprofit sector and why it happens to nonprofit workers The stages of burnout How passion for a cause can be related to burnout How to recognize the symptoms of burnout How leadership can prevent burnout in their team The effect that the workspace can have on employee wellbeing The Pomodoro method for focusing How mobile phones and other devices can affect the feeling of burnout Different methods of self-care How to be inclusive of remote team members and keep them engaged First steps organizations and individuals can take to avoid burnout

Resources:

Beth Kanter
The Happy, Healthy Nonprofit

Quotes:

“I think we work in a field where scarcity mindsets lead. We don’t have enough staples in our staplers, or we don’t have enough staff, so I think this leads to trying to compensate by overworking.”

“Well-being is not something that’s foisted onto employees, right? They have to be engaged in it.”

“Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.”