Battling Burnout Behavior in your Business: Post Two

Antonio G. Marchesi
July 2008

Fighting Burnout
It is clear from the literature that if burnout is to be decreased within the organization, leaders must consider the well-being and professional engagement of individuals to be an extremely high priority. In fact, employees are the greatest assets within the organization. Individuals are not just a means to an end (i.e., increasing the bottom line return), but are an end in themselves. Maslach and Leiter (1997) said:
Burnout costs money. And this economic bottom line can only be controlled by paying attention to the human bottom line of its behavior in the workplace that is either costly or productive. An effective strategy of behavioral risk management has to understand what the behaviors are but why they occur.

When employers consider the ramifications of reducing burnout by creating an organizational environment that maximizes employee engagement, the possibilities are endless. Csikszentmihalyi (2003) wrote, “Just as climbers need a mountain peak to get their juices going, or a surgeon needs a health emergency to get involved, workers need a compelling reason to focus their energies on the job.”

Though it might be easier for employers to embrace a transactional style of leadership only, followers desire more than a paycheck. Pollard (1996) wrote, “People want to work for a cause, not just for a living.” Maslach and Leiter (1997) believed that there is much an employer can do in this regard — mostly by improving the non-material aspects of the job and intentionally working to promote follower satisfaction through engagement. Specifically, people desire to participate in activities that are bigger than they are. A case can be made that individuals who function according to a transcendent purpose or calling and are consequently more engaged in work are less susceptible to burnout than those who view work as a series of tasks that are incongruous with one’s soul. Job-person fit is critical if one wishes to avoid burnout.

Maslach and Leiter (1997) described an autotelic model of work that allows individuals to enjoy the process of work, not just the financial rewards:

“People who are good at what they do enjoy the process of the work itself. The process of doing the work sets up a pleasant concentration of attention and energy that creates a kind of flow…. Attaining that state of mind as an individual or in a team is work’s most effective reward. The point of management is ultimately to bring about conditions that permit that sort of work to happen while pursuing the organization’s mission.”

Csikszentmihalyi (2003) suggested that the repercussions of a lack of engagement in the workplace can be personally devastating:

“A job that employs only a fraction of one’s skills quickly becomes a burden. One feels that most of one’s potential is left unused, wasted. Consider the clerk at the department of transportation whose job it is to pass out forms to endless lines of applicants for a driver’s license, and then quickly check each form for completeness — how much of her being is involved in this task….When most of one’s skills remain unengaged, involvement in the job soon falters, and it is not surprising that one begins to yearn for free time, where there is a chance to be fully alive.”

Maslach (1982) noted that one of the leading inhibitors to effectively battling burnout is the inability of the high achievers to psychologically and behaviorally go home at the end of the day. She indicated that individuals put so much stock in their work and little else outside of it that when problems arise, the individuals feels as though their world is crumbling beneath their feet. She used the analogy of decompression that divers experiences after working underwater. In order to acclimate to their natural environment after the dive, they must first utilize this technique. To fail to do so could prove damaging to the individual. Similarly, individuals must find a method to decompress from their professional experiences prior to moving into their private lives. She noted that some may choose to engage in physical activity, reflection, or napping.

Battling Burnout Behavior in your Business: Post One

Antonio G. Marchesi
July 2008

Introduction to Burnout
According to Leiter and Maslach (2005), America is facing an epidemic of burned out citizens. In fact, the severity of the problem is revealed as burnout and is described as the “biggest occupational hazard of the twenty first century” (Leiter & Maslach). This section considers the causes and costs of burnout, environmental and behavioral patterns aiding in the predictability of burnout, strategies to fight burnout, and methods of assessing burnout. It is stressed that the rise in burnout in America necessitates a critical need for employers to more strongly consider both environmental conditions and leadership approaches of supervisors as both strongly contribute to the symptoms of burnout. It is demonstrated that increased personal engagement with work, particularly as it relates to a transcendent purpose or meaning, can minimize the chances of burnout as the individual espouses a personal orientation towards work more likely to resemble a calling or purpose.

Due to the numerous symptomatic components of burnout, multiple definitions exist. For the purposes of this dissertation, the following definition is proposed and will serve as the explanation offering the most detail. Schaufeli and Enzmann (1998) defined the burnout metaphor as

“A persistent, negative, work-related state of mind in ‘normal’ individuals that is primarily characterized by exhaustion, which is accompanied by distress, a state of reduced effectiveness, decreased motivation, and the development of dysfunctional attitudes and behaviors at work. This psychological condition develops gradually but may remain unnoticed for a long time by the individual involved. It results from a misfit between intentions and reality in the job. Often burnout is self-perpetuating because of inadequate coping strategies that are associated with the syndrome. “

Though alluded to in the work of Shakespeare, burnout did not exist as a recognized concept until 1969 as it was investigated by Bradley within the framework of the helping professions (Schaufeli & Enzmann, 1998). It was later popularized by Freudenerger who provided the impetus for Maslach and her associates to help legitimize the concept within the social science research community. Today, much research has been conducted within the discipline of burnout which reveals that its prevalence is increasing as are the costs of its effects upon the country. These issues are examined in the next section.

Causes of and Costs of Burnout
Leiter and Maslach (2005) argued that the lost energy, lost enthusiasm, and lost confidence that plagues burned out individuals has serious implications for the economy. “Job stress is estimated to cost the U.S. economy $300 billion in sick time, long term disability and excessive job turnover. …Long term disability claims based on stress, burnout, and depression are the fastest growing category of claims in North America and Europe.”

Kalberg (2002) observed the distinct characteristics of the American workforce:
In 1999 the United States replaced Japan as the worldwide leader in number of hours worked per person per year; Europeans, in contrast, work approximately two-thirds as many hours per year as Americans. Americans read daily, on the one hand of people, who are exhausted and deprived of sleep and on the other hand of people who ‘love their work.’ Expressions that reflect the centrality of work in our lives are pervasive: we arrange ‘working lunches,’ we ‘work out’ daily; we ‘work’ on love, our relationships, our personalities, and our tans. We praise the work ethic of our peers and ‘hard workers’ are generally assumed to be people of good character. A salary increase is awarded often to the ‘most dedicated’ employee — a person who works, with pride, not only days but also nights and weekends. If we take naps, they must be ‘power naps.’ ‘Workaholics’ take ‘working vacations.’ Many people define self-worth, and even their own identity, according to their success in a profession.

Schaufeli and Enzmann (1998) indicated that in America alone, 75% of the respondents to a survey indicated that they consider their jobs stressful and getting worse. Though many causes for job stress exist, it is shown that stress, in addition to related symptoms, directly affect the chances of burnout occurring within the workplace. There are 12 causes of burnout identified by Leiter and Maslach (2005):

1. The corporate world has become more immense and more separated from the concerns of ordinary people than ever before.

2. Corporations continue to pump up their worth on paper for the short-term gains of a limited few.

3. The outsourcing of services and the exporting of jobs to developing nations continue to disrupt the work world of post-industrialized nations.

4. It is becoming increasingly evident that some major players in the North American and European economies are capitalizing on the extra-low wages and benefits paid to immigrants of dubious, if not completely illegal, employment status.

5. Information technology continues to produce an array of nifty entertaining devices of increasing complexity, power, and versatility.

6. Centralization of power in large organizations continues to pull away from front line workers.
7. Poor corporate citizenship continues to be reflected in excessive compensation.

8. Adding unease to work life is the impact of terrorism in America.

9. The security response across the United States and Canada has amplified the impact of initial attacks.

10. The financial requirements of increased security have had a broad impact on public service organizations.

11. News media have figured out that terror gets people’s attention, raising their ratings more than other stories.

12. From all parts of the globe come new waves of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and deadly viruses…. As more people take powerful drugs to solve on problem or another, deadly side effects emerge.

Pines (1993) explained that inherent within the human condition is a need/desire to find meaning in life. She noted that historically, individuals sought meaning within the realm of religion. However, with the increased proliferation of secularization, many individuals have shifted their derivation of meaning from the church to the workplace. Unfortunately, when the individual does not find his or her objectives met, burnout is likely to occur. Pines indicated that a problem with seeking meaning only within the work environment as opposed to the church is that there is a lack of a transcendent, infallible God. Instead, circumstances which can change at a moment’s notice are the norm. If one’s work is not perceived to be meaningful, the symptoms of burnout emerge. Additionally, Kraft (2006) warned individuals who hope to prevent burnout that merely turning off the computer at 5 pm will not produce the desired effect. Rather, individuals must find meaning in life outside of the limited context of work if they hope to minimize personal burnout.

Maslach and Leiter (1997) attributed five factors to burnout in the workplace. First, organizations possess less intrinsic worth. She posited that increased debt causes organizations to shift all attention and resources to finances. “The values that determine the quality of organizational life are not those of cohesive work groups attempting to provide excellent products for services but those of bottom-line management in an entity that is desperate for cash flow.”

Secondly, global economics has impacted the propensity for employee burnout. Many companies have determined to transfer jobs overseas in order to alleviate costs by taking advantage of equal work for lower wages. For example, Maslach (1996) observed that companies need only provide U.S. $2.23 to U.S. $6.15 per day for a job in Mexico that would provide an American worker over $10.00 an hour. The fear of outsourcing has taken a heavy toll upon the American worker as it has promulgated a sense of paranoia:
“Workers are conceding their time. They are working longer hours. They are taking work home, often continuing after hours on computer equipment that they have purchased themselves. They are devoting more time to tasks that are not personally rewarding, that is, they are not enjoyable and do not further their careers. They are giving up long-cherished benefits, like fully paid health insurance and company-financed pension plans.” (Maslach & Leiter)

Thirdly, technology has contributed to burnout in the workplace. Technological advancements have eliminated or significantly altered many positions as productivity has been maintained and money saved. Furthermore, dependence upon technology can be a tremendous burden for those who have to sort email, backup files, and endure computer crashes.

Fourth, the redistribution of power has affected workers and increased burnout as individuals feel as though they have less functional autonomy. Tightened expectations have minimized perceptions of ownership and creativity. Maslach explained, “The restrictions also affect these individuals sense of efficacy because they diminish their capacity to continue what occurs in their work … people in organizations feel more constrained. In practice, problems are delegated but the power to address them is not” (Maslach & Leiter). Maslach suggested that a poor match exists between the job tasks and working conditions and human strengths and individuality. She wrote that “it is not the person alone but the mismatch between the person and the job environment that is critical” (Maslach & Leiter). However, the researchers do not recommend that burnout is as much of an issue with the person as it is with the environment of the organization. Burnout is experienced in three main categories: (a) an erosion of engagement with the job, (b) an erosion of emotions, and (c) a problem of fit between the person and job (Maslach & Leiter, p. 23). Alarmingly, burnout appears to be on the rise. For example, Northwestern Insurance Company experienced a 26% increase in burnout in just a 6 year period (Schaufeli & Enzmann, 1998). Furthermore, Hingley and Cooper (1986) noted an increase of 528% rise in absenteeism in Britain due to symptoms associated with burnout.

Predicting Burnout
This section considers the correlation between the degree to which one is engaged with his or her work and the likelihood of personal burnout. When work is viewed as loathsome, irrelevant, or meaningless, engagement is diminished and burnout ensues. Maslach cited a common belief amongst employers that burnout is entirely caused by the employee. Furthermore, it is not the responsibility of the employer to make modifications to the job in order to better correspond to the needs, passions, or desires of the worker (Maslach & Leiter). A lack of engagement, namely efficacy, energy, and involvement promote cynicism and anger within the person who is enduring an erosion of emotions within the workplace (Maslach & Leiter). Maslach observed that the negative emotions cause a downward spiral effect ultimately causing social isolationism and volatile relationships. Though the problem of person/job-fit has reached overwhelming proportions, employers are reticent to alter leadership style, working conditions, and job responsibilities to better suit employees. Also, the relationship of the assets or strengths of the employee to job specifications often goes unnoticed by the leader.

Antonio Giovanni Marchesi, Ph.D is the Chief Executive Officer of Transformation Specialists, LP, an international consulting firm providing “strengths-based strategies for success” to business and education.

A Synthesis of Meaning in Life, Calling and Flow

Antonio G. Marchesi
July 2008

A Synthesis of Meaning in Life, Calling and Flow
My posts have attempted to make a connection between the current preoccupation with human deficits and a narrow commitment to the bottom line to a displacement of self or skewed sense of meaning in life or calling. Consequently, there has been an increase in professional burnout in most professions due, in part, to a lack of engagement with work. Individuals often feel as though they must force themselves to fit into a pre-established inquisitive paradigm or behavioral standard. Individuality is relinquished, self awareness as the product of introspection or reflection is diminished, and the symptoms of burnout begin to emerge. Parker Palmer effectively argued that as humans mature, there is a subtle, systematic forfeiture of “birthright gifts” as individuals fall prey to the powerful temptation to succumb to the allurement of worldly attractions and experience the inevitable absorption into the collective consciousness. Parker Palmer suggested that those who inhibit their individuality compromise the efficacy of community. “We will find the common ground of public life not by destroying our particularity but by pursuing it, pursuing it to the depths where we encounter the ground of being which gave rise to and sustains us all” (as cited in Intrator. The slots in which people find themselves are generally artificial and uncomfortable and like the cave dwellers in Plato’s allegory; existence is essentially one-dimensional, shadowy, and free of color. The collective conscience tempts people to come aboard and be accepted. The reality of the consequences of conformity is rarely considered.
Thomas Merton said:

“How do you expect to arrive at the end of your own journey if you take the road to another man’s city? How do you expect to reach your own perfection by leading somebody else’s life? His sanctity will never be yours; you must have the humility to work out your own salvation in darkness where you are absolutely alone.”

Listening to one’s inner voice of vocation or calling has the potential to generate meaning in life as the individual learns to construct an existence that maximizes the engagement of flow activities within the entirety of one’s life, within both the personal and professional spheres. By functioning according to one’s design or predisposition, it can be deduced that a greater likelihood exists for human flourishing as opposed to burnout. In an online audio blog, Leiter explained the benefits for those who attempt to correspond their lives toward an experience that is meaningful. Leiter maintained that those individuals, who realize that their lives matter and are meaningful, react differently to the stressors of life and are more successful in the implementation and realization of goals and find themselves to be happier, satisfied, less anxious, and self-aware.
I believe that perhaps the most effective preventative device for burnout is a greater attentiveness to one’s individuality, specifically a working environment that promotes engagement/flow states. Pratt and Ashforth strongly stated that the modification of the work experience that helps the person to ask significant existential questions such as “Who am I?” are very important. The reflective act, though at times potentially painful and/or revealing, greatly enables the subject to make informed choices about the work environment that are most conducive to the engagement of one’s calling or meaning in life. Furthermore, it can be surmised that employers who are cognizant of and responsive to those activities that are most likely to produce flow in their subordinates are likely to experience heightened employee productivity, enhanced creativity, optimal retention, and greater satisfaction. Pratt and Ashforth indicated that best practices at work are connected to how individuals orient themselves to their job:

“We believe that practices that best typify meaningfulness in working are those that nurture callings. When one’s work is a calling, it is seen as socially valuable — an end in itself- involving activities that may, but need not be pleasurable. Callings have also been associated with expressing one’s ‘authentic self’ in what one does. When you answer your calling, you become the person that only you can be. As such, callings involve role, identity, and meaningfulness.”

In conclusion, meaningful work is generally perceived as a calling containing the element of a transcendent charge leading one to the desire to make a societal contribution. “We argue that organizations that foster transcendence provide strong linkages between who we are, what we do, and why we are here in this context, while simultaneously connecting workers to something greater than themselves, their tasks, or perhaps even the organization for which they work” (Pratt & Ashforth). When these three components (meaning in life, calling, and engagement) are present, there is ample evidence to suggest that the workplace promotes optimal human functioning or flourishing.

Antonio Giovanni Marchesi, Ph.D is the Chief Executive Officer of Transformation Specialists, LP, an international consulting firm providing “strengths-based strategies for success” to business and education.

Infusing Flow into your Life and Leadership

Antonio G. Marchesi
July 2008

Flow- The Ultimate Motivator
In some earlier posts, I stressed the contemporary American preoccupation with human deficits. The media, education, religion, and the social sciences all possess a conceptual orientation toward (a) the perpetuation of the dissatisfaction with the self and the need for a makeover; (b) a posteriori orientation toward epistemology (i.e., tabula rasa); (c) the utter depravity of the human soul and its incapacity to self-generate a redemptive, efficacious process; or (d) the contemporary obsession of psychopathology within the field of psychology. Houston revealed the startling state of American education. She believed that non-educators have recently illuminated the dangers of one-size-fits-all pedagogical strategies particularly as they incite methodological sterility that tends to suppress individual learning processes and human creativity. She implied that the drive towards educational efficiency and quantitative evaluative measures minimizes the importance of learning within the context of quality relationships. She likened the current state of education to fresh produce at a market that is picked and packaged prematurely in an effort to maximize profit/productivity. “In exchange for plastic perfection and a longer shelf life bioengineering often leaves us with produce drained of the juiciness, sweetness, and goodness. …We are in danger of producing a product that is less than wonderfully and happily human” (Houston).

In an effort to make progress in the competitive job market, individuals often feel as though they must relinquish their deepest existential yearnings in order to satisfy the bottom line. People may feel as though they must temporarily surrender their humanity and seek methods of engagement before or after work. A lack of meaningful engagement in combination with the popular preoccupation with deficiency at the individual and organizational level produces a bleak existence for the professional. How has the recent emphasis upon correcting what is wrong rather than reinforcing what is right affected engagement on the job? What is the relationship of psychology to professional well-being? This section provides a critique of contemporary psychology and reveals its striking commitment to psychosis rather than to human flourishing. The reinforcement of positive behavior to produce optimum functioning is proposed as an alternative to the current trend of emphasizing psychosis. Specifically, the regular incorporation flow-inducing activities are considered. It may be surmised, then, that the greater degree to which an individual experiences flow in the workplace, the greater his or her engagement with work thus increasing the level of satisfaction one experiences while on the job.

Psychology: A celebration of Human Psychoses?
Currently, psychology is a deficits-based academic discipline. Seligman (2000) indicated that about 20 years ago, the National Institute of Metal Health initiated a research project that was designed to determine how common various types of mental illnesses were. This analysis revealed the striking consistency of emphasizing psychopathology within patients rather than what is essentially right about individuals or methods to reinforce existing healthy behavior. This, in combination with various societal drives, created a therapeutic culture that was far from perpetuating a science focused upon human flourishing (Seligman).

In a span of approximately 30 years, the psychological literature has 46,000 papers about depression and only 400 papers dealing with joy (Seligman). Seligman noted that the effects of World War II helped propel the tendency to dwell upon negative occurrences within the discipline. He said that abuse, isolation, early parental death, illness, and discrimination became favorite topics. How those negative occurrences might influence the individual positively never was manifest. Seligman (2000) said, “Modern psychology has been preoccupied with the negative side of life. It has understood human functioning in a disease model. Its main mode of intervention has been the repair of damage.”
The predisposition to emphasize and correct the negative has translated itself into virtually every aspect of our lives. As we endeavor to explore vocation, our obsession with correcting or compensating for weakness can severally restrict our progress. The work of Clifton and Anderson and Csikszentmihalyi has radically altered negative based organizational leadership approaches and strategies for increasing optimal personal functioning. The perpetuation of happiness has become a chief aim of the study of positive psychology. Csikszentmihalyi explained that “people are happy not because of what they do but because of how they do it.” The facilitation of behaviors both at the individual and organizational level that are inherently autotelic is capable of substantially enhancing the quality of life and productivity of the individuals within the organization. “If they can experience flow working on the assembly line, chances are they will be happy, whereas if they don’t have flow while lounging at a luxury resort, they are not going to be happy” (Csikszentmihalyi).

Human Flourishing Through Maximized Engagement
According to Csikszentmihalyi , the study of flow came as a result of a desire to study those individuals who appeared to choose what they were doing with their lives and found enjoyment in the process. People who did what they did without the pressure of external rewards became the object of research for Csikszentmihalyi. In the mid-1970s, artists, rock climbers, musicians, and chess players amongst others, provided some valuable information. A universal sense of enjoyment of a particular activity produced such a state of euphoria that the subject would engage in that activity again and again. The reward was the activity itself. Csikszentmihalyi called this state flow because:
People describe their thoughts and actions when they are in the context as spontaneous and effortless, even though what they are doing is often difficult and risky. But at the time it feels as natural as being carried by the flow of a river, a process which does not require effort or control.

There are several commonly reported experiences shared by those claiming to enjoy the satisfaction of accessing their flow states. First, there are clear goals that are evident every step of the way. The near-unconscious notes played by a musical performer best describe this characteristic. Csikszentmihalyi wrote, “When a job is enjoyable, it also has clear goals: The surgeon is aware how the incision should proceed moment by moment; the farmer has a plan for how to carry out the painting.” Next, there is immediate feedback to one’s actions. The participant knows precisely the status of their activity. A keen ability to quickly assess the nature of the situation or activity is found in those who experience flow. Third, there is a balance between challenges and skill. One’s abilities are efficiently placed in proportion to the task at hand. The task is neither too easy nor too hard, but will always be challenging.
Next, action and awareness are merged:
Many people describe it as a merging of action and awareness — one does get so involved in the chess game, or the climb, or the music one plays that action follows seemingly without the conscious intervention of an agentic self. A corollary effect of this deep concentration is that we tend to forget the worries and concerns that take up our attention in ordinary life. All of one’s mental resources are taken up by the task at hand. In fact, all critical self-reflection disappears during the flow state, particularly as it relates to the assessment of others. The satisfaction enjoyed through the flow experience evaporates negative emotions. (Csikszentmihalyi)

People generally report a feeling of transcendence accompanying the flow state:
The climber feels at one with the rock, the wind, and the weather; the musicians feel that the sounds they produce link them with the ‘harmony of the spheres’; the surgeon becomes part of the choreography of the operating theater; the dancer gets lost in the dance. After an episode of flow there is a sense that we have moved beyond our limitations, and have actually become a part of some great force, a system or process larger and more powerful than the individual selves we were before. (Csikszentmihalyi)
It should be noted that this mystical state is closely akin to the state of pneumastasis described as a symptom of the activation of strengths. When one’s potentiality becomes activated, there exists a greater possibility of the emergence of an actualized being. When one enjoys flow, he or she momentarily engages the Divine in a Subject-Predicate coalescence and in effect, partakes in a highly spiritual event. A distinct characteristic of flow is the fact that activities become autotelic, that is the process alone and not just the end result provides a great deal of satisfaction (Csikszentmihalyi):
We don’t require payment or admiration to play the guitar, hike in the woods, or read a good novel. Another way to term such activities is intrinsically rewarding, because their primary reward is simply in being involved with them. Contract these activities that are primarily exotelic or extrinsically rewarding, which we do only with the expectation of some gain, or to avoid being punished. (Csikszentmihalyi).

It can be implied, then, that attempts made by the leader to modify the working environment in order to promote flow among staff, can not only increase productivity, and accentuate staff satisfaction, but also provide a non-material reward to employees. The value of instrinsic motivation to a workplace is inestimable.

Motivation is about Synchronicity

Antonio G. Marchesi
July 2008

How can leaders cultivate and environment that is distinguished by its unwavering degree of employee commitment? Attitudes of indifference in the workplace are poisonous, yet they abound in both for-profit and non-profit organizations. I am convinced that regardless of the presence of a hefty salary, individuals who find a high degree of intrinsic value in their work will invest much more than those who cannot see beyond their paycheck. How can an organization of any type increase employee commitment and performance? (1) Clarify values, (2) Develop mechanisms to articulate the values, (3) consistently reinforce and embody the values within operational behaviors, (4) be extremely strategic in employee recruitment efforts to ensure that there is synchronicity between the values of the prospective employee and the employer.

“Leadership isn’t some sophisticated technique for getting people to do what you want them to do. Leadership is getting people to want to do what you want them to do because they share your purpose, vision, and values. When the interests of leaders and collaborators overlap, the result is long-term sustained commitment. When people are committed, they are bound emotionally or intellectually to a purpose or course of action. They are in it with all their heart, soul, and mind. Compliant people simply go through the motions and put in their time; it’s difficult for them to transcend the nine-to-five mentality because they have no emotional or spiritual attachment to the cause their work represents. Commitment doesn’t come with position, and it can’t be bought. Commitment must be earned. Leaders and collaborators are drawn to higher levels of commitment when both see that their personal agendas are encompassed by a purpose that is deeply held by everyone in the relationship.” Nuts by Kevin and Jackie Freiberg, 299

In it for More than a Paycheck?

“In a lot of organizations the willingness to serve gets smothered because people are no longer passionate about what they do. Cumbersome systems, bosses who are too controlling, boring, routine and endless competition exhaust people and cause them to feel indignant or indifferent. When customers bump into exhausted, indignant, indifferent employees, disgruntlement is what they see. It’s hard to feel passionate when you don’t feel supported.” Nuts by Kevin and Jackie Freiberg, 275

This excellent book (and bestseller) highlights the inception and evolution of Southwest Airlines, a company whose business model has become the focal point of countless case studies within and even outside of the airline industry. The description of personnel above is illustrative of the consequences of a prevailing transactional organizational culture- a place where people come to work, put in their time, and receive a regular paycheck. Southwest Airlines, like many other companies that are not initially perceived to be committed to improving the quality of life for humanity, has worked tirelessly to transcend the culturally imposed concept of a for-profit business. The result? An organization that has been able to innovate and evolve far beyond the expectations of the masses. Reversely, what about those organizations that function within industries that are perceived to be explicitly committed to the “greater good”? Can they be primarily transactional in nature? What happens when organizations like this lose their “first love”? What happens when we are more focused upon revenue generation than making a difference? Can these goals ultimately compliment one another rather than exist exclusively? Can organziations do well by doing good?

A New Leadership

Antonio G. Marchesi
June 2008

“A new leadership is needed for new times, but it will not come from finding new and more wily ways to manipulate the external world. It will come as we who lead find the courage to take an inner journey toward both our shadows and our light- a journey, that faithfully pursued will take us beyond ourselves to become healers of a wounded world.”

-Parker Palmer

Books exist en masse designed to help individuals transform their organizations (about 800 per annum). Change is presented as processes which can be easily replicated by adhering to the step-by-step instructions proffered by the authors. The inspirational tone of many of the popular works may generate unhealthy expectations within the minds of the readers…”If I follow _______ plan, then I can expect _______ to occur. “ Many of these works would be more appropriately designated as case studies. Organizational change cannot be replicated. The places, personalities, and problems are all quite different. Palmer proposes that the new leadership that is needed transcends the quick fix solutions that are easily found cluttering the store bookshelves. Instead, the preliminary path toward the needed answers may exist in a place a bit more difficult to access: the self. Both people and organizations possess some form of self-identity. The personality, preferences, passions, and proficiencies must be critically considered before change can occur. Self-awareness is the prerequisite for effective transformation of any kind. While case studies do contain value as they can stimulate strategic questioning, they are unable to accurately assimilate their principles into the unique context of the reader. Though the demands of the competitive marketplace might drive some to work expeditiously to implement the marketed interventions, the changes desired will remain elusive if they remain detached from an introspective journey.

Important questions:

Why do I want to change________?
How do I know that __________needs to be changed?
What do I know about ________that can help inform the process of developing transformational strategies?
Based upon what I know about the personality, preferences, passions, and proficiencies of _______, what case studies might provide supplemental support and/or inspiration to me as I initiate and implement a plan of action?

A New Leadership

Antonio G. Marchesi

June 2008

 

“A new leadership is needed for new times, but it will not come from finding new and more wily ways to manipulate the external world. It will come as we who lead find the courage to take an inner journey toward both our shadows and our light- a journey, that faithfully pursued will take us beyond ourselves to become healers of a wounded world.”

-Parker Palmer

Books exist en masse designed to help individuals transform their organizations (about 800 per annum). Change is presented as processes which can be easily replicated by adhering to the step-by-step instructions proffered by the authors. The inspirational tone of many of the popular works may generate unhealthy expectations within the minds of the readers…”If I follow _______ plan, then I can expect _______ to occur. “ Many of these works would be more appropriately designated as case studies. Organizational change cannot be replicated. The places, personalities, and problems are all quite different. Palmer proposes that the new leadership that is needed transcends the quick fix solutions that are easily found cluttering the store bookshelves. Instead, the preliminary path toward the needed answers may exist in a place a bit more difficult to access: the self. Both people and organizations possess some form of self-identity. The personality, preferences, passions, and proficiencies must be critically considered before change can occur. Self-awareness is the prerequisite for effective transformation of any kind. While case studies do contain value as they can stimulate strategic questioning, they are unable to accurately assimilate their principles into the unique context of the reader. Though the demands of the competitive marketplace might drive some to work expeditiously to implement the marketed interventions, the changes desired will remain elusive if they remain detached from an introspective journey.

Important questions:

Why do I want to change________?

How do I know that __________needs to be changed?

What do I know about ________that can help inform the process of developing transformational strategies?

Based upon what I know about the personality, preferences, passions, and proficiencies of _______, what case studies might prove to be useful to me as I initiate and implement a plan of action?  

Restlessness, Rewards and Engagement: Finding Meaning in Life and at Work

June 23, 2008
Antonio Marchesi

Only a cursory critique of American culture is necessary to illuminate the existence of an alarming problem. Though deeply embedded within the fabric of the collective American psyche, a complex pattern can be discerned. The rise in popularity of self-help resources, facial treatments promising eternal youth, and the alarming increases in professional burnout suggest that Americans are dissatisfied. Interestingly, the very fabric of this country’s foundation suggests that its inhabitants refuse to remain docile during times of trouble or dissatisfaction. The entrepreneurial spirit pervading virtually every nook and cranny of the cultural landscape invites all people, regardless of age, race, or gender, to invest in solutions that proclaim the power and potential of American ingenuity to alter circumstances to conform to a new, more desirable reality.

The 21st century is characterized by sweeping technological advances, a cultural landscape that is in a state of change, and a prevailing makeover mentality that encourages an attitude of extreme personal dissatisfaction. Americans are thrust into an incessant quest to redefine the self to correspond to the latest trends of societal acceptability. There is an extreme preoccupation as of late with human deficiencies. Television shows such as MTV’s Made and WB’s Nip Tuck cultivate a gnawing and consuming sense of incompleteness that can only be alleviated by making serious modifications to one’s appearance and lifestyle. People are essentially problems to be solved. Interestingly, the solution to the problem is elusive and defies any and every attempt to bring a lasting state of existential wholeness and completeness as societal expectations change as frequently as the climate. Consequently, the law of diminishing returns is invoked as greater attempts to makeover the self are made while the demand for even more considerable modifications to being loom on the horizon. Interestingly, most of our attempts to construct the “proper self” inevitably deconstruct our abilities to effectively gauge our true selves. The external or outward nature of our focus stifles our aptitude for and interest in allowing our individuality to rise to the forefront of our daily activities thus causing us to live and lead critically disengaged from our soul. The 40 plus hours per week invested in professional activities carry the potential to suffocate rather than sustain, suppress instead of stimulate, as they are spent dealing with matters that are far from vocatio, or calling. An analysis of our work week more closely resembles that of a horse trained to fulfill specific tasks on the farm rather than humans infused with a divine calling or vocation. Sadly, the kinetic American lifestyle acts as a bulwark to self-realization. Consequently, Americans drift from one career to the next, one new experience to another, each promising to provide a greater return in the hope of finding something to satiate a thirsty soul.

The transient nature of the American professional lifestyle describe above might compel one to consider what motivates individuals to continue to strive for something more. In his excellent work entitled, “Treat People Right”, Edward Lawler indicates that expectancy theory is very useful in understanding that motivation is inexorably linked to rewards.

“Expectancy theory argues that people are mostly rational decision makers who think about their actions and act in ways that satisfy their needs and help them to reach their goals..The core of the theory states that people generally try to deal rationally with the world as they see it and to direct their behavior in productive ways. The theory views people as proactive, future-oriented, and motivated to behave in ways that they believe will lead to valued rewards.”

For the purposes of this post, rewards can be differentiated by their intrinsic and extrinsic values. In many for-profit organizations, employees may struggle to find intrinsic worth in their work as it only seems connected to bottom-line outcomes (extrinsic value). In less prestigious contexts, how is an assembly line worker or a sanitary engineer, (i.e. garbage man) to find intrinsic value in their efforts? Activities like teaching, ministry, and environmental protection seem much easier to assign intrinsic value to as they are focused upon improving the quality of life for others. Perhaps one explanation for the professsional restlessness shared by so many Americans is the difficulty in finding a balance between their expectations for intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. When imbalance is present, their is a compulsion to readjust the expectations or to remove oneself from the current context in favor of something that seems more likely to meet one’s established goals. Questions to Consider: As you think about your own situation, what types of rewards motivate you to perform well? What about extrinsic rewards like benefits, salary, etc? Are your espoused needs being met in this area? On another note, do you find intrinsic value in what you are doing? Is making a difference important? If your expectations are not being met, how are you channeling your frustrations? Are you eagerly anticipating the next best thing? Do you think you need to recreate yourslf in order to better correspond to your current professional landscape ? Are you denying your destiny? Do you feel nomadic? To what extent does your work match your calling?

We live in a culture that is committed to productivity. People voraciously search for new strategies that can increase personal efficiency in work and daily activities. Only a peripheral inventory of the newest books in the self-help or business aisles of the local bookstore is enough to elucidate a contemporary obsession with maximizing our output. The ambitious climate of the Industrial Revolution has not yet waned as an incessant drive to accomplish and produce more and more dominates our worldview. In essence, people are what they do. When one meets a new person and learns their name, it is generally only a split second before the question is posed, “What do you do?” The person may respond by saying, “I am a dentist” or “I am a teacher.” While a person may spend in excess of 40 hours per week fulfilling a particular occupational role, it is often customary to formulate our self-identity almost exclusively within the context of our work. In other words, our doing informs our being. While the notion of productivity is as ancient as the Garden, it is imperative that self-worth and identity are not to be found solely within the realm of the job. Humans are much more complex. Any attempt to encapsulate the totality of one’s being within the context of job insults the human race. An animal can be trained to fulfill a particular work task. Machines can be engineered to produce a product. However, humans are recipients of the imago dei, uniquely created as a rare piece of art to fulfill a greater destiny. However, though America celebrates the over-involved individual and is ranked as the most workaholic nation of the planet, Americans are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with their lives. Evidently, the latest fads to maximize personal efficiency are not working.

Bellah, Madsen, Sullivan, Swidler, and Tipton (1985) have explored the ramifications of employment within American society. They have identified three dominant orientations toward work that are reflective of most people. Generally people experience work as job, career, or calling. Bellah et al. explained that within the first orientation, people view work as job. They spend their time:
Focusing on the material benefits of work to the relative exclusion of other kinds of meaning and fulfillment. The work is simply a means to a financial end that allows people to enjoy their time away from work. Usually, the interests and ambitions of those with jobs are expressed outside of the domain of work involve hobbies and other interests. For those who view work as a career:
Work for the rewards that come from the advancement through an organizational or occupational structure. For those with careers, the increased pay, prestige, and status that come with promotion and advancement are a dominant focus in their work. Advancement brings higher self-esteem, increased power, and high social standing. (Wrzesniewski, 2003, p. 190)
In contrast to the aforementioned orientations toward work, those who embrace work as a calling, “work not for financial rewards or for advancement but for the fulfillment that doing the work brings. In callings, the work is an end in itself and is associated with the belief that the work makes the world a better place.”

Wrzeniewski noted that inherent within engagement is the presence of passion. He defined passion as an extreme interest in something that promotes intense meaningfulness. To what degree are passions present at work? To what extent do we allow our passions to reveal our calling? Pascal presented a somber account of the life experienced by those who do not cultivate passion. He said:

“Nothing is so insufferable to man as to be completely at rest, without passions, without business, without diversion, without effort. Then he feels his nothingness, his forlornness, his insufficiency, his weakness, his emptiness.”

In his text entitled, The Spirit of the Disciplines, Dallas Willard describes a state that many individuals find themselves in as they are unable to enjoy the consequences of intentional living. He writes:

“Some persons indeed try to abdicate their life, disown their spontaneity, seek security by ‘conforming’ to what is outside of them. But they don’t actually escape life or their responsibility for it. They only succeed in appearing ‘wooden,’ unlively. We may know what to expect from them, but we have as little delight in them as they do in themselves.”

Questions to ponder: Does your soul feel wooden? If your expectations are not being met and you feel disengaged in the workplace, how is this affecting those with whom you interact with regularly: your friends, family members, and colleagues? Do they sense your restlessness? What would it take for you dismiss the notion of yet another temporary fix or makeover and instead, clarify your calling and the right balance of rewards to increase your engagement with your work?

Reflections on Dreamstarters and the Doctoral Process

I have met many individuals who, upon successfully defending their doctoral dissertations claimed that they did not desire to revisit their work for some time due to the immense, and in many cases traumatic experience of earning the Ph.D. Early in my own process, I recall being confused about why someone would be willing to invest so much effort and time into an undertaking of such magnitude only to place the finished copy on a shelf and walk away. Two years removed from the experience, I now can appreciate some of their feelings. I defended my dissertation on September 21, 2006. Today I opened up the document for the first time since that emotionally charged day. The process of completing the dissertation was perhaps the most difficult and humbling exercise of my life. At times I it felt like a solitary effort as I rode an emotional roller coaster up and down day after day. However, as I glanced through my acknowledgements this morning, I recall that I was not riding alone. Below please find an excerpt from my work:

A skilled archaeologist may invest his entire lifetime in pursuit of a valuable artifact. He may sacrifice his time, money, even his reputation upon even the mildest of inclinations that something of great worth lays below the sandy surface. Most of the time, his efforts promise little fortune as he uncovers those everyday, common pieces that can be found for sale at the market down the street. He dreams of the day when fortune smiles upon his work as he uncovers treasures of inestimable worth. This discovery erases all frustration, disappointments, and even that overpowering sense of defeat that used to beat him up every time he tried to sleep at night. When Dreamstealers perform their jobs, they do so with the utmost of efficiency. The victims remain haunted by the stinging words of the assassins, sometimes for several years, sometimes for their entire lives. The raw nerves that the arrows exposed leave the victim feeling helpless and hesitant to ever reveal his inner thoughts to another person ever again. Like the hopeful archaeologist, many of us long for the day when God looks down upon us from his lofty view and points us in the direction of wonderful riches. He sends Dreamstarters into our lives. What the Dreamstealer seeks to systematically dismantle, the Dreamstarter tries to reinforce in us — to point us away from our past failures, inadequacies, and other insecurities and see ourselves not as we think we are within our limited paradigm but as who we really are and will become. They help us to cling to our child-like wonder and to aspire to develop our abilities to such an extent that we may have an impact upon the world. Instead of limiting our view with words reminding us to keep our feet on the ground and engage only in limited thinking, they encourage us as Mother Robin does her young to spread our wings and give it a try.

I would like to thank the following Dreamstarters for their deep influence upon my life:

Chris Bennetts: A teacher at Monroe High School who first taught me the significance of the relationship of self-awareness to leadership effectiveness.

Joseph K. Byrd, Ph.D: A former pastor and supervisor who saw the potential in me for advanced educational training and encouraged me to proactively respond to the damaging comments made by a former guidance counselor who insisted that I was not college material.

H. Lee Cheek, Ph.D: A kindred intellectual spirit whom I joined while in graduate school in the very important battle against the immanentization of the eschaton.

David Tilley. Ed.D: A person who cared for me as a son while providing me a superb example of transformational leadership grounded in integrity.

Doug Walters, ABD: An individual whose powerful and consistent belief in my personal and professional potential granted me the focus, space, and encouragement needed to complete this very significant personal accomplishment.

Charles Paul Conn, Ph.D: It was because of his fascinating leadership practices that I passionately completed the doctorate in Organizational Leadership rather than in Philosophy. I now am truly convinced that the value of the human element within organizational life must not be underestimated.

I would also like to acknowledge the support of Dr. Marty Spiker of the University of Charleston, David Chairez of the West Virginia Center for Civic Life, and Dr. Gail Longbotham of the School of Global Leadership & Entrepreneurship at Regent University.