burnout...

A few months ago I posted on pastoral burnout...

Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches.
Fifty percent of pastors' marriages will end in divorce.
Eighty percent of pastors and eighty-four percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors.
Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
Eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.

Seventy percent of pastors constantly fight depression.
Almost forty percent polled said they have had an extra-marital affair since beginning their ministry.
Seventy percent said the only time they spend studying the Word is when they are preparing their sermons.

So- how you help yourself is one thing... but here are some ideas from lifehack.org on helping those who work under you avoid burnout...

In most any professional environment you will encounter those who are feeling the repercussions of long hours and impending deadlines. The pre-burnout conditions can manifest themselves in any of the following behaviors.

Little or no demonstrated interest in the business at hand.
Few outside interests or hobbies.
Statements of apathy.
Limited or no goals for professional or personal growth.
Complaints about required workloads.
One of the most expensive endeavors of doing business is in the area of recruitment and training of new personnel. It is almost always more financially sound to retrain and develop an existing employee than it is to find a replacement. With those thoughts in mind, here are several leadership suggestion you may apply.

Conduct a staff interest survey to see if they are in the most appropriate position.
Talk with staff, take note of and encourage their free-time activities.
Make certain staff members have the necessary resources to complete their tasks.
Provide a wide variety of tangible, social and natural reinforcers.
Take the time to explain to staff members while their role is relevant and integral to the success of the organization.
Demonstrate a genuine interest in the work of staff and recognize and encourage improvement.
At the superficial level it may seem some of these factors are not work related. However, the most successful and lasting organizations are those that recognize and nurture the growth in their employees.

If you have doubt consider Cisco Corporation CEO John Chambers stays in touch with the staff. He meets with groups of new hires to welcome them soon after they start, and at monthly breakfast meetings workers are encouraged to ask him tough questions.

Turn over there is less than 4% and revenue for 2004 was 24,800 (that’s millions).

If this approach works for them, odds are it will work for you.

Comments

[Susan David]

Hi,

I would like to share with you a good ebook that's free to help pastors and their wives with discouragement and burnout. You can find it at: http://www.stoppastorburnout.com . It's quite helpful.

If you have pastor friends or even their wives, we are currently inviting pastors and pastor wives to join charter membership club for free for 2 months,you might want to share this with them. You may visit http://www.susandavidlifecoach.com/index.php/sponsors for more information.

We would also like to invite you to view our video on this topic at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miF-R0bCz0A.

Feel free to share this with your friends or people you care for.

Thanks,

Susan David