407 Volunteer Burnout

Ninth District PTA

Summer Leadership Conference

June 4, 2011

Jennifer Zaheer

Ninth District PTA

VP of Education & Parent Involvement

jen.zaheer@gmail.com

Definition of “Burnout”

From wikipedia:

“Burnout is a psychological term for the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest.”

PTA relies on volunteers for its programs, and more and more of us have to perform with less resources.

Burn Out is a real danger for PTAs across the board.

Recognition of Volunteer Burnout

The Four Stages of Burnout

According to Mark Gorkin (AKA "The Stress Doc"), there are four stages of burnout:

Physical, mental and emotional exhaustion Shame and doubt Cynicism and callousness Failure, helplessness and crisis

Recognition of Volunteer Burnout

(source: Volunteer Today) complaints that it's no longer fun to work there a rise in the amount of worry expressed by a

volunteer chronic crankiness, combativeness with others and

overreaction to minor problems a volunteer's work performance slipping (e.g. not

completing assignments, is missing deadlines or just isn't showing up or is unreachable)

Burnout Prevention: Successful Programs

Identify needs and priorities.

Establish goals for your program.

Define the scope of your program.

Determine how to deliver the program.

Create a budget for your program.

Develop a plan of work.

Decide how to distribute the work.

Secure support and resources.

Get the word out. Deliver the program. Evaluate the program

and follow up.

Burnout Prevention: Elements of a Successful Team

Goals are set by the group and agreed to by the group

Group practices active listening People are allowed to do their jobs Expectations are clear Training and resources are provided Effective, two-way communication is practiced Group has a culture of respect

Burnout Prevention: Why is a team important?

The sum is always greater than the parts!

Strengths and weaknesses balance out!

TogetherEveryoneAchievesMore

Symptoms of Poor Teamwork

Guarded communication A lack of disagreements Unwilling to share information Ineffective team meetings Unrealistic goals Unhealthy competition Little faith in others

Recognize!

Time: Stay organized—volunteer time is valuable. Appreciation: Say THANK YOU, often! Privacy: Volunteers have lives outside of their

service—keep that in mind at all times. Rest & Relaxation: Everyone deserves time off

from work—make sure you and all volunteers get some.

Honesty: Be upfront about expectations, time commitments and goals

Tips for Finding Solutions

Assess the problem and find the solution that works best for the person AND the situation

Use your resources—use your training, Toolkit, capta.org and pta.org, council and district officers

Evaluate your goals and keep those programs that service them, eliminate or change those that don't

Resolve problem issues and conflicts quickly—do not be a source of gossip, keep all confidential

Use Professional Governance Standards and Volunteer Moral Code to guide you

Tips for Finding Solutions Think “outside the box” and avoid ineffective ruts Be accessible and open to new ways of doing things It's ok to “plaque & release” Find new volunteers while appreciating the “usual

suspects” Delegate! Consider a PTA Retreat to plan ahead and refresh

the mind and spirit Increase your membership so that your volunteer

base is always expanding and ever-inclusive

Volunteers Are Our #1 Asset!

All volunteers are valuable: Keep in mind we all work for the children!