Chair burnout: identification, coping, and prevention Irving H. Zucker, Ph.D. Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology University of Nebraska Medical Center December 4, 2015
Chair burnout: identification, coping, and prevention Irving H. Zucker, Ph.D.
Department of Cellular and Integrative PhysiologyUniversity of Nebraska Medical Center
December 4, 2015
Who Thought Sitting in a Chair Would Be So Hard
“As unprecedented reforms pull our complex organizations in new directions, the department chair is arguably the linchpin bearing the most stress.”
Jordan J. Cohen, M.D.President, Association of American Medical CollegesAcademic Medicine, Vol 73, No.3; March 1998
The Role of Department Chairs
• The big picture person• Guide/mentor for new faculty• Liaison between the department and the Dean• Gate keeper and first‐in‐line resource person• Role model
Most Significant Stressors
State/UnivBudget
Grant Income
Relationship Relationship with the Dean
Relationship Relationship with fellow
chairs
Managing
situations
Managing sensitive personnel situations
Human Resources,
etc.
Regulatory Issues
Keeping your own lab a flot
Freudenberger applied the term “burn out” to describe the status of overworked volunteers in a mental clinic.
1. The Compulsion to Prove Oneself; excessive ambition, demonstrating worth obsessively.
2. Working Harder; an inability to switch off. Do everything yourself.
3. Neglecting Needs; erratic sleeping, eating disrupted, lack of social interaction.
4. Displacement of Conflicts; problems are dismissed, may feel threatened, panicky and jittery. First physical symptoms appear.
5. Revision of Values; work is the only focus. The job is the new value system.
6. Denial of Emerging Problems; intolerance, perceiving collaborators as stupid, lazy, demanding, or undisciplined, social contacts harder; cynicism, aggression; problems are viewed as caused by time pressure and work, not because of life changes.
12 Phases of Burnout
7. Withdrawal; social life small or non‐existent, need to feel relief from stress, alcohol/drugs.
8. Odd Behavioural Changes; changes in behavior obvious, friends and family concerned.
9. Depersonalization; seeing neither self nor others as valuable, and no longer perceive own needs.
10. Inner Emptiness; feeling empty inside and to overcome this, look for activity such as overeating, alcohol, or drugs.
11. Depression; feeling lost and unsure, exhausted, future feels bleak and dark.
12. Burnout Syndrome; can include total mental and physical collapse; time for full medical attention.
Methods to minimize burnout
• How you think about yourself and situations that are potentially stressful is what matters.– Past experience in similar situations– Resources available vs what is at stake– Don’t stress over things that are beyond your control.
– Departments are like sine waves– Don’t act on unproductive thoughts or impulses
• Maintain a sense of humor• Talk to a trusted colleague• Learn to mediate (and meditate?)• Enjoy life outside of work• Exercise• Use consensus building• Listen to the faculty; sometimes you can’t help them
• Avoid emotional volatility
Ideas to help get through it
• Treat faculty and staff with respect; even if you don’t like them.
• Assign duties to people that best fit with their personalities and interests
• Honor confidentiality
• Allow faculty to control their time and resources as much as possible (don’t micromanage).
• Prioritize and communicate clear expectations to faculty and staff
• Be careful about departmental growth
• Don’t contribute to the department’s stress
Other thoughts…
• Strong spouse/support relationship• Interaction with other chairs• Mentors – Formal mentoring process• Financial administrative skills