407 Volunteer Burnout

1. 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

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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)

5. 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: 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.

6. 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

7. Burnout Prevention: Why is a team important? The sum is always greater than the parts! Strengths and weaknesses balance out! Together Everyone Achieves More

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. All volunteers are valuable: Keep in mind we all work for the children! Volunteers Are Our #1 Asset!