You make a six-figure salary, work in an office with a view, and park your car in a space that's reserved for you. But when your assistant goes home for the night, and it's just you and your framed degrees on the wall, you catch yourself staring into space and wondering: Is this all there is?
Steven Berglas has worked with countless executives who've asked that very question. A clinical psychologist and lecturer at UCLA's Anderson Graduate School of Management, he counsels successful folks who no longer feel invigorated by the work that made them stars. They've reached a point in their careers where the money is good, but everything has become mind-numbingly routine. Berglas' new book, Reclaiming the Fire: How Successful People Overcome Burnout (Random House, 2001), explains why high achievers flame out and how they get over it.
Recently BusinessWeek Online reporter Jennifer Gill spoke to Berglas about, among other things, what an executive can do when the thrill is gone. Here are edited excerpts from their conversation:
Q: Is there a difference between stress and burnout?
A: Stress is characterized primarily by anger, frustration, and aggression. Burnout is a sense of boredom and depression. So the two states, while both psychologically negative, are really different. Believe it or not, you can be in a very prominent career and suffer what I call supernova burnout, which is when you have all the accoutrements of success, but still engage in nonchallenging, psychologically [nonrewarding] activity.
I study supernova burnout because you can't walk away from a six-figure salary and not be called mentally ill. So the individual who does that often arranges for his or her expulsion through white-collar crime or something like that. White-collar crime isn't only caused by burnout. But there's a boredom that comes when you achieve goals too easily that a lot of white-collar criminals manifest. They like to dare the devil and beat him.
Q: What are some common signs of burnout?
A: Look at an entrepreneur -- they never care about long hours. They live on a cup of coffee and a Twinkie for three weeks. When you have passion about what you're doing, time flies.
The symbol of burnout is work avoidance. Long hours are predicated either on being trapped by golden handcuffs -- having a job, not a career -- or enjoying yourself. Labor Day weekends are punishment for entrepreneurs, because they can't work. Labor Day weekends are punishment for the careerist who wants to launch a new product. They're a reprise for someone who can't stomach what they're doing.
Q: What can managers do when they think someone on their staff is feeling burnt out?
A: The only thing a manager can do is ask for contributions. You ask people: "What do you want to do? How do you want to restructure your job so you can add value?" People know what they want. Instead of imposing a program, you have to keep asking them.
Q: Is burnout more prevalent today?
A: I think boomers are burning out at a pace that's astronomical. You've probably already said to yourself in private moments: "If only I achieve X, I'll be so happy." That never happens. You always want more. The human mind is hard-wired to pursue challenge.
By believing that success will change our lives for the good, we lose sight of the fact that success is an ending, and all it does is really put us in a position of wanting a new challenge. But if what we've got is, "This is the end of the road, son," that's when you burn out. You know you can't go any higher.
Q: So what's the solution? Do you quit your job and start someplace new?
A: Not if it's a vocation. Why do you have to change vocations if you love it? This is what I call the 60 Minutes cure. We love 60 Minutes, and we tolerate the aggression on the show because they're fighting the good fight. Anyone who fights for a passionate cause is allowed to be aggressive in America. You never burn out when you're passionate. You only burn out when you don't see an intrinsic reason for doing something. Finding your passions in life is the key. And being angry about something often helps.
When I give a talk, [I ask the audience:] What do you do when a member of the Hell's Angels knocks on the door and wants to take out your daughter? Unless you're a Hell's Angel, you protest. What do you do when you're in a marriage and you see your spouse acting in a way that's deleterious to their health? You get angry and say, "Sweetheart, I don't want you to do this. It's bad for you."
So why not say to your boss, "We're losing good people because you're turning them into worker bees, and they're all bright." Why would that get a negative review?
Q: Some people might be concerned about their job security. If you're criticizing the way your boss manages, you could find yourself out of job.
A: But if I do something constructive, why wouldn't the manager appreciate it? If I give a manager feedback, that's being passionate. I never say go in and make an ad hominem attack. Going postal doesn't have a constructive goal. [With the economic downturn] now is the time a manager wants to spur criticism and creative energy. You want people throwing horribly absurd ideas at you and brainstorming with you. Cost-cutting is going to keep you alive.
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Copyright 2001 , by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.
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