Burn-Out and Walk-Out

As the helicopters come across the mountain in the opening scene of the television series M*A* S*H, one can see a small, white Christian cross located on the mountain outside of Los Angeles, forming the border between Twentieth Century Fox and Camp Mount Craigs, operated by The Salvation Army.

Three years ago I had lunch at that camp in the company of Major Ernest Clevett. “Our staff is discouraged,” he said. He went on to outline the need for an executive who could lead The Salvation Army’s eighty-five-person, thirteen-program social service operation back to its original ministry purpose.

It would take me almost two years to turn the direction of the organization around. However, at the end of those two years, it was possible to say that the staff was encouraged and that discouragement was a rare phenomenon.

What factors create discouragement? Are encouragement and discouragement opposite ends of the same continuum? Or are they different experiences? Doctor Frederick Herzberg, writing in the Harvard Business Review, published his research regarding the six factors which create staff encouragement, and the ten totally different factors which create staff discouragement. The encouragement factors are: 1) achievement, 2) recognition, 3) the task itself, 4) responsibility, 5) advancement, 6) opportunities for growth.

Discouragement factors are: 1) poor policy administration, 2) poor supervision, 3) poor relationship with supervisor, 4) inadequate work conditions, 5) inadequate salary, 6) poor peer relationships, 7) difficulties in personal life, 8) unhappy relationships with subordinates, 9) lack of status, 10) lack of job security.

Dr. Herzberg pointed out that since encouragement factors and discouragement factors are quite different from each other, it’s possible to be both encouraged and discouraged at the same time. When this happens, “burn-out” or “walk-out” occurs.

People who burn out have some or all of the encouragement factors working for them, but have discouragement factors working against them. They tend to be emotionally “whipsawed” from one end of the continuum to the other, until they no longer have the energy to persevere. While possessing mixed feelings about leaving, they are finally overcome by emotional and physical fatigue, and forced to leave.

“Walk-out” occurs when the encouragement factors are inadequate, even though the discouragement factors are not very pronounced. I have seen staff members walk out of a situation where they were being paid a good salary, enjoyed good working conditions, and maintained excellent relationships with their peers and subordinates. But for one reason or another, they didn’t experience the encouragement that comes from recognition, responsibility, advancement, and opportunity for growth. They eventually concluded that, “It just isn’t worth it,” and with singleness of mind moved to greener pastures.”