Tuesday, April 8, at 12 noon, U.S. Eastern time

Stress is a common affliction for charity workers. Employees often have massive workloads, encounter traumatic situations while helping their clients, and earn relatively little money for their efforts. And as economic times grow more turbulent, many nonprofit workers face worries about their job security and increased pressure to raise money for their charities.

How can charity workers reduce stress and prevent burnout? What can nonprofit organizations do to make sure their employees are getting the services and support they need to handle pressure?

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• Easing Their Burdens(11/29/2007)
• Getting a Grip(11/29/2007)

The Guest

Lynne Cripe is senior technical adviser of staff support for CARE in Atlanta, where she is charged with developing programs that provide social and psychological support for the relief organization's far-flung staff. During her career, Ms. Cripe has worked in more than 20 countries, primarily in areas that have faced conflict or were in periods of extreme transition.

Lisa McKay is director of training and education services for the Headington Institute in Pasadena, Calif.

A transcript of the chat follows.

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    Welcome to today's live discussion about handling stress in the nonprofit workplace. Many people believe that because charity workers are "doing good", they are routinely happy and well adjusted. But many jobs in the field are actually high stress. And many workers are put in situations that are downright traumatic. Today, we have two of the profession's top experts on workplace stress and wellness to talk about this topic and to take your questions. I expect an interesting conversation. So let's get started.

Question from Sara, Small Non-Profit:
    What can I do to encourage the executive director of my organization to take steps to improve self-care? I'm concerned because she has been with the organization for over 12 years, takes a day off here and there instead of extended R&R time of at least one week, and just generally seems to get more stressed and burned out as time goes on. It's to the point that some days I don't know if she is "working from home" or taking the day off. I've been with the organization for three years. She is very good about encouraging the rest of us to "leave work at work" and take time off, etc. I try to do the same with her, but all to no avail. Thank you for the suggestions! Lynne Cripe:
    You are to be applauded, Sara, for your compassion toward your Executive Director. And you are right to highlight the impact that managers' self-care strategies (or lack thereof) can have on their employees.

The way you approach this situation may be shaped by your boss' personal style, her motivations and the nature of your relationship with her. Here are a couple of ideas that come to mind:

--If she is someone that responds to data you might share with her some of the research on long hours and productivity or on the importance of leaders "walking the talk" in their organization.

--If she is someone who is motivated by positive peer pressure you might develop a lunch and learn on trends in flexible workplace practices in the non-profit community and invite her to sponsor a flexibility initiative in your own organization. Her sponsorship of such an initiative may result in behavioral change on her part.

--If she responds well to direct feedback you might consider having a conversation with her. Something along the lines of, "I have noticed that you are working longer and longer hours without much of a break. I have observed signs of possible stress such as taking more sick days, irritability with staff, a loss of passion in our work. I am concerned about your personal well-being and the impact on the organization. Is there something I can do to better support you in your work-life balance?" When people are highly stressed they may not be fully aware of how their experience impacts others. Offering direct but supportive observations might be valuable feedback for your boss.

I imagine other participants in this discussion might have some additional ideas, so if you've encountered a similar situation in your professional life, please feel free to share you experience.

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    Just a quick reminder that you can ask one of our panelists a question by clicking on the "ask a question" link on this page.

Question from Peter Panepento:
    Lynne: You have worked with a lot of employees who are placed in very dire situations in their relief work. Can you talk a bit about some of the key issues these workers face -- and how it impacts their mental well being? Lynne Cripe:
    At CARE we have found several categories of stress facing our staff. And we are not unique at CARE--these stresses are faced by aid workers, human rights observers, and others doing philanthropic work around the world.

Security concerns and personal safety are certainly a significant concern in humanitarian work. We've seen a marked increase over the past 10-15 years in the number of incidents that threaten the life and safety of aid workers.

Job security is also a significant concern for many staff. Staff may be hired on a contract basis and be faced with guaranteed employment for only a 12 month period. For national staff, this insecurity is often compounded by poor employment prospects in the labor market should their NGO project come to an end.

All staff also face the personal challenges and difficulties of life--they have sick family members, troubled relationships, crime. These also cause stress.

Workload is a chronic stress for most NGO workers.

Perhaps the most significant stress, but one that often goes unacknowledged, has to do with organizational climate, mistrust among staff and poor management. Many NGO staff know that they may find themselves working in risky situations. They may not always bargain for a bad boss or gossip in the office. This can be very disillusioning for people and be very distressing.

Question from Stacy Palmer, The Chronicle of Philanthropy:
    What are some low-cost steps small organizations can take to reduce stress on all employees? What steps are not worth taking?

Lisa McKay:
    Hi Stacy, One thing that comes to mind is that management can be very intentional and proactive about encouraging employees to not work extended hours - leave the office after the work day, go home, disconnect from work. By sending a clear message that you value employees as entire people rather than just as workers you can send the message that they feel valued and cared for, and also give them the freedom to feel like they can put healthy work-life boundaries in place. Good question, and I'll come back to the rest of this in a minute...

Lynne Cripe:
    Peter, you also asked about some of the consequences of the risks that aid workers face.

Staff who have suffered traumatic events may have troublesome memories of the event, heightened fear and anxiety, difficulty trusting others, increase use of substances.

In situations of chronic stress--overwork, poor organizational climate--people may see their relationships affected, an increase in irritability, cynicism, and just being fatigued.

Each of us responds to stressful events in unique ways and the first step to good self-care is to deepen our understanding of our own stress responses.

What's also important to remember is that each of us has reservoirs of resilience. Just as we need to be thinking about responding to people in distress we need to be thinking about how to maintain our strength, vitality, and positive coping.

Question from Bea Moore:
    How would you direct someone to manage the stress caused by attempting to fulfill overwhelming expectations from leadership in a small organization? The small organization is attempting a very big capital campaign and I am the Capital Campaign Director Lisa McKay:
    Hmmm... managing the stress of overwhelming (and perhaps unrealistic) expectations. Big question, not much space to answer :). But one thing I would suggest is attempting to stay connected to your own sense of what is realistic, and unrealistic, and your own passions and reasons for taking this job in the first place (as well as working to judge your work and accomplishments according to the standard of doing your best in the certain situation rather than tangible accomplishments - difficult as that can be). If you can stay connected to that it may help put things in perspective during times when someone else's expectations are threatening to become overwhelming.

Question from Peter Panepento:
    What can managers do to keep expectations high for overworked employees without putting them under too much pressure? Lisa McKay:
    One thing they can do is express interest in employees as people - take the time during project supervision meetings, or staff meetings, to check in on a more informal basis about how their family is, or their weekend was. Another is to talk with employees about shared vision and values, and open up discussion forums for them to express how their doing and offer constructive suggestions for how the pressures of their work could be managed better. For example, somethng like "the work we're doing is so important... I really value your contribution the team, and want to make sure you're functioning at your best and contributing in the way I know you're capable. What are some ways we could be working, or organizing work that might help with that?"

Question from Tara Collins, Watershed Agricultural Council:
    I just don't have enough time in the day/week/month to get to doing fund develoment work along with my other work of outreach and communications. Aside from a full-fledged kloning program, how can I manage my time to maximize my impact? hiring another body is not an option (I've tried). My boss encourages me to do less, but do it well. Lynne Cripe:
    I can see from our questions that issues of managing workload is on the forefront of people's minds! Non-profits are asked to do so much with limited resources and many of us who go into this work also have high expectations of ourselves.

In my experience, working with your boss to ruthlessly prioritize your projects is important. It offers you clarity about your supervisor's expectations which is key to managing workload.

If it is difficult to get that feedback and prioritization from your boss, then you might seek out trusted colleagues or a mentor who can serve that function for you. It is probably wise to check in with your boss that you're on the same page in terms of your priorities.

It's also important for all of us to remember that during periods of great stress at work we need to be even more proactive about taking care of ourselves--even though that's the time it is hardest to do so. Get exercise, eat well, make time for supportive relationships and activities outside of work that give us pleasure. It helps us move through the challenges and bring a sense of energy back to our mission.

And, Tara, let me know if you make any progress on the cloning program!

Lisa McKay:
    Ten Practical, Low-Costs Steps to Build a Culture of Staff Care

1. Recognize and appreciate colleagueís good work, extra efforts, etc.

2. Managers model good self care, demonstrate work-life balance.

3. Celebrate special occasions, holidays and acknowledge transitions in peopleís lives (e.g., births, deaths, birthdays, promotions, new jobs). This doesnít have to be elaborate or expensive!

4. During times of high stress, be mindful of each otherís well being. Spend time checking in with each other and actively listen to responses.

5. In a high threat environment, provide information a timely, accurate and consistent manner.

6. Compile a practical ìwhat toî and ìhow toî organization ëhandbookí (e.g., around relocation, orientation issues, and important organization contact details).

7. Use newsletters, emails, meetings to provide information about stress and resilience. This helps normalize peopleís experiences and expand their repertoire of coping strategies.

8. Host a party or social event that includes family members.

9. Encourage staff to take mini-breaks during the day. And managers, set a good example and take them yourself.

10. After work-related travelóespecially if intense, encourage staff to take some down-time.

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    We've reached the halfway point in today's discussion. Our guests have time for more questions, so please feel free to fire away if you have a question about handling stress in the nonprofit workplace. You can also share your own tips and opinions about this topic.

Question from Kathleen:
    Not all reactions to stress are immediately apparent in the work place. And personal/professional lines are not always easy to navigate. How do you begin these conversations with your staff? Lynne Cripe:
    You are absolutely right, Kathleen. Our personal concerns don't stop at the door of the office and our professional concerns can often affect and infect our personal relationships.

A first step is for organizations and managers to acknowledge and normalize the inherent stress in doing non-profit work. Accept that it is an occupational hazard, so to speak, rather than an exception that only the weak experience.

Teams can also make it a regular part of their work together. This might include discussions about the common stress behaviors among team members. Doing so it helps us know ourselves and our colleagues better and, ideally, motivates to interact with each other from a place of compassion and support rather than irritation and negativity.

We can encourage each other to take advantage of services/benefits our organization may offer--Employee Assistance programs, wellness programs, educational opportunities. There is also ample room for us to support each other informally: being proactive about going to lunch together, taking an afternoon walking break, being willing to disclose our own stresses and concerns as a way of building trust and normalization among colleagues.

Question from Kevin, RCAC, mid-size non-profit:
    The woman brought her husband to the doctor and reported her spouse thought he was a cow. "How long has this been happening", asked the doctor. "Two years", replied the wife. "Why did it take you so long to bring him to me?", asked the doctor. "We needed the milk".

When 20% of the staff work 60, 70, or 80 hours a week serving deserving populations, one may say it is not healthy for the staff. As a manager, I like getting the most out of staff, but I also question the long term viability. How do you modify behavior and ask staff to balance their lives?

Do your organizations discourage 3,000 hour work years? Lisa McKay:
    Hi Kevin, I think you're right to question the long-term viability. In many of the roles that non-profit workers work in (especially when based in the developing world) the average span of people's "careers" can be quite low. Three to five years of field work, for example, and people are talking of burn out. I think modifying the sort of behavior that contributes to this - overwork being a big piece of the puzzle, but also over-traveling, extremely high exposure to poverty, suffering, need and violence, being cut off from normal social support network - is complicated. Some of it has to come from the person's commitment to healthy work/life balance of course. But management and the organization can do a lot to foster a culture that makes that easier or harder. One best things that management can do for staff is to encourage them to make these choices by modeling good choices themselves. Yes, my organization, and some other non profits I know are taking steps to do that - and putting limits on hours worked.

Question from Peter Panepento:
    Because many charities operate with tight budgets, there is often little money available for groups to monitor employees' mental health or for on-site wellness programs? Is it time for foundations to set aside more of their grant making to handle this important issue? Are there foundations that are already doing this? Lisa McKay:
    I think the answer may be both/and. Yes is would be helpful for foundations, and donors, to become more aware of staff care issues - the "psychological security" issues as well as, say, the "physical security issues". Many NGO's were encouraged to take security more seriously as an issue by external pressure from foundations and donors who insisted they consider it as an issue when planning. A similar dynamic of foundations and donors asking questions about how NGO's care for their staff, what they do to try and help prevent them from burning out after a couple of years on the job, may encourage NGO's to take this topic seriously. But it's also important, I feel, that the organizations themselves start to see staff care as an integral part of their operating costs, just as planning for security incidents now is. There is little data, but what's out there suggests that the financial cost of replacing employees who are rotating through every year or two would far outstrip investing in them on the front end to extend their tenure.

Comment from Bill Mengerink, Consultant:
    Comment. I suggest that a classic symptom of fund raiser burnout is the loss of charisma. I suggest that you donít fly too close to the sun. Following an extended period of a high-flying, high-energy campaign, you may begin to doubt yourself. You may perceive that those around you have become disappointed because the ìmiraclesî they expected you to perform have not materialized. If this is the case, make an emergency landing and take a good look at yourself. Plan to reach your goal on foot rather than by air: become a long-distance runner instead of a jet pilot. Remember, we canít ALWAYS do what we can SOMETIMES do.

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    Bill: Thanks for the comment.

Question from Peter Panepento:
    What are some basic things workers can do for themselves to help manage their workload and expectations? Lynne Cripe:
    This is a tough one, isn't it? We've chosen to go into a profession where human and financial resources are often tight and many of us have a strong sense of personal mission and altruism that motivates our work. Finding balance in the midst of that is a challenge for so many of us (including myself).

I think we have to be very clear about our own personal values and motivations and understand how that shapes the choices we make.

As mentioned in an earlier question, working to develop a collaborative relationship with one's supervisor to achieve clarity on priorities is a good strategy.

Working to improve our own time management skills may also be helpful. Two authors I've found useful are Dave Allen and Julie Morgenstern.

We also need to be willing to ask for help. Whether it's asking help from our boss in prioritizing--that's a key function of a supervisor, after all--or from friends and colleagues. For those of us who might be particularly vulnerable to overcommitting, we might look at building more formal support structures or ways to check in with trusted colleagues about how much we're taking on. I've come to realize I need help with managing my travel schedule so I've made this a much more explicit topic of conversation with my boss and there are a couple of friends with whom we've agreed to serve as a reality check.

Finally, mastering the self-talk is important. You know, that voice inside your head that says, "it's not good enough, you haven't done enough, etc." It's not easy, but we often need to manage our own expectations as much as the expectations of others.

Question from Lisa, midsize nonprofit:
    We discuss work stress a lot but what to do when an employee has considerable personal stress... advice on keeping all the other stressors out of the workplace? Lisa McKay:
    Hi Lisa, Realistically I think keeping all other stress out of the workplace would be ideal, but may not be possible. Stress external to work (a sick spouse, etc) inevitably takes a toll on a person's coping resources that means they may not be functioning at their best. People can keep discussion of the rest of their lives out of the workplace, but they carry the impact with them into work. In those situations I think managers can be helpful by finding a balance between acknowledging that they're under unusual pressure right now outside of work, and also acknowledging that they may find it harder than usual to concentrate on work, and asking for discussion and thoughts on how the employee thinks that they (the manager) can be most helpful to them during this time in assisting them staying focused on what they are needed to stay focused on). From the employee's viewpoint it can be hard to maintain focus when the rest of life seems to be overshadowing work. During those times, if you can shift your workload around, it might be good to focus on tasks that are less crucial, require less attention, and do things you know help you stay focused and track progress and priorities (e.g., to-do lists etc). These things become even more important than normal when you're not at your best.

Lisa McKay:
    Here are some quick thoughts on assessing stress in your staff using the AEIOU acroynm (although out of order :))

OBSERVE

Pay attention to your staff members different physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and behavioral indicators. Watch out for the changes in the following:

Physical Decreased care in dress and personal grooming Changes in weight, sleep, appetite, energy levels, and substance use

Mental and emotional General mood (facial expressions, tone of voice, how it feels to be with them) Emotional outbursts Staff conflicts

Spiritual vitality Lack of motivation and joy in work Discouragement and complaints Questioning the usefulness of programs

Behavior Missed deadlines Poor quality work Increased sick days Arriving late for work Extended leaves Talk of quitting Consistent overwork (very long hours, inability to relax and discuss something other than work, demanding increasingly more from their own supervisees)

Also, Assess in ways that Involve your staff

EDUCATE Seize opportunities to educate on individual stress, stress management, trauma, and burnout.

ASK Ask questions about stress, and discuss the following topics: What is stress? What does stress look like for you (and in this culture)? How does stress impact you? How do you know when you have ìstressî? What are the top three things causing you ìstressî at the moment? What are some of the things that have helped you deal with stress in the past?

USE Use appropriate structured tools, such as a simple job-feedback form to stimulate creative and non-threatening discussion

Comment from Bill Mengerink, Consultant:
    I think itís important to develop a healthy realism about your skills and get as much training as you can. Our incompetence stresses us. No one knows everything there is to know about fund raising. Generalists play a GOOD game in most of the big areas and specialists play a GREAT game in a few. Fund raisers rarely are experts at everything, however. If we secretly believe that we donít have the skills to accomplish our objectives, weíll cope with great feelings of inadequacy. I think you begin to fix this when you decide to become a life-long student of the art through chats such as this, reading the Chronicles, talking openly with colleagues from other non-profits, etc..

Question from Stacy Palmer, The Chronicle of Philanthropy:
    With signs of the economy growing gloomier every day, how should a nonprofit manager address concerns about potential layoffs or other issues that might be causing stress?

Lynne Cripe:
    That's a very relevant question, Stacy. I imagine all of us are having formal and hallway conversations about how the economic news might impact our organizations.

Communication, communication, communication. In periods of uncertainty and anxiety, people's need for communication increases dramatically. One of the most important things that managers can do is ramp up the amount and quality of their communication. Acknowledge people's anxieties and questions, answer questions when possible, proactively let staff know what actions the leadership team and/or board are taking, if decisions are in process let people know when they can expect a decision to be made or actions to be taken.

Question from Peter Panepento:
    Lisa: What are some programs and strategies you have worked with that you are most proud of in terms of helping employees deal with some of these issues? Lisa McKay:
    There have been a couple of organizations we've worked with that have really stood out in terms of their commitment to staff care. One is Church World Services. I've been over to work with the staff of their IRP (Immigration and Refugee Programs) in Ghana and Kenya every year for the past several years. This has allowed workshops on different topics for these staff who are dealing with some really tough issues related to their jobs of screening and interviewing refugees in camps across Africa. These discussion forums/trainings have provided ongoing opportunities to consider the impact of their work on their relationships, their general self-care strategies, their personal spirituality and a host of other topics. It's been a privilege to work with them.

Another strategy I'm really enthused about is my own organization's (The Headington Institute) commitment to provide as many materials on these issues as we can for free so that people we'll never be able to work with in person via workshops or counseling, can access some helpful material on these topics. We have an online training program on our website that has three online modules up currently (each 10,000 words) on the topics of stress, trauma, and travel stress and (thanks to help from CARE) translated these modules into four additional languages. These get downloaded thousands of times every month.

Comment from Bill Mengerink, Consultant:
    Given the present economic uncertainties, I try hard to not borrow trouble from the future. As fund raisers, we are verbs not nouns. We are constantly moving toward a point in the distance. We plan, develop, motivate, cajole, harangue, and guideóall words that imply future action. Practice the principle of living one day at a time. Better yet, stay in the present moment because thatís where all the action is. Avoid chronic anticipation because, as Gertrude Stein said, ìWhen you get there, there isnít any there there.î

Question from Peter Panepento:
    Lynne: What are some programs and strategies you have worked with that you are most proud of in terms of helping employees deal with some of these issues? Lynne Cripe:
    I've been with CARE for just over two years and one of the things that I feel good about is that staff know that there's someplace they can call if they have concerns about their own well-being or the well-being of colleagues. It's an intangible result, but I feel good that we're actively talking in the organization about people's concerns, countries where the operating environment is especially difficult, and how to improve organizational climate.

One program that we launched this past year that I'm excited about is our Peer Social Support Team. We've been working with staff in our Country Offices to build skills and knowledge around social support, active listening, and workplace wellness and they've been designing action plans to respond to specific concerns in their country. We have 10 offices in Africa where this is operating and we're getting ready to expand the Team into Asia in a couple of months.

It's been exciting to see staff embrace the idea of creating a more supportive workplace. The team in Kenya did some great work during the recent political violence. In Sudan they've been working on strengthening the support for staff after critical incidents. In Malawi, the team has been partnering with the HIV in the Workplace Program to strengthen peer support in HIV testing and treatment. In Eritrea, the team has been integral in providing emotional support during a period of downsizing. I'm in awe of our staff in the field!

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    Our time is up. Thanks to Lisa McKay and Lynne Cripe for sharing their expertise on this topic. We hope you found the information useful. We'll be back next Tuesday at noon Eastern for our next live discussion. The topic will be how foundations adjust their priorities during difficult economic times. We'll see you all then.