The Managerial Burnout Factor

At one time or another, everyone has experienced the burnout factor in some capacity.  Whether it was that final semester of college, the last few weeks of the athletic season, or the 121st episode of a favorite show on television, most of us grow tired of the monotony and routine of daily tasks in life.  We want new challenges to keep our skills sharp and minds sharper.  Many of us have experienced that in our career as well…me included.  We're in an age of new learning opportunities, mobile lifestyles, and short attention spans- not exactly the combination for long-lasting careers.  Such is life in the 21st century.

Phonathon managers are certainly no exception to this rule.  In fact, they are the epitome of restlessness in the fundraising profession.  The average phonathon manager stays in their position around 2 years before moving on.  That number may be a little higher lately with the poor economy, but for the most part it’s pretty accurate.  And it’s neither right nor wrong; it simply is a product of many factors- entry level position, typically young professionals, second-shift hours, and a significant number of opportunities in the same field at other locations.  Add to that the higher-pressure, goal-oriented environment of nonprofit fundraising and you get shorter tenure levels for the phonathon and annual giving industry than most other full-time professions.

First off, you need to know that burnout happens to most of us.  Rare is the person who can constantly reinvent their passion on a daily basis and find new ways to motivate themselves for the same tasks (think Tiger Woods for example).  The vast majority of us get bored easily after accomplishing our goals.  And phonathon is a very goal-oriented profession, which can add to the pressure and stress of the job.  I’ve had managers who didn’t like the expectations or pressure that came along with constantly trying to beat last year’s numbers.  But even after winning 70 plus professional tournaments, 14 majors, and being Forbes’ first billionaire athlete, Tiger still thrives on finding ways to set the bar higher.  We can all find inspiration and wisdom in that approach.

With that said, here are a few tips and strategies for fighting managerial burnout in the phonathon.

Embrace Pressure

Fundraising in this economy is not for the weak-minded.  To truly have a chance to hit your goals, you have to thrive on pressure a little.  In fact, I think you have to embrace it.  If you’re in the second or third year of your job, you might be shying away from that pressure somewhat…hoping that you can find a way to come close to last year’s numbers and leave the job on a positive note.  The “just get by” mentality will work against you- hastening your exit.  Instead of playing “not to lose”, you have to play to win.

Visit Another Phonathon

The best way to get out of a rut is to expand your horizons.  Take a road trip to a phonathon close by and see for yourself how somebody else runs their program.  When visiting, be honest with yourself about where your deficiencies may lie- both as a manager and as a fundraiser.  Watch how somebody else runs their calling shift and make an assessment of what you can do to improve yours.  Be cautious and understand that not all programs are run well.  You’re likely to see things that you shouldn’t duplicate in your calling room.  But if you’re an open-minded person, you’ll probably come away with a few ideas that can help reinvigorate your calling or motivational strategy.

Get Out From Behind the Desk

One of the first things to happen when managers lose motivation in their job is they become desk jockeys.  Instead of being active on the calling floor, they choose to surf the internet at their computer or do administrative work to pass the time.  This is not only a bad choice for the productivity of the calling program, but it’s also a very personally de-motivating habit.  You’re likely to continue the cycle of apathy when you’re not on the calling floor sharing your expertise with the callers and drawing from their energy.  Get out from behind the desk and interact with your staff.  They are counting on your passion to make their calling experience as fun as possible!

Set Very Specific Goals

Programs that thrive have managers that are very connected to the nightly flow of statistical data.  One of the challenges manager faced when they are feeling burned out is the lack of motivation for setting nightly goals.  Because callers need nightly goals that are realistic for motivation, managers who are burned out tend to silently sabotage their program by accident.  I have always found that callers and managers alike are motivated by specifics- a certain number of total donors for the year in a particular segment, a specific credit card percentage or upgrade percentage for the program, a targeted number of new donors for the program.  Vagueness tends to reinforce the general feeling of being unmotivated.  If a manager recognizes that they are not motivated, passionate, or they are feeling unchallenged, they should attempt to refocus themselves by setting specific goals that they can use as a focal point for making better decisions.  And most importantly, they should share these goals with their superiors- otherwise they are likely to be set aside and not taken seriously. 

Move On

A lot of Directors probably will cringe when they read this, but it likely needs to be said anyway.   If you’ve been at your program for a while and have tried all these tactics (and perhaps others) to overcome a case of burnout, you may be at a point where you need to consider a new challenge.  Perhaps with limited opportunities now is not the time to be switching jobs (or even careers to a different field).  However, you have to ask yourself how much good you are doing in the job if you’re not motivated.  If you’re really unhappy, your burnout will likely show itself in your program’s statistical performance.  And keeping a job while hurting your institution’s funding needs isn’t exactly the definition of philanthropy.  You could be doing more harm than good.

In summary, managerial burnout is a common issue in many phonathon rooms.  Trying to approach your job with a fresh perspective is difficult when you’ve walked through the same doors and performed the same tasks night after night for many months and years.  The callers shuffle in and shuffle out and the work becomes monotonous.  However, managers need to know that they CAN motivate themselves if they have the right attitude…and perhaps squeeze another year out of their phonathon management career.  Look no further than the students who walk through your door.  As much as they work for you, you also work for them.  The job you do makes a difference in their educational experience as students and the value of their degree as alumni.  For those of us in higher education development, there really isn’t a more meaningful motivator than that.

As always, your comments are welcome.

Comments

[Eric Van Buskirk]

I'm very impressed by this post.

I managed large phone rooms at 4 different performing arts organizations. I've fought burn-out, but with room for growth to larger operations, I kept myself challenged. I don't know of those dealing directly with administration in other parts of the organization who had the "courage" to mention the burn-out factor so head-on.