![\"\"](\"http:\/\/artbridges.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/01\/img_2782.jpg\" "\\"IMG_2782\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\n(photo by Ania Stypulkowski)<\/p>\n
We spoke with a founder\/ E.D. of an emerging community arts centre for youth that is just a few years old. I had founded and worked for 17 years at ArtHeart (former name: A Home for Creative Opportunity). She asked me how I dealt with staff burn-out, as she is experiencing that now\u2014especially after founding a centre and doing all it takes to get it off the ground. I\u2019m sure other people could weigh in here, but, on the spot, here\u2019s what I thought of\u2026<\/p>\n
1)\u00a0\u00a0 Take a vacation<\/strong>\/time out. Getting away from the art centre can restore energy, health, as well as perspective\u2014one can come back with a whole new take on the same situation. So ultimately this can create greater efficiency. I remember in my first few years of A Home for Creative Opportunity, once in a blue moon, when I\u2019d simply say, I had to get out, I\u2019d go see a matinee.<\/p>\n 2)\u00a0\u00a0 Delegate.<\/strong> (This was my grandmother\u2019s favourite word!) Look at your job description and see what you could parcel out\u2014ie: create another job out of a group of tasks, or assign parts to volunteers, interns, even participants. Expand the job description of another staff, by reassigning some of the parts of your job. Here you can create more part-time jobs and bring in people with specific skills\/expertise.<\/p>\n 3)\u00a0\u00a0 Hire a p\/t fundraiser-<\/strong> even for a half-day or one day a week to start with, to share the load with you, and to help you feel that the art centre\u2019s future and sustainability is not all on your shoulders.<\/p>\n 4)\u00a0\u00a0 Allow for fallow time<\/strong> within programs, or studio time. If we are producing all the time, and doing so many projects, it becomes exhausting, and staff can start to feel over-worked, and even resentful. Allow for a month, or week of creativity\/art making without there being a special project organized or an expectation of output. In fact, one could name this time with a project name ie: February is Create Your Own Thing Month\/Week, or the No-Project Month\/Week ie: open studio. This can take the pressure off of staff by reducing expectations from both participants and funders\/stake-holders. In this kind of period, new ideas could naturally come to surface, as people aren\u2019t focused on producing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 5)\u00a0\u00a0Set up new projects<\/strong>, so that the work isn\u2019t the same old program, a new idea and coming together to try something new, refreshes.<\/p>\n 6) \u00a0Enroll in an art class<\/strong> or a class that is about enrichment or fun, to get your mind away from issues and the art centre.<\/p>\n 7)\u00a0Talk it out<\/strong> with friends\/ or a therapist if need be, to not lose yourself. Write in a journal, paint\u2026 exercise, go for walks\u2026get into nature, dance\u2026sleep, have fun.<\/p>\n 8)\u00a0\u00a0 Once we brought in an art-therapist<\/strong> to lead our staff through a group art therapy session called: \u201cDealing with Burn-Out\u201d We made pictures about burn-out, talked about it and learned from each other. One thing I learned from another staff, was:\u00a0 reframe. Look at the situation from a different angles.<\/p>\n 9)\u00a0Recognize <\/strong>when a staff is burnt-out, give them a day off, they can always make it up later.<\/p>\n 10) Observe\/set up allowable paid sick days<\/strong> (which include mental health days!) Work this out with your board\/HR committee, so that if a staff really needs a break due to exhaustion or whatever, they can take a day without being worried that pay will be docked.<\/p>\n 11) <\/strong>Leave of absence without pay.<\/strong><\/p>\n 12) <\/strong>Medical leave<\/strong><\/p>\n 13) \u00a0Look at reason for burn-out<\/strong>. Too many conflicts? -Bring in a conflict mediator! Or a facilitator to look at changing patterns, addressing issues, adding a staff. Funding short-fall? Look at temporarily reducing program time. Board\/staff issues? Bring in a strategic planner, do a session, bring in a conflict mediator, or facilitator. Look at bringing in a professional or solving the problem. Constructive changes can lead to a better centre\/program =lower burnout.<\/p>\n 14)\u00a0Give raises, bonuses, or an appreciation party for staff.<\/strong> Take staff out to dinner or give them tickets to movies<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Advice for overworked directors and staff. (photo by Ania Stypulkowski) We spoke with a founder\/ E.D. of an emerging community arts centre for youth that is just a few years old. I had founded and worked for 17 years at ArtHeart (former name: A Home for Creative Opportunity). She asked<\/p>\n