Burnout and post-traumatic stress disorder: Dr. Geri Puleo at TEDxSetonHillUniversity

This paragraph introduces the speaker, Geri Puleo, and sets the stage for a discussion on burnout and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The speaker engages the audience by asking about their experiences with burnout and shares her personal quest to understand the causes, maintenance, and solutions to burnout. She introduces the 'B-DOC' model, developed during her PhD dissertation, which focuses on burnout during organizational change. The paragraph highlights the prevalence of burnout, especially among star employees, and the emotional and physical toll it takes on individuals, likening it to the devastation of a burned-out building.

In this paragraph, the speaker delves into the factors that contribute to the descent into burnout and the slow process of recovery. She identifies ten organizational factors that lead to burnout and emphasizes the rapid decline into burnout versus the slow and arduous recovery, which can take up to two years. The speaker also introduces the concept of 'The Burnout Triumvirate,' which includes personality types prone to burnout, physical symptoms, and organizational factors. She stresses the seriousness of burnout, noting its chronic and potentially severe health effects, and the difficulty in overcoming it once it sets in.

This paragraph discusses the toxic work environments that contribute to burnout and the concept of 'residual burnout,' where employees may revert back to frustration, anger, apathy, or full-blown burnout after leaving a job. The speaker argues that this is a reason for the lack of engagement and commitment among many employees. She draws parallels between burnout and PTSD, suggesting that burnout could be considered a form of PTSD, and raises the question of how the workplace would change if burned-out employees were to be reasonably accommodated under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and its amendments.

The speaker explores the legal implications of recognizing burnout as a form of PTSD, referencing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and its amendments (ADAAA). She explains how the ADAAA now recognizes PTSD as a physical disability, entitling employees to 'reasonable accommodations.' The speaker posits that if burnout were similarly recognized, it could lead to fundamental shifts in company policies, including better recognition of employees' efforts, improved work-life balance, and increased creativity and innovation. She challenges employers to be proactive in preventing burnout rather than waiting for potential legal action.

In the concluding paragraph, the speaker calls for a renewed focus on humanity in the workplace, urging leaders and managers to remember the human element in human resources. She likens employees experiencing burnout to canaries in a coal mine, warning of potential company-wide issues if burnout is not addressed. The speaker emphasizes the importance of proactive measures to prevent burnout and the potential legal and operational consequences of inaction. She ends with a personal anecdote about her dog, Duke, as her personal strategy to avoid burnout, leaving the audience with a humorous yet thought-provoking final message.