[WikiEN-l] Admin burnout

[Marc Riddell]

on 2/15/07 4:16 AM, William Pietri at william at scissor.com wrote:

> Some of my work involves getting software development teams to change
> the way they do things. One of the things I've noticed over the years is
> that people who are stressed, frustrated, or overworked are averse to
> change. It can lead to a downward spiral, where nobody has the time to
> improve things so they have more time.

Persons who are stressed are preoccupied with the effects that stress is
having on them, not the source. They are in pain. That¹s why it is important
to remove them from the source. You are expecting a person to listen to you
suggesting alternative ways of doing something while they are still occupied
with doing what they know ­ it is at least familiar.

Imagine a person driving a car at 70 miles an hour over a road that is very
difficult to navigate, but is familiar to them. You know a different, and
better, route. You want to teach them about that route, but for them to
listen to you they are going to have to take their hands off the steering
wheel while still in motion. They¹ve got to pull over to the side of the
road and stop the car. Now they will be in a more receptive frame to listen
to alternatives.

Marc Riddell