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O P I N I O N
Burnout. Can you avoid it? We work a lot of hours and handle a lot of stress, so it’s important to take charge of life, both in and out of the office.
H ow many hours do you work each week? As compared with the rest of the world, Americans put in many more hours than our global counterparts. If you want proof, all you have to do is consider the statistics. According to the International Labour Organization, “Americans work 137 more hours per year than Japanese workers; 260 more hours per year than British workers; and 499 more hours per year than French workers.”
Stephen Lucy
pack your bags and give up your current career, but it does mean you should find and focus on those aspects of your career that you find more exciting and exhilarating. Money alone won’t address your burnout issues, but motivation certainly does. 2)Build up an external peer-to-peer network. You “As a firm leader, you set the example to be emulated by your team. If you cannot align your career with the rest of your life to avoid burnout, how can you expect those around you to avoid it?”
Clearly, our level of expectation as a culture seems to exceed that of the rest of the world. We wear it as a badge of honor, but at what cost to ourselves and others within our firms? And if we expect this work effort, are we driving our best talent away from our industry which is an industry already suffering through a shortage of workforce as a result of the Great Recession? The best place to begin to address this challenge is with ourselves. As a firm leader, you set the example to be emulated by your team. If you cannot align your career with the rest of your life to avoid burnout, how can you expect those around you to avoid it? For those who are facing possible burnout, consider these recommendations: 1)Find a new career focus. This does not mean to
See STEPHEN LUCY, page 10
THE ZWEIG LETTER January 9, 2017, ISSUE 1182
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