learning from burnout - the responsibility is not only yours

The EFMD Brussels was the place last friday where authors Tim Casserley and Prof. David Megginson launched their book ( BTW two days before the London Launch)
Prof. Megginson is profssor of HRD at Sheffield Hallam University, and founder of the Coaching and Mentoring Research unit, and a succesful author with a unique expertise on the subjects of mentoring,coaching and selfdevelopment . Tim Casserley was, as he explained, caught in a serious burnout in his early thirties.. and together with prof. Megginson, he interviewed in depth 100 high flyers for 3 hours, of whom only 6% came to transformational learning after 3 to 5 years of living in trauma. They estimate 20% of the top talent pool is at risk, primarly young high flyers in the first 10 years of career. So more than 95% comes to derailment, reduced engagement and commitment, or deterioration of welbeing and vitality.
I know people who suffer from burnout. They are not so young flyers, but also have put high standards in their work, and had the same individual characteristics as noticed by the authors : identity derived primarly from work, a purpose rooted in need for recognition(and fame)and lacking quality interaction.
I asked the authors as these characteristics are known,if the risk of a self drive towards burnout could not be assessed at the moment of the selection of the candidates . Prof Megginson stated that this was difficult as this drive is so intertwined with the characteristics of the person making him an high flyer.
Yet I have a different opinion : I think recruters have a responsabily as to check how much the candidate identifies himself mostly by only his work and career. One may be ambitious, but ambition is a death end when the talent in one self is seen as unlimited and only as an individual journey. This can be easyly done in any recrutement assessment. It is a kind of maturity check. After all, if 20% of the high flyers crash on naked ground, checking this risk represents a yield of 20% for the employer if he sets out the right conditions for his high flyer to not take off to the stratosphere. Thus is by coaching, by teamleadership,.. After all : prevention is better than cure, offering wisdom, maturity, perspective. And if one doubts about ways to achieve this, check this link : or this one : http://www.ontrackcoaching.com/articles/developmental_coaching.htm
This provides in what is put as conclusion in chapter 7 of the book: a leadership sustainability chart.
I recommend this book to all in an HR position, to all recruiting officers or assessors, and all would be highflyers, whether they 'll be leader or (only?) just excellent achievers

My 3 day learning through an Art of Hosting training

My 3 day learning through an Art of Hosting training

In March 2008, I was at a 3 day training by the Belgian AoH community .

At the end of the training, when everyone thought it was the final moment of farewell, I stood up and presented to those present, my overview of three days of learning. This is that presentation.

I like to share it with you as I did with those present at that moment. Because if you are somewhat like me.. always curious, yet a little reserved when it comes to new age elements, somewhat symbolical gatherings and celebration of community.. well, you have to read this further. I also view theories as exercises for the mind, not as initiation to wisdom.. I put questions marks behind every belief that is not been “lived” by the person expressing that belief.

In my professional life, I’m in HR, and I’m not a trainer, nor a guru. So please, accept this as the framework wherein I started my 3 day evolution . Feel free to comment.

I can assure you : since march 2008 I’ve put a lot of question marks behind my old beliefs.

Day	Me myself as starting point	About “my” space here	My dialogue	My conclusion for the next day
Day 0	I’m 60 yrs old now. Yet, I still want to learn, to find my no end, the meaning of my still being	I’m just coming to this as a scout..with caution and reserve	AoH is not the environment I am in real life, it is artificial, so this is just a quest to satisfy my curiosity, and to meet some friends who draw my attention to this event
Day 1	This is a quite unique setting: in a park, people coming from everywhere in Europe, a mix of trainers, students, believers and prospectors like me	This space is too spacious: chaos is not my thing	I do not feel at home here.; this is not well structured, I do not get the whole overviewed	I’m not alone is these feelings. Just staying here, is maybe no cure for anything, but at least, here I can be who I am
Day 2	Continuing to see AoH as an artificial environment is creating myself a barrier to my learning, the learning I was prospecting for	This new space to me can be one actively used by me also	How can I use in my way of being the power and the energy behind the technique and the symbolism in“irimi” (opening in aikido) . This is about taking in and using the energy present in my everyday environment	My wicked questions will lead me to what I really want
Day 3 a.m .	I can not not –breathe.	All space is available to act, so why not act? It is even a comfort to have so much space. This huge space becomes a real discomfort when I do not see and feel that in that huge space, there is always a place with a ticket for me. An dit is only by acting that I can tap and find the boost of the energy in it.	Speaking to others is also to be meant to hear and understand them . We are all our lives like fishes in a bowl, so do not worry about the water of life.	There is no chaos, it is always about change. Do not feel limited, unless you want to be limited. Rethink my earlier thoughts about my ways to learn.
Day 3 p.m.	We all can act in this space.. this has room and a place for all of us.	Complexity needs simplicity. I can bring in and be this simplicity.	My nest call .. is/was present	I know for now: do not bother thinking to be copying myself...more than ever, I know I ‘m in evolution, and aware that each experience with change has teached me something, and continues teaching me