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When Grit Isn’t Enough: Protection from Burnout and Suicide

Neon sign with the word burnout

Mike Ivy is not someone you would expect to contemplate taking his own life.

His experience and accomplishments communicate grit and resilience. A trauma, critical care and acute care surgeon by training, Dr. Ivy grew up in the U.S. Navy. His father was a submarine sailor; Mike joined the Navy to pay for medical school and served nine years active duty. Following the Navy, he completed a fellowship at Yale in surgical critical care then held a series of increasingly senior leadership positions at hospitals in Connecticut. Presently, Dr. Ivy is Deputy Chief Medical Officer for the Yale New Haven Health System, which comprises more than 26,000 employees, including 6,685 medical staff.

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Conversation with Pat Farnack on Employee Retention in Today’s Environment

Two women talking in office next to desk

I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed again by Pat Farnack, longtime radio host on WCBS Newsradio 880 in New York City.

In the middle of the “Great Resignation,” companies are struggling to attract and retain employees. Studies show that negative emotions in the workplace have been rising. These negative emotions make people less enthusiastic about returning to work and incentivized to seek a more positive experience elsewhere. In our conversation, Pat and I discussed strategies that organizations can use to create a more positive culture that connects and ultimately retains employees.

Listen to the full interview.

Photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash

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Lasting Change = Head Knowledge + Heart Knowledge

Picture of a light bulb on a cork board to represent bright idea

It’s one thing to know something intellectually—to learn interesting new data, to gain an understanding of why something works the way it does, to be inspired by a message—but if it stops there and you don’t develop heart knowledge, then you’re less likely to see meaningful or lasting change as a result. In our busy and full lives we need to engage both our head and our heart if something is going to “stick” and make a difference. It takes assent and action, knowing and doing, to arrive at “I understand. That makes sense. Now that I’ve experienced it, I get it.” Having a personal experience that validates or reinforces the head knowledge is often what it takes to know it in your heart and for the information to sink in and affect your attitudes, your words or your behaviors going forward.

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GovExec Daily Podcast Appearance: Emotional Compensation’s Role in Employee Retention

Happy woman at office

As a growing percentage of the workforce seeks new career opportunities, employee retention has become a major issue facing organizations today. Addressing financial compensation is important, particularly for those lower income workers whose wages have remained largely stagnant, but addressing emotional compensation is another component all organizations need to consider. 

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Connection Culture Cited in PM Magazine

Smiling group of connected employees

Having a healthy workplace culture is important to the success of organizations in any sector, including the public sector.

PM Magazine, a publication of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), recently explored the role culture plays in local government success. In the article, author Patrick Ibarra writes that while conventional wisdom seeks to address government challenges with additional resources, culture is actually the secret sauce to achieving higher levels of effectiveness. He also cites the Connection Culture framework as an example of the type of culture where government employees thrive.

You can read the full article on the ICMA website.