--- title: "Friday Buzz: Stopping Burnout Before It Happens" id: "36656" type: "post" slug: "friday-buzz-stopping-burnout-before-it-happens" published_at: "2017-01-28T00:12:08+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T18:27:24+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/01/28/friday-buzz-stopping-burnout-before-it-happens/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/01/28/friday-buzz-stopping-burnout-before-it-happens.md" excerpt: "Don’t let your best employees suffer from burnout. Here are a few ways to prevent it. Also: Create a culture of innovation." taxonomy_category: - "Organizational Strategy" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Business" - "Innovation" - "organization strategy" - "Workplace" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Director" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Friday Buzz: Stopping Burnout Before It Happens Many nonprofits work hard to do good in the world, but it’s easy for even the most passionate employees to get overly taxed and burn out. Beth Kanter and Aliza Sherman, coauthors of *The Happy, Healthy Nonprofit*, [posted several tips on Wild Apricot about keeping your employees happy (opens in a new tab)](http://www.wildapricot.com/blogs/newsblog/2017/01/24/seven-ways-top-nonprofit-leaders-avoid-burnout) and energized. The authors embrace the latest health and wellness advice by proposing the use of standing desks to prevent too much sitting. They also suggest creating a friendly sleep competition among staffers to encourage everyone to get more rest so they can focus better at work. “Eating at your desk is unhealthy and isolating, and yet so many nonprofit workers squeeze in more work by doing just that,” they say. Build a sense of community in your organization with communal meals. Also, consider mindfulness breaks during the day. “Offering an option to take a break for mindfulness activities at work can benefit everyone on your team.” See more burnout prevention advice [here (opens in a new tab)](http://www.wildapricot.com/blogs/newsblog/2017/01/24/seven-ways-top-nonprofit-leaders-avoid-burnout) . ### Organization Innovation https://twitter.com/ssain7/status/824721186751913985 **Innovation doesn’t just come from a spontaneous spark of genius.** You can plan for it, argues Sarah Sain, a development manager with Naylor Association Solutions. Sain [lays out a few ways (opens in a new tab)](http://www.associationadviser.com/index.php/plan-innovation/) organizations can create a culture that promotes new ideas. “Every association should have a one-sentence vision statement that clearly communicates the future you are working toward,” she says. “When your association’s board, members, or staff are considering new ideas, programs, or technology, allow your vision statement to serve as your guide. Ask yourself, ‘Will this innovation bring us closer to what we want to achieve?’” Organizations also need to stay flexible. “To keep innovation and your association’s work on behalf of members and your industry from stalling, an association should remain nimble in order to respond quickly to changes in the environment.” ### Other links of note **Planning for the future:** Sheri Jacobs, president and CEO at Avenue M Group, shares[five consumer trends (opens in a new tab)](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-trends-your-association-cant-ignore-sheri-jacobs-fasae-cae) all associations should know. **Success or failure:** *Fast Company*takes a look at what impact a [board’s diversity (opens in a new tab)](https://www.fastcompany.com/3067617/the-future-of-work/why-a-ceos-success-might-depend-on-their-experience-of-board-diversity) has on a new CEO’s success. **Making networking more interesting:** Do you find networking boring? *Business Insider* delivers tips on how to find [the most interesting person (opens in a new tab)](http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-find-interesting-people-at-any-event-2017-1/) in the room at your next networking event. (iStock/Thinkstock) [Raegan Johnson](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Raegan Johnson is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Tags: [#Business](https://associationsnow.com/tag/business/) [#Innovation](https://associationsnow.com/tag/innovation/) [#organization strategy](https://associationsnow.com/tag/organization-strategy/) [#Workplace](https://associationsnow.com/tag/workplace/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoChallenge Legacy Mindsets at MMC+TechApril 17, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/04/17/challenge-legacy-mindsets-at-mmctech/) - [ArticleEmbracing Agility: Lessons from the Fruit FlyDecember 16, 2024](https://associationsnow.com/2024/12/16/embracing-agility-lessons-from-the-fruit-fly/) - [ArticleRisk Capacity vs. Risk ToleranceOctober 29, 2024](https://associationsnow.com/2024/10/29/risk-capacity-vs-risk-tolerance/) - [TemplateMembers onlyMember Onboarding ToolkitNovember 5, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/11/05/member-onboarding-toolkit/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2017%2F01%2F28%2Ffriday-buzz-stopping-burnout-before-it-happens%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !