The Guru of Burnout: Christina Maslach, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley

Burnout is often cited by nonprofit workers as one of their greatest challenges. So in this episode, we speak with the “guru of burnout,” Dr. Christina Maslach, Professor Emerita of Psychology at the University of California at Berkeley. Dr. Maslach is known as one of the pioneering researchers on job burnout, which she has studied since the 1970s. She created the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the most widely used research measure in the burnout field. Prof. Maslach is author or co-author of many books on the subject of burnout, including “Burnout: The Cost of Caring”; “The Truth About Burnout”; and “Preventing Burnout and Building Engagement: A Complete Program for Organizational Renewal”. To wrap-up Season One’s exploration of the challenges facing the nonprofit workforce, Dr. Maslach gives us a deep dive into burnout -- her research agenda, approaches, and findings over the years. We discuss definitions of burnout. And she shares strategies for addressing burnout by increasing meaning, positivity, autonomy, and purpose in the workplace. Tune in to today's episode to hear about: Dr. Maslach's personal and professional journey into her work on burnout Her perspective and research into what defines burnout and how it relates to caring work How burnout is a systemic problem, not an individual problem The six areas of “fit” between people and their jobs How to address burnout in the workplace Check out the show page on our blog for more information on Dr. Maslach & links to the books and resources mentioned during the episode.