Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Introduction In the last installment, I argued that burnout matters to individuals in ways that are intuitively obvious, but that its broader significance is organizational. It changes what professionals contribute, and it changes how they influence, motivate, and inspire others. Left unnamed and unexamined, it erodes judgment, mentoring,Continue reading "When Burnout Stops Being a Private Problem"
And Now For Something Completely Different…
Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Introduction From time to time on this blog I will exercise “author’s prerogative” and deviate from what would otherwise be the expected/scheduled post topic. This post was planned to be the 3rd installment of the burnout series and for a variety of reasons, I didn’t particularly feel likeContinue reading "And Now For Something Completely Different…"
Burnout’s Quiet Damage: Why It Matters Before Anyone Breaks
Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Introduction Burnout rarely announces itself with collapse. Most of the time, it arrives quietly—through gradually diminishing impact. Patience thins, and time isn't spent on the investment in curiosity and connection. Imagination contracts, and robust interactions to spur innovation are no longer sought. Fewer questions get asked. Fewer risksContinue reading "Burnout’s Quiet Damage: Why It Matters Before Anyone Breaks"
A Formula for Burnout
Paul M. Michaud MD, CPE In the book, Drive, Daniel Pink proposes that intrinsic motivation is the most powerful driver of human behavior, with purpose, mastery and autonomy as the primary intrinsic motivators. Purpose: The feeling of contributing to something larger. Mastery: The desire to improve skills. Autonomy: The freedom to direct one's own work. What happens whenContinue reading "A Formula for Burnout"
Burnout Is a Wastebasket Term — and That’s Why We Keep Treating It Wrong
Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Simplicity Is Seductive — and Dangerous “I’m burned out.” That sentence has become professional shorthand—an all-purpose signal for exhaustion, frustration, disillusionment, or quiet despair. It lands with emotional force and usually earns immediate empathy. And because it sounds definitive, we tend to treat it that way: problem named, response deployed.Continue reading "Burnout Is a Wastebasket Term — and That’s Why We Keep Treating It Wrong"
The fundamental attribution error and the antidote
Paul M. Michaud MD, CPE Too often, we attribute other people's poor behavior to their character, while attributing our poor behavior to external/situational factors. Reference previous link language here. Hanlon's razor: "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by ______." While it is possible that the behavior you are observing is, in fact,Continue reading "The fundamental attribution error and the antidote"
The Beauty in the Dust: Growth in Imperfection
Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Thresholds That Truly Change Us I’ve crossed plenty of thresholds in my life. Graduations, promotions, marriage, a few plaques on the wall. All those moments came and went, all important in their own way. Despite the cultural significance, and that many of these events are dear to manyContinue reading "The Beauty in the Dust: Growth in Imperfection"
“Your emotions are logical… you’re just bad at logic.”
When you experience an emotion, you have a thought about that emotion. That thought often determines the action you take. You likely blame the emotion for the action you take without considering the thought that led to the action. Next time you feel a strong emotion it may be useful to remember... your emotions areContinue reading "“Your emotions are logical… you’re just bad at logic.”"
Living Richly Together: Perspective, Certainty, and the Ancient Problem We Keep Pretending Is New (Psychological Richness, Part 4)
Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Introduction In the third part of this series, I teased the idea of psychological richness applied beyond the individual. If richness is a mechanism to pursue personal growth, perspective shift, and learning, what if it is applied on a larger scale? Can richness be a mechanism to approachContinue reading "Living Richly Together: Perspective, Certainty, and the Ancient Problem We Keep Pretending Is New (Psychological Richness, Part 4)"
Living Richly: Music, Travel, Discomfort, and Growth in Tuscany
Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Introduction Greetings and Salutations! Welcome to the third installment in the psychological richness series. In Part 1, I introduced Shigehiro Oishi’s concept of a psychologically rich life—one filled with interesting, perspective-changing experiences. In Part 2, I put on my skeptic hat and reengaged the theory: praised what works, critiqued what doesn’t,Continue reading "Living Richly: Music, Travel, Discomfort, and Growth in Tuscany"