Review of From Burnout to Belonging

[Gerry Steen]

[Following is a volunteer review of "From Burnout to Belonging" by Kimberly Carozzi.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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On Sundays, do you start to dread the five-day work week ahead of you? Do you feel that you are an outsider and that there are too many cliques at work? Do find yourself without the motivation and incentive necessary to have an energetic workday? If you answered yes to the above questions, it may be the right time to read the book entitled From Burnout to Belonging by Kimberly Carozzi. Carozzi had worked for years as an operations manager for a Fortune 100 company. After suffering job-related stress and burnout, she took it upon herself to do a complete about-face. She returned to school and became a chiropractor. She used a set of strategies to help her make this career change. Carozzi wrote this book so that she could share these strategies with others who were floundering at work. She wished to give her readers the tools necessary to be happy and thrive in their workplace.

Carozzi offers a framework and a procedure for the worker to self-assess what exactly is causing them stress in the workplace. She suggests that the root cause may be found by determining the microculture of the worker's work environment. In today's workplace, there are 5 types of microcultures. In other words, five different ways that a small group of people who share particular interests will communicate. Carozzi lists them as the classroom culture, the Swiss watch culture, the kingdom culture, the island culture, and the tribe culture. Through the illustration of hypothetical workplace situations and interactions, she explains what kind of people thrive in each microculture. This is followed up with journaling questions that aid the reader to reflect upon their workplace situation and the microculture that they are part of. The reader may find that they do not fit into this microculture and that another microculture may be more appropriate for achieving their work goals.

The author also provides a list of 5 common myths about work. This helps the reader to reflect upon their beliefs about work and to question their validity. The subject of burnout is discussed with the presentation of 10 common signs that signal its onset. The subject of stress is examined with descriptions of different types of stress, the stages of stress, and the effective management of stress.

Carozzi points out that burnout can become a catalyst for workers to turn their work lives around. The advice and guidelines found in this book will help the reader make this possible. The reader may choose to leave their workplace or change the department that they work in. They will be able to engage in a microculture that is a better fit for their occupational needs and aspirations. Carozzi emphasizes that one's career is a journey, not a destination.

Carozzi's book is written with a positive tone. The reader who is suffering from occupational burnout will learn how to navigate toward a better work situation. This book is well-edited, easy to understand, and short in length. I did not find anything to dislike about it. I give From Burnout to Belonging 5 out of 5 stars.

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From Burnout to Belonging
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[Gerry Steen]

Hi. If you read the above book review, please take a moment and reply to it. Your comments will be appreciated. Have a great day.

[Anastasia Baglay]

Thank you for your honest review! Do you find this book motivational? And do the advices seems helpful to you?

[NetMassimo]

I'm self-employed, so I have different motivations and interactions with other people but burnout can be a risk for any type of worker, so understanding problems and solutions can make all the difference. Thank you for your great review!

[Gerry Steen]

Hi,Anastasia. Yes, I found this book to be motivational. I think that the author offers the reader a chance to develop a critical perspective on their work environment. Once the reader knows which micro-culture they happen to be involved in they have the opportunity to change their expectations and work in a way that fits the microculture. If they cannot do this, then they can change departments or employer and settle into a microculture that fits their needs. Some people say perspective is everything. I say it is half of the battle. Once you have a perspective you must decide how you react to it. This book helps.

[Gerry Steen]

I'm self-employed, so I have different motivations and interactions with other people but burnout can be a risk for any type of worker, so understanding problems and solutions can make all the difference. Thank you for your great review!

Hi, Massimo. Thank you for your comments.

[Amy Luman]

This a great review. Non-fiction books are not exactly my favorite, but this does bring up some very interesting points. Since I began working from home four years ago, I have felt a lot of the stress and anxiety disappear. I’ve changed nothing else so I know that the job was to blame. Fortunately, I don’t allow other people to define my worth.

[Bettny Andrade]

I am impressed by the change he made in his career, something totally different, and I am very happy that he dared to make a change of that type. On many occasions you get out of your routine, because it's like being stuck. This is a good book!

[Kshitija Sonawane]

Oh this book is such a great idea. It is practical and can be used by people. Often, a third-person view helps with things and in this case, I think it would really help. Your review of the book was also well layered and well structured.

[Oleabhiele Joseph]

I understand how the author shows that burnout can bring about the impulse to actually try to fit in and belong in a place that suits you, so as to enjoy working, or as the author puts it, “ burnout can become a catalyst for workers to turn their work lives around.” However, I don’t understand why “culture” is a prevalent topic here. How does it fuse with the subject matter?

[Gerry Steen]

Hi, Oleabhiele, The author talks about 5 microcultures that make up most workplaces. They are the following: the classroom microculture, the island microculture, the kingdom microculture, the Swiss watch microculture, and the tribe microculture. The classroom microculture would be conducive to your learning on the job. The island microculture allows you to work independently in your own space as you have specialized skills that differ from other people in your workplace. The kingdom microculture is a very competition-oriented work situation that encourages one to try to outdo another in a dog-eat-dog atmosphere. The Swiss watch microculture requires everyone to have each others' back while each performs their responsibilities efficiently to ensure that the team is effective. Finally, the tribe microculture is a worksite that puts a lot of emphasis on the workers enjoying the social aspect of work and valuing each other. Everyone's opinion matters. The workers often socialize together after working hours. The workers are collectively like a big family. The author helps you to find out which microculture you would be most comfortable working in. Once you know that you must figure out whether or not you can find your microculture at your workplace or do you need to look for a workplace that has your preferred microculture. The idea is that once you fit in you will be able to avoid burnout. I hope this answers your question. Have a good day.

[Julie Basil]

This is a very well-written review. I appreciate how you started with several engaging questions that draw potential readers in and give them a good idea of whether or not they could benefit from reading this book. Keep up the good work!

[Gerry Steen]

This is a very well-written review. I appreciate how you started with several engaging questions that draw potential readers in and give them a good idea of whether or not they could benefit from reading this book. Keep up the good work!

Hi Julie, I appreciate your comments and thank you for the encouragement. Have a good day.

[Neha Panikar]

Your review sums up the gist of the book very well. The concept of micro- cultures is novel and revolutionary and I wish everyone knew about it. There would be better hiring, less job dissatisfaction and better understanding of the abilities of the employee, rather than just jumping to conclusions about how successful they are. Thankyou for the review and the rating - I very much agree to it!

[Gerry Steen]

Your review sums up the gist of the book very well. The concept of micro- cultures is novel and revolutionary and I wish everyone knew about it. There would be better hiring, less job dissatisfaction and better understanding of the abilities of the employee, rather than just jumping to conclusions about how successful they are. Thankyou for the review and the rating - I very much agree to it!

Hi, Neha. Thank you for your comments. Yes, the concept of micro-cultures is revolutionary. I just hope that enough people learn about them so that they can be proactive regarding their working conditions on a large scale. A workforce that has people working in the right spots will be a much more motivated and productive workforce.