Creating a Culture of Care: Strategies for Leaders to Combat Burnout in Ministry and Hospitality Industries

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for High Velocity Radio.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here. Another episode of High Velocity Radio and this is going to be a good one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor. This episode is brought to you by Baumeyer Coaching. Multiply profits, magnify impact. Executive coaching to elevate individual and team performance. To learn more, go to baumeyercoaching dot com. B a u m e y e r coaching.com. Today on the show, we have a speaker, pastor, author with King Arthur speaks and the Transparent Church, Arthur J. James. Welcome.

Arthur J. James: Thank you for having me. Lee. It’s a pleasure to be on your show.

Lee Kantor: Well, I am excited to learn what you’re up to. Uh, tell us about your practice. How are you serving folks?

Arthur J. James: Well, I am a bi vocational pastor. That’s just a fancy word from the church world of saying that. For going on 30 years this year, I’ve had my foot in ministry as a pastor, but also had had another foot in marketplace or the business side of things. So I’ve been everything from a hotel manager and a pastor to being a high school teacher at my old high school and pastor to being a college professor, a pastor to being more recently a dean of a college and a pastor. But now I’m the public speaker and a pastor as well as an author. So I serve a church, a local church here in the Dallas Fort Worth area, right in the middle of Dallas and Fort Worth, the city called Grand Prairie, Texas. And, uh, actually serve pastors and other Bible church leaders through my speaking business and assisting them avoid with avoiding burnout so that they can remain fulfilled in ministry in life.

Lee Kantor: So can you take us through kind of a little bit about your backstory of how you chose this path?

Arthur J. James: Yes. I, um, actually, I think it kind of chose me. I come from a small family number nine out of ten children. And if you have that many children, then you’re on the lower end. You generally have to serve. So service has been a part of my life for all of my life. I didn’t know at the time that I was going to find myself in more a more a more whether I should say professional service endeavor in the hospitality industry until I’ll just go back to the early 1900s or late 1900s, I should say. When I began to look for a career path, I actually went to a school in the Dallas area. One of the first, actually the first in the in the country. That was a magnet school back in the 1980s. And in order to go to the school, I had to choose a career. And so like most eighth graders going into high school, not knowing what I wanted to do with my life and career at that time, I had to choose one of these 30 career clusters. I know I didn’t want to do aviation and fly planes or cosmetology or horticulture, but I was watching the television show Hotel by Arthur Hailey based on that novel, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew I could do three things that I saw.

Arthur J. James: James Brolin, the actor, do in that show, long before we had reality television shows that we have today. He did three things as a hotel general manager that was portrayed on the show. He wore a suit every day, carried a briefcase, and hung out with cute chicks like Connie Sellecca. So that made my decision to go into hospitality. And so since that time, I’ve been wearing a suit every day since middle school, going into high school carrying a briefcase. And I have a cute wife who’s not Connie Sellecca, but she does well with me in ministry. I say that to say, uh, little did I know it was a perfect match for me to go in the hotel industry. And so I’ve served and worked from all positions such as Bellman up all the way up to a food and beverage director, and then began to teach hospitality management at my former high school. So much so that when you would go into the program, you would not be able to tell the difference between a paid employee and one of my students, which I was one back when I was a student, before I shifted into teaching. And fast forward through that and managed hotels. Taught hotel management.

Arthur J. James: Got a couple degrees in it and began to do that until I was called to my first church in 2006 to lead a church as a pastor. But still being a and not an education, but a hotel manager. And so the shift for me came realizing that there’s a lot of time that and I love the industry, but you have to be in the hotel to, in most cases, do the work. And so I was able to go into a hotel as an educator. That was my classroom, but still be in that environment, but also free me up to do more ministry. So since that time, again, fast forward 30 years later, I’ve been doing that teaching and preaching each week and or leading on the business side or the educational side as a higher ed professional with more than 20 years experience as a professor, as well as more than 12 years experience as a Dean with programs from A to Z, everything from automotive programs all the way down to welding. Nothing with a Z, of course, but welding programs and hospitality in between that as well. And so, uh, that’s been part of my journey. That’s the, that’s the CliffsNotes version of it. I’d be happy to answer any follow up questions you may have.

Lee Kantor: Well, what have you. What did you learn about hospitality that has stuck with you so long that you stayed pretty much in that space? Uh, for a long time. And it sounds like some of the ethos kind of weaves into your other work. So can you talk about what it is about the hospitality industry that is so sticky for you and what you, you know, obviously like and respect it so much?

Arthur J. James: Sure. I love the fact that it’s a service mindset and perspective. Uh, even when you look at, uh, take for instance, what the Ritz-Carlton used to say, I think they still use it as their mantra where ladies and gentlemen, serving ladies and gentlemen, uh, that’s been my, my mindset from an early time, uh, being in high school all the way through my adult life. I take that same mindset of, of serving people into ministry because that’s exactly what it means to be a pastor or a minister to shepherd, but also to apply aid or to minister to people. And that that’s been my niche. Uh, whether it’s in the business world or in the ministry side of things, and even as a speaker who helps organizations and shares at conferences, meeting the needs of the people that that are there so that through service, they can understand that service as well as, uh, sharing strategies and tools to help them remain sustained and fulfilled in their calling means a world of difference. And so I got bit by the service bug. I think that, uh, in certain respects, we’ve lost the art of service, and I do my part to try to bring that back in whatever capacity I may find myself in, either on the ministry side and or the business side. I love for people, but also a connection of trying to do things right. And here’s what else I learned through the years, uh, in that particular industry as early as high school that have stuck. Uh, hard work. Uh, the principles that you find in attention to detail is one of the major lessons, life lessons that I learned at an early age that I still apply every day, whether that’s being a banquet setup person to being a banquet manager, looking at the details, when you walk into a ballroom, taking it from nothing to the breathtaking experience that a person receives once they walk into an event. And so, uh, I would say that attention to detail is critical alongside of that just to service mindset.

Lee Kantor: So you mentioned that you find that, uh, maybe some of the tenets of hospitality and service are lacking. What are some actionable things a business leader or a leader of any kind can take to kind of, um, help his team kind of get that back and maybe get back on track when it comes to serving and hospitality.

Arthur J. James: Uh, one off the bat, one thought that is off the bat is just simply taking ownership of responsibilities and or transactions. I’m a loyalist, Ali. And if I find a good restaurant that serves good food and great service, I’ll go there and eat the same menu until I can’t anymore. Whether that’s getting my car service anywhere, I find good service that’s repeatable and consistent, I’m going to share it. Now, that being said, I also know that problems are part of the process. So no person or no company is perfect, but it’s also in how you handle the mistakes. Whether you’re talking about as a dean, having a challenge with a student that a student has with the faculty member, trying to find a common ground, figuring out what’s happened so that it won’t be repeated, but also making a fix, correcting the problem, apologizing and not just apologizing, but finding a solution so that whether that’s through a system or a process to where you alleviate the problem. I think we sometimes can make it harder than it has to be in our relationships and in our lives and and businesses, but that’s a huge part from my perspective. Taking ownership of not just the successes, but also when there’s a challenge or failure. Figuring out what’s happened and how can you make it better or improve on the process. And. And at the end of the day, make it right.

Lee Kantor: And then do you feel that that level of accountability and personal accountability and responsibility, should that trickle to every member of the team?

Arthur J. James: Definitely should. So, so everything starts. One of my mentors from afar, Doctor John Maxwell, he says everything rises and falls on leadership. And when you have a leader who’s able to take responsibility and own when there’s a mistake, because none of us are perfect but also writes the mistake, you’re on the road to creating a team that sees that transparency and that vulnerability, but also that level of accountability to make things right in any environment that goes a long way. Creating a culture of not I got you, but a a culture of how can we improve? And realizing that you’ve got a safe place to fail. Now, failure is not our aim. But you want to do everything that you can to empower your team to make decisions, whether you’re there or not, that are in the best interest of your guests or your customers, depending on your environment, but also the employees that are there creating that environment. You can use that same those same principles within the church confines. I’ve done my job to the best of my ability to create a culture, even at our church, where people feel seen and heard, but also feel like they’re not just a number, but they matter and they have gifts and that we’re here to serve them, and that our people know that I’m not always perfect. I’ll share some of my mistakes, but also we’ll share with you what I’ve learned from those and how we can all improve and make ourselves better for the greater good of mankind.

Lee Kantor: Now, you mentioned burnout earlier is having a culture that is not great. One of the causes of burnout.

Arthur J. James: I would absolutely, 100% agree with that. So burnout begins to show up when we begin to overextend ourselves. And it’s real easy to do in both of the industries that I’ve worked a majority of my life in hospitality industry. One of the things that gave me an advantage being in that particular business is when I grew up in the business, by the time I went to the University of North Texas into Texas Tech University to further and get a master’s after a bachelor’s degree, I already knew that in the industry, as a manager and or a staffer, you and I were going to have to work if you were in that industry. Holidays and weekends. Most times when everybody else is off, because it’s because it is a 24 hour, seven day a week business. The expectation is that’s when you’ve got to work. Same thing with the ministry. Inasmuch as we’re not open, our church doors are not open 24 seven. But I have a phone that’s on call. I’m on call 24 over seven. Uh, for a Major accidents and challenges and deaths and hospital visits. All that’s tied into the process. But I say that to say this, that knowing that there is an always being on mindset, that happens in a lot of our industries, particularly in the service sector and those that are you could take the same thing.

Arthur J. James: You see a high burnout rate in the medical field with with doctors and nurses, nurses and nurse practitioners and those who are in that field who are open 24 over seven and always meeting and serving the needs of others. I say that to say that when you understand the dynamics of your organization and or your business or your service environment, it’s very much more a responsible mindset for you and I as leaders to build a culture that’s not that does not just have accountability, but it has rhythms of rest built into it as well, to where you don’t burn your people out because you know that doing service and being providing service rather, and being on stage all the time will wear you out. Uh, if you if you’re not careful. And so I think it’s responsible leadership. To be able to understand that people have families outside of work and responsibilities, but not just that we’re living in a day and time where if we don’t place a priority on self-care, we’re not going to be able to take care of the others that we’ve been entrusted with, the vehicle of service or business or partnership in the world. And so I think it’s very, uh, top of mind for us to consider things such as health and balance. I say quite often, particularly as a pastor at our church, to our leadership team, we don’t just do something because the church down the street is doing it or it’s popular.

Arthur J. James: Number one, if it’s not tied to the mission and the vision, that doesn’t necessarily mean that we have to do it, but also know that we have to have not just the ability to, uh, to utilize our gifts, but also know something that’s very important that goes along with character and competence, and that is capacity. That’s one of the life lessons I wished I would have learned much earlier in my life, because I used to be a jack of all trades, but a master of none, and have worked really hard to find a few lanes that I’m really gifted and competent in and passionate about, but also proficient, but also have that practice of praying for more capacity and giving my team members capacity so that we can carry the load that we’ve been designed to not individually alone, but collectively as a unit. And so I would say to any business leaders and business owners watching or team leaders to realize that capacity is critical to the success of your organization, because without it, it is hard to scale. Without it, it is hard to create a culture where everybody wins, not just the leader or the manager at the top.

Lee Kantor: So how would you advise the the kind of the person on the front lines that maybe isn’t in a leadership position, but wants to live as a leader? How do you help them kind of build the resilience and build the capacity to, you know, ask for space when they need space and to be vulnerable and to say, look, I know this business is a 24 seven business, but you know, I have a life that’s a 24 over seven life. And it’s hard. You know, I’m, I’m, uh, maybe out of out of balance when it comes to the attention I’m giving to the business as opposed to my life. And I need to kind of scale back a little and focus more on my life. Now, is that something that a person, you know, how do you help them be brave enough to have that conversation with their team or their, the, their management?

Arthur J. James: A great question. I think it’s important for leaders first to know that we have a responsibility to develop our people. And for individuals who may not be in the leadership role or the manager position, it’s important that you get a choice in which organization you work for. Ideally, you would find an organization or a company that has or mirrors your values, that mirrors your, uh, mindset of understanding that there’s more to you than just what you can bring to the work table. So that balance or that focus between taking care of yourself, but I also think it’s very important for leadership to, to have some type of professional development plan for each person that’s on their team. Now that being shared, I have shared with any of the students that I that have taught through the years as a professor and a teacher, but also as a pastor and a leader, that it is your responsibility to take care of your professional development. That means you’re always looking for resources to better yourself, finding that that margin that you can, uh, begin to craft a development plan for yourself that speaks to your health, that speaks to understanding those boundaries, that speaks to how do we have those, those lines of communication with our direct reports, uh, the ones that we directly report to our superiors without coming across as looking at looking like someone who is, who is not a team player or who does not have grit or the capacity to do more. So I would say to them, begin to prioritize your own personal health.

Arthur J. James: Do what you can where you are, but begin to, uh, learn your leader and begin to know the timing, when to talk about those situations, but also present, uh, something that may be looked upon as being an avenue where you can begin to have margin. Many companies have employee resource groups that assist with that. But also there are programs that you can have where I participated in some where you have, um, a portion of, uh, margin built in your day to where you could take an extended 30 minutes to take care of your health and wellness. Health and wellness programs with the theme, I was trying to say the concept. And so I would, uh, once those are presented, I would make it a point if I was the person who was not in the leadership position to keep my eyes and ears open and maybe even present something. That would also tie it to the bottom line. Because when you have healthier employees who are in better physical shape and mental shape, then they’re able, they’re going to be able to, to produce better. And that’s going to eventually assist with building the bottom line. So I would say, look for opportunities. I would say take your own professional development and your own self-care as number one of your priority, but also begin to look at what’s already being offered at your organization. And if it’s not offered, bring it as a suggestion to leadership. From the standpoint of understanding it’s not just you, but helping the team overall.

Lee Kantor: And then ultimately take leadership of your own life and choose wisely. Choose organizations that mirror your values and your priorities.

Arthur J. James: Correct.

Lee Kantor: You’re not a hostage. You’re, you’re, you’re, you’re walking in the door voluntarily every day. Yeah. Um, so when you’re working with, uh, companies, what does it look like? What is the pain they’re having right before they start working with you. What what are the what’s happening where they’re like. I better call Arthur and his team.

Arthur J. James: One of the things that happens is when you begin to look at many of the statistics that are out there. Schafer did an institute, Schafer Institute, did a study back in the early 2000 related to the number of pastors in particular, who are burning out and quitting the ministry. Uh, LifeWay did a research more recent. 120. I want to say 2018, uh, that spoke to the number of pastors and church leaders in particular that are leaving the industry, but you can also find some research out there that deals with the same thing, as I mentioned, with the health professionals and others who are in this high demand, uh, high velocity businesses. And so when you have people leaving as an educator, we’re seeing it now with educators who are leaving. I know, uh, just close to home a couple, I won’t name their names that, that are new teachers that are leaving education simply because it’s such a challenging and grueling environment to do that these days to where if there’s not any major changes done, we’re still going to have that, that challenge being faced.

Arthur J. James: And so once there’s a again, as I alluded to, when the bottom line begins to be affected, that’s typically when leaders will reach out and say, hey, we’re having this issue with folks burning out or our turnover rate is extremely high. And that’s one of the things that for years we would see in the hospitality industry. It’s not uncommon to see anywhere upwards of 75% or more turnover in the hospitality industry. I believe it’s gotten a little bit better through the years, just simply because of the dynamics of the change of the environment, but it’s still relatively high, high turnover, particularly in the entry level positions and jobs. So when you see a lot of that, the wise, I think, and the successful organizations and leaders look for resources and tools to help their teams become develop more so that they can sustain for the long haul and have people who are committed to the organization and not just committed to the organization, but committed to, again, to themselves as a part of the organization to have a win win relationship take place now.

Lee Kantor: Is there a story you can share that can show the impact of working with you? Don’t name the name of the organization, but maybe share the challenge they came to you with and how you were able to help them get to a new level.

Arthur J. James: Yes, there was a conference I spoke at just a few months ago, and there were several folks who let me know after the event that they were really on the verge of walking out and leaving their positions. And through some follow up and through some additional strategies, I shared with them the importance of taking care of themselves health wise, first through prayer and also realizing that part of what you said as well. Uh, we’re not, no one’s forcing us to, to stay at a position or at a company. Uh, when things are not working. And so even though people need jobs, we understand that. And many times they’re hard to come by, particularly good ones. People still have a choice. And so just being mindful of that. And then of course, following up with them and sharing some additional resources and tools that help them because one of the you asked a question that I’ve been asked by several attendees, uh, related to a talk that I shared about avoiding burnout in the same question that people were asking is what you were saying sharing. And that is, how do I share with my boss, whether in ministry or in business, that I’m on the verge of burnout without looking like I’m weak? And so walking through those conversations and reminding them of the power that they have by empowering them through the decisions that they have and the choice that comes along with that, related to realizing that not all, not every company operates this way. Not every ministry has the same type of dynamics that may be unrealistic as it relates to being on all the time and not having balance and taking care of your responsibilities outside of work. And so I would say those have been some of the highlights of the work I’ve done more recently through speaking and sharing and even some somewhat, some consulting as well, just reminding folks of the choices that they have.

Arthur J. James: And here’s one that that has been very impactful and it has been on. One of the strategies I share with folks about avoiding burnout is taking care of your temple. I know what it’s like to have a lifestyle change. I’ve lost over 40 pounds. I’ve done it before through a yo yo diet and going up and down. But the last 2 to 3 years I have maintained my lifestyle change and I share simple things like the UCA app where you can scan your food and find out what additives and sugars are in there that are added. That can help because all our diet and our lifestyle sleep, the amount of sleep that you get, just opening up those conversations on what I call Pastor James metrics that matter. Measuring every day my water intake, my exercise, my sleep, the number of sleep that I. The amount of sleep that I receive. And just again, watching out for healthier choices in the daily diet. Because no matter, even if you work out, you can never outwork a bad diet. And so from a health perspective, those have been some of the critical ones. Seeing people who get it and now seeing them make their own choices as a result of conversations and presentations that we’ve shared related to avoiding burnout, particularly with one of the key strategies. And that’s on taking care of your temple because you only get one body to take care of. And that’s something that your boss or no one else can do for you.

Lee Kantor: So what do you need more of? How can we help you?

Arthur J. James: Well, I have a passion to help people. And so if you’re looking for a speaker who can share strategies and tips around avoiding burnout, whether you’re in ministry or marketplace, please reach out. Arthur Jjames comms my site. You can find out more information about that. Or if you’re a presenter or a preacher. I have a book that I entitled Preaching Through Pain with every preaching Person should know about Performing Under Pressure. If you have to present and show up on a consistent basis and remain full of fire and passion while your life is going on fire, that’s a good resource for you. I’d be happy to talk with you more about that and see if there’s any way that we can help you with your business and or your ministry.

Lee Kantor: Well, Arthur, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Arthur J. James: Thank you. It’s my pleasure. And again, it was an honor for me to be on with you and your audience.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on High Velocity Radio.