by Marilyn Lammert, ScD, LCSW-C
Social work stands out as a deeply fulfilling yet demanding profession. Maintaining a positive outlook can be challenging when your role inherently involves addressing problems. The constant pressure to solve these issues can lead to exhaustion, cynicism, and a decline in professional dedication over time.
However, resilience and professional flourishing are attainable goals. Recognizing vulnerability and adopting strength-based methodologies are crucial Career Building Tools for social workers. This article aims to highlight resources, innovative strategies, and essential skills that can empower social workers, particularly those in the early stages of their careers. Interestingly, many techniques beneficial to our clients can also be effectively applied to our own professional growth and well-being.
In a workshop designed for early-career social workers, I shared my experiences from over 40 years in the field, mentioning that only during two of those years did I feel dissatisfied with my work. Humorously, those challenging years were my initial two years post-graduation. This admission resonated strongly with the attendees, a dozen new social workers, who found reassurance in the shared experience and hope for their own career trajectories. Even years later, the impact of that comment persists, offering ongoing encouragement to those navigating the initial hurdles of their social work careers. Early-career social workers often require more robust support than academic programs or initial job placements typically provide to successfully navigate the job market and thrive in their first professional roles.
Concerns about professional competence, managing self-doubt, and feelings of being undervalued or overwhelmed by complex issues are common, not just among new professionals but also among those with extensive experience. At the workshop’s outset, participants articulated their primary needs:
- Reassurance that feelings of overwhelm and self-questioning are normal and shared.
- A supportive community to openly discuss these feelings and professional values.
- Guidance and encouragement to foster hope for a sustainable and fulfilling career.
Understanding Burnout and Vulnerability
My interest in burnout began over four decades ago, even before I formally recognized it as such. My first significant encounter with burnout occurred at age 23 while working at a settlement house funded by the War on Poverty in the mid-1960s. Initially driven by idealism, I soon faced disillusionment. Feelings of helplessness were prevalent, yet I struggled to acknowledge my own vulnerability or identify a constructive path forward. Like many drawn to social work, I was attracted to the idea of resolving societal and individual issues but struggled with the emotional weight of unresolved problems.
Is vulnerability perceived as unacceptable for helping professionals? Is it seen as a weakness, acceptable for clients but not for ourselves? Are we adept at providing support but hesitant to seek it when needed? As a recent graduate pointed out, composure is often valued above all else. Expressing sadness to supervisors might be discouraged, and there may be a lack of collective support systems for professionals. The prevailing expectation can be to simply persevere and overcome challenges independently.
We are trained to be empathetic listeners, offering guidance and solutions to clients. However, we are also human beings who experience vulnerability. Despite this shared human experience, social workers are often expected to maintain emotional detachment, embodying altruism and composure in interactions with both clients and colleagues.
I recently explored this sense of vulnerability through a survey of social workers in the District of Columbia area, encompassing various levels of experience. Participants were asked to identify their most significant personal and professional stressors, past and present. Representative responses included:
- Experiencing a lack of clarity and confidence when clients grapple with life challenges or crises mirroring my own.
- The extended period required to feel professionally competent and valuable.
- Persistent feelings of inadequacy—believing I could or should be doing more, and worrying about the efficacy of my chosen focus.
- Questioning my career path: Am I in the right profession? Would another setting or role be a better fit?
- Struggling to be a “good enough” therapist while managing personal health and striving to be a “good enough” parent. I know I’m not alone in this! How do others manage this balance?
These feelings are not transient; they persist throughout our careers. Acknowledging and addressing them is crucial. If we perceive these feelings as signs of weakness, shame can prevent us from seeking help, potentially leading to isolation, increased vulnerability, and a negative cycle.
Cultivating Self-Compassion, Peer Support, and Positive Emotions
Brené Brown (2012), a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, has gained prominence for her TED talks on vulnerability, shame, and wholehearted living, amassing millions of views online. Her research-backed theories on vulnerability, grounded in lived experiences, explore shame and vulnerability, including her personal experiences.
Brown’s research underscores that connection provides meaning and purpose, and acknowledging vulnerability is essential for authentic connection. Early in life, we learn to shield ourselves from vulnerability by suppressing emotions, building emotional barriers, and projecting invulnerability (Brown, 2012). This protective mechanism, I believe, is reinforced during social work training. So, what are effective career building tools to counteract this?
Brown advocates for self-compassion, drawing on the work of University of Texas psychologist Kristin Neff (2011), who champions self-compassion through recognizing our shared human fallibility and imperfection. This recognition of common humanity can be a path out of isolation, understanding that feelings of inadequacy are part of the universal human experience.
Peer support groups offer another powerful approach. For these groups to provide genuine support, members must be willing to be authentically vulnerable. Meaningful connection requires voicing difficult or shameful feelings and articulating our needs. The experience of being understood and accepted by peers in this context can be profoundly healing and build resilience against shame (Brown, 2007, 2012; Counselman & Weber, 2004).
Self-compassion and peer groups are valuable career building tools for navigating the challenging emotions inherent in social work. They foster well-being and resilience. Furthermore, positive psychology research highlights that experiencing positive emotions:
- Broadens our cognitive and behavioral flexibility.
- Enhances our ability to recover from setbacks.
- Improves our coping mechanisms in adverse situations.
- Motivates us to pursue new experiences and relationships (Garland & Frederickson, 2010).
Positive emotions build internal resources that generate further positive emotions, creating an upward spiral of well-being (Frederickson, 2001). These emotions are crucial for bouncing back from stress and building resilience. Shifting focus towards positive feelings, rather than dwelling on negativity, can be a potent career building tool, providing leverage for positive change.
A key aspect of self-compassion is adopting a balanced approach to negative emotions—neither suppressing nor exaggerating them. Cultivating positive emotions can be effectively achieved by finding positive meaning in challenging situations. Reframing events in a positive light is a method to achieve this balanced perspective. How can we implement this?
Appreciative Inquiry as a Reframing Tool
Appreciative Inquiry (AI), initially developed for organizational change (Cooperider & Whitney, 1999), has been expanded by Jacqueline Kelm, an AI practitioner, for application in daily life. She developed a reframing process that social workers can utilize to identify positives in difficult experiences. This approach is grounded in core principles of Appreciative Inquiry:
- Constructionist Principle: Language Shapes Reality—Our understanding of reality, both subjective and objective, is socially constructed through language and dialogue.
- Simultaneity Principle: Inquiry Initiates Change—The act of questioning itself is an intervention, setting change in motion.
- Poetic Principle: Focus Determines Perception—Like poetry, stories are open to interpretation. Our chosen focus shapes our perception and experience of the world.
- Anticipatory Principle: Vision Drives Action—Systems move towards their envisioned future. A positive and hopeful future vision fosters positive action in the present.
- Positive Principle: Positive Questions, Positive Change—Momentum for change is fueled by positive emotions and strong social bonds (Cooperider & Whitney, 1999).
These principles, and the reframing process, can help transform negative narratives into stories imbued with positive meaning. By becoming more aware of our internal and external dialogues, we can intentionally reframe them to focus on desired outcomes rather than unwanted situations. AI does not ignore problems, but rather broadens our perspective, allowing us to recognize existing positives that might be overlooked. Kelm’s process emphasizes appreciating the present, clarifying desired outcomes, and taking action (Kelm, 2005).
I recently applied Kelm’s process while mentoring Annie, an early-career social worker who was questioning her career choice and seeking a job transition that better utilized her strengths.
Annie was offered an interview within her current agency for a role she initially felt was unsuitable. Despite her reservations, I encouraged her to use the interview as an opportunity to refine her interviewing skills and practice articulating her professional desires. Through previous mentoring, Annie had a clear understanding of her ideal job characteristics. To gain insights into the offered position, I suggested she request to speak with someone who had previously held the role.
Annie’s experience became surprisingly empowering. She emerged from the interview with enhanced confidence in her interviewing abilities and clearer about how to advocate for her needs, regardless of the specific job offer. Although offered the position, she declined and subsequently secured a more suitable role in another organization.
Remarkably, Annie learned that her former employer adopted her suggestion and now includes conversations with past role-holders in their interview process. Instead of being a negative experience, Annie’s interview process led to positive improvements in her previous agency. She not only gained valuable experience but also facilitated positive change in her workplace.
In conclusion, social work is both a rewarding and demanding profession, particularly challenging in the early years. Self-awareness—understanding our strengths, values, resources, and optimal working conditions—combined with the courage to embrace vulnerability and build supportive connections are vital career building tools. Utilizing approaches that enable us to positively reframe challenges and develop robust self-care and job navigation skills can significantly impact our professional journey. With the right support and tools, we can transform stressful periods into opportunities for growth, resilience, and professional fulfillment.
References
Biswas-Diener, R. (2010). Practicing positive psychology coaching. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Berg, J.M., Dutton, J.E., & Wrzesniewski, A. (2010). Job crafting exercise. Ann Arbor, MI: Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship.
Brown, B. (2007). I thought it was just me (But it isn’t): Making the journey from “What will people think” to “I am enough.” NY: Gotham.
Brown, B. (2012). Daring greatly: How the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent, and lead. New York, NY: Gotham.
Cooperrider, D.L., & Whitney, D. (1999). A positive revolution in change: Appreciative inquiry. Taos, NM: Corporation for Positive Change.
Counselman, E. F., & Weber, R. L. (2004). Organizing and maintaining peer supervision groups. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy. 54 (2), 125-143.
Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist. 56 (3), 218-226.
Garland, E.L., & Frederickson, B., et. al. (2010). Upward spirals of positive emotions counter downward spirals of negativity: Insights from the broaden-and-build theory and affective neuroscience on the treatment of emotion dysfunctions and deficits in psychopathology. Clinical Psychological Review. 30 (7), 849-64.
Guidelines for Setting Up Peer Supervision Groups. (2005). VCT TOOLKIT: Participant’s manual: Counseling supervision and Ttraining, Family Health International, 43.
Kelm, J. B. (2008). The joy of appreciative living: Your 28-day plan to greater happiness in 3 incredibly easy steps. NY: Tarcher.
Kelm, J. (2005). Appreciative living: The principles of appreciative inquiry in personal life. Wake Forest, NC: Venet.
Neff, K. (2011). Self-compassion: Stop beating yourself up and leave insecurity behind. NY: Harper Collins.
Stavros, J., & Torres, C. (2005) Dynamic relationships: Unleashing the power of appreciative inquiry in daily living. Chagrin Falls, OH: Taos Institute Publishing.
Marilyn Lammert, ScD, LCSW-C, provides mentor-coaching to social workers at all stages of their careers, individually or in groups, in-person, or virtually. She received her MSW from Washington University and ScD from Johns Hopkins University. During her career, she has taught in graduate schools of social work, worked as a community organizer, organization development consultant and administrator, and worked with individuals and groups in private practice. Her practice is in Bethesda, MD, and she lives nearby with her husband and two cats. For more information, see her website at MarilynLammert.com.
