An Assault on an Aviwyrm

Flash Fiction by EJ LeBlanc The aviwyrm took no joy in her flight this night. Her long body undulated through the air, carried aloft by millions of golden scale-feathers flickering in the moons-light. Each scale-feather was a tiny, thrumming, angry wing, flapping in a blur to rush her away from her home. She moved as she sounded, like a mourning …

Long Love Doth So (Part II): STRESS + REST = GROWTH

In my last post, I introduced this series on living and working sustainably to prevent burnout. I experienced a burnout a while back. Since then I’ve encountered many people and organizations who seem to think toxic workplace practices are the norm – the way things are and the way things will always be. It doesn’t have to be this way. …

Long Love Doth So: Living and Working Sustainably to Prevent Burnout – Part I

These violent delights have violent endsAnd in their triumph die, like fire and powder,Which as they kiss consume: the sweetest honeyIs loathsome in his own deliciousnessAnd in the taste confounds the appetite:Therefore love moderately; long love doth so;Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow. William Shakespeare Spoken by Friar Lawrence Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 6 In our …

How to recover from burnout title image. Animation shows the word burnout being burned, revealing a man holding his shirt open. Under the shirt is a cold, smoking heart. This is replaced by fire, which reignites the heart while the superimposed word "recovery" appears.

How to Recover from Burnout

As I mentioned in my earlier post, human learning and performance professionals should know better, but we sure do like to work in crazy, caustic work environments. Indeed, in my experience, learning and performance professionals are some of the worst culprits of contributing to workplace toxicity. A few years ago, I experienced a burnout. I’m better now, but it’s not …

How to Burnout - by EJ LeBlanc - Matches in a Group being lit and set aflame

How to Burnout

You know, as learning and performance professionals, we should know better. I don’t know whether it’s our drive, our creativity, our passion, or just our desperation (the majority of us are not paid well), but we sure do like to work in crazy environments. Aren’t we supposed to be the experts in meeting human needs to increase learning and performance? …

Looking Back: My First Instructional Design Project: AFJROTC TX-945

Looking back, I now know I did my first instructional design project in high school, when I was a Cadet Major in the TX-945 Air Force Junior Reserved Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC). It was my senior year (’96-’97) at North Shore High School in Houston, Texas. My instructor, Colonel Thomas W. McCay, asked me to create a booklet that could …