Holding Fast: The Struggle to Create Resilient Caregiving Organizations

How can caregivers remain both caring and strong enough to withstand the stress of their work?
How can caregiving organizations effectively improve their management and practice?

Increasing pressure on caregiving organizations to serve more people with fewer resources means that epidemics of burnout, high staff turnover, dissatisfaction and internal conflict often appear inevitable. Holding Fast focuses on the particular stress of caregiving work, its influences on the people and organizations who do that work, and what they can do about it.

Illustrated by case studies based on extensive research in schools, hospitals, social work agencies, health care centres and religious institutions, Holding Fast identifies the problems faced by caregiving organizations, and outlines appropriate strategies for tackling these to create a resilient, effective organization. The book is divided into clear sections covering:

* an introduction to the nature of caregiving organizations

* the disturbances that can occur within them

*the skills required to effectively lead them.

Holding Fast offers a portrait of how organizations become, or are prevented from becoming, systems of caregiving. It will help leaders of caregiving organizations and their staff gain a better understanding of the difficulties encountered by their organizations, leading to improved management and practice.

William A. Kahn is Associate Professor and Chairman of the Department of Organizational Behaviour at Boston University's School of Management.