Dodging burnout — at $142,000 a head

American company Johnson & Johnson thinks it has the answer to executive burnout. All it takes is a physiologist, a dietitian, an executive coach and US$100,000 ($142,000) in special services.

The company has spent the past year trying out the anti-burnout initiative — called Premier Executive Leadership — on seven of its own executives and has begun marketing it to other businesses, at US$100,000 a head.

“You can’t separate out your personal and professional lives,” says Peter Fasolo, who heads human resources at Johnson & Johnson. “People don’t check themselves at the door when they walk in.”

Johnson & Johnson’s burnout watch begins with an executive health assessment at the Mayo Clinic that lasts two and a half days. Tests include bone density scans, abdominal ultrasounds and a pharmaco-genetics review to measure how genes respond to certain medications.

The executive then meets for several days with three coaches — the dietitian, the physiologist and the executive coach — all of whom will closely monitor progress over the next nine months.

The dietitian will offer tips on how to stay healthy on business trips.

The executive coach conducts a preliminary interview that can last up to two days.

“We get to know them very well. We help them tell their life story, so to speak,” says David Astorino, one of the programme’s executive coaches.

One way to avoid burnout: give an executive a reason to work so hard. “This programme’s belief is you have to be motivated by something bigger than yourself.

“We help them define what their purpose is,” says Astorino.

The coach also interviews the executive’s family, friends, and colleagues.

Johnson & Johnson says its Premier Executive Leadership programme differs from standard executive coaching because of its holistic approach.

“What’s unique here is we’re sending clear messages to this individual that we support you,” says Fasolo, the HR chief.

“We get to the root causes, what drives these behaviours. It’s more than stress management.”

At the very least, the executive is likely to feel cared for by the company, boosting loyalty and, in theory, retention.

The three coaches decide together how to get executives to be their best physical, mental, and emotional selves.

The dietitian and physiologist work out a diet and exercise regime, which can include tips as simple as eating a balanced breakfast, something many busy leaders don’t do.

Over the following months, executives check in with their coaches. At the end of the programme, they do a final selfassessment.