Using the Menninger Morale Curve for Improved Satisfaction

The endorphin rush you initially got from describing your new job or start-up is gone and why? The discrepancy between what you thought you could accomplish and what you do accomplish is well-pronounced and you wonder why you started this journey anyway. It’s no wonder the majority of small businesses fail and the average tenure of fundraisers is less than 2 years.

Several years ago I met Dr. Walt Menninger, whose research on the reentry experience of Peace Corps volunteers is consistent with many life events, including work in entrepreneurial and nonprofit spaces. As a result of his research, he created the Menninger Morale Curve, and recently Contessa and Kyriakides applied the theory to surgical resident attrition.

By understanding this morale curve we can mitigate dissatisfaction and develop coping mechanisms that make us better at managing our careers. By answering certain questions we can ultimately determine if our morale trajectory will be positive or negative at the end of our tenure.

To visualize the four stages, see that the initial morale is high (arrival), once realities of the task set in morale plummets (engagement), morale returns to a higher level after you have accepted the realities including environment, culture and actual tasks of completing your assignment (acceptance), and finally, morale is dependent on you as to whether or not you will complete the assignment with positive or negative morale (reentry).

The key is to not lose sight of your initial motivation and goals after learning the realities of the work. Note that reentry may take many forms: promotion, reassignment, mission shift or organization change. As a former Peace Corps volunteer, I confess the realization that I couldn’t eliminate poverty in my village in two years was devastating. After going through the phases of the Menninger Morale Curve, I was able to find purposeful work in my village and returned to the US with a great sense of accomplishment and real results to report.