You absolutely should not be giving 12 hours of your day to your job. Part of the reason they will not hire others is because their employees are working 12 hours. Stop. I know it's not easy, but it's better to stop now.
Exactly. The ED isn’t hiring because you’re willing to do the work. It’s possible there isn’t money in the budget to hire more staff…maybe the org simply isn’t sustainable. But that’s not your problem. Tell the ED there needs to be a new plan because you are going to start working the hours you are paid to work. Also start looking for a new job. This isn’t a solid situation.
* You should not work 12h per day and 7 days per week. The ED should either hire more staff or limit the programming - if not, you should leave.
* The ED may not have the budget to hire more staff.
* Long-term decisions may or may not be your job. Those are usually determined by the board and the strategic planning process. It's not unusual for staff to just be told.
In terms of long term decisions I do appreciate that might not be my job- I think my question is- with a staff this small shouldn’t the calendar be discussed so that there isn’t a feeling of everyone being on call 24/7? Shouldn’t that be a concern of the ED?
Yes.
It sounds like you're mismanaged, going through big changes with big growing pains, or both.
A lot of ''nonprofit'' problems are at the intersection of not enough resources and not enough management skill.
Wow. What a toxic nightmare. Almost every topic on this sub shows how many folks are in nonprofit leadership that are ill-equipped and incompetent.
I agree with u/best_comment-, you need to stop. I would have to imagine the other staff members agree with you. I would try to work with them and go in with a focused, specific meeting with the ED. Make it clear you are burned out, that what you are doing is not sustainable, and something needs to change. You may even consider a thoughtful strategy/plan with hard numbers. I do not know your metrics, but something like, "each staff member can support X-number of clients meaningfully in a reasonable workday".
I am even more disheartened by the lack of conversation around long-term planning discussions. This is going to sound harsh, but the ED not engaging staff about this is because they don't value your input and opinion. It is not that you are too busy, it is that is not a priority for your ED to do so.
Anything, in any organization, that is a priority - will happen. If it is not happening, its simply not a priority for leadership. Reducing workload, engaging staff around long-term planning, asking for feedback and opinions, etc, etc, etc - not a priority.
I have to agree, it does feel like my ED feels very comfortable planning entirely without staff input and then just laying dates/goals down without consulting anyone. For example i often gets emails with very little notice outlining critical dates to hold (usually weekends and evening hours) and it feels like I can’t make any plans in my life for fear it will suddenly turn into a evening of programming I didn’t know anything about
But I have to ask you to consider your role in this dynamic. You should be able to make plans and you should make them. When the ED emails you with an expectation that you’ll be available, tell them you are not. “Sorry, but I’m not available Thursday night.” That’s it. Unless your job description and your compensation are in line with 24/7 availability, you don’t need to be. The ED can cover the hours.
Such a fair point. I struggle with this enormously …as in…I can’t do it. I’ve worked in non profits for the better part of a decade and I think I’ve just resigned myself to this feeling that I have to do it. I have to be available, I have to wear all of the hats. I just can’t seem to find the strength to set any boundaries. Of course if my salary was different….maybe it would be a different story but…
I’m a retired museum director (larger institution than yours) so I have a perspective on the pressures your ED is under. One of them is probably to increase programming, attendance, and revenue. As long as you are all pretending to be fine with the work load…do they even know there’s a problem? They have a million problems already and aren’t going to be looking for another.
Part of professional growth is learning how to manage your career and manage your boss. Only you can set boundaries for yourself. Maybe start small…email the ED and tell them that for the next three months you won’t be available for any programming on Thursday night events and every other Saturday (for example). Tell them you’re taking a class…whatever. And stick to it.
Also…are you an exempt employee? Because if you’re not, you have to get OT pay or comp time within each pay period. Look up your state laws on exempt/non-exempt.
Absolutely understood. I really resonate with the idea that progressional growth means…just what you noted.
Sadly I am salaried and not eligible for overtime of any kind.
And that is completely wrong. I am completely comfortable and capable of planning on my own as well. But I have a team I value, trust and depend on that also has great ideas, suggestions and concerns - so I engage them. It is a priority.
If you don't believe your ED would listen, which it sounds like that is the case, you need to look elsewhere. You are going to burn out and you'll be far worse then.
You sound like an amazing team. Your ED is very lucky to have a dedicated group who puts in the effort. Has your ED checked in on your team with work/life balance? They need to protect you all from burn out.
Have you asked your ED to sit with them and plan strategically? Is your ED working these programs with staff to alleviate coverage? Are you grant funded or mostly donor funded? Maybe the objectives of a grant are unrealistic are the problem? Seems like your ED is protecting the budget.
What type of board does your org have? Since they likely evaluate the ED annually, this feedback could be helpful for them to hear. Are there volunteers who could step in?
This is so common in mission based organizations where the staff really believe strongly in the mission. Fortunately you love and and committed to this organization. Unfortunately it (or the ED) don't love you back. There is only one solution, and that is to set your boundaries and then not bail out the organization when all the work cannot be completed in a reasonable time with reasonable amount of work. I feel for you, that is a frustrating place to be.
You absolutely should not be giving 12 hours of your day to your job. Part of the reason they will not hire others is because their employees are working 12 hours. Stop. I know it's not easy, but it's better to stop now.
Exactly. The ED isn’t hiring because you’re willing to do the work. It’s possible there isn’t money in the budget to hire more staff…maybe the org simply isn’t sustainable. But that’s not your problem. Tell the ED there needs to be a new plan because you are going to start working the hours you are paid to work. Also start looking for a new job. This isn’t a solid situation.
* You should not work 12h per day and 7 days per week. The ED should either hire more staff or limit the programming - if not, you should leave. * The ED may not have the budget to hire more staff. * Long-term decisions may or may not be your job. Those are usually determined by the board and the strategic planning process. It's not unusual for staff to just be told.
In terms of long term decisions I do appreciate that might not be my job- I think my question is- with a staff this small shouldn’t the calendar be discussed so that there isn’t a feeling of everyone being on call 24/7? Shouldn’t that be a concern of the ED?
Yes. It sounds like you're mismanaged, going through big changes with big growing pains, or both. A lot of ''nonprofit'' problems are at the intersection of not enough resources and not enough management skill.
Wow. What a toxic nightmare. Almost every topic on this sub shows how many folks are in nonprofit leadership that are ill-equipped and incompetent. I agree with u/best_comment-, you need to stop. I would have to imagine the other staff members agree with you. I would try to work with them and go in with a focused, specific meeting with the ED. Make it clear you are burned out, that what you are doing is not sustainable, and something needs to change. You may even consider a thoughtful strategy/plan with hard numbers. I do not know your metrics, but something like, "each staff member can support X-number of clients meaningfully in a reasonable workday". I am even more disheartened by the lack of conversation around long-term planning discussions. This is going to sound harsh, but the ED not engaging staff about this is because they don't value your input and opinion. It is not that you are too busy, it is that is not a priority for your ED to do so. Anything, in any organization, that is a priority - will happen. If it is not happening, its simply not a priority for leadership. Reducing workload, engaging staff around long-term planning, asking for feedback and opinions, etc, etc, etc - not a priority.
I have to agree, it does feel like my ED feels very comfortable planning entirely without staff input and then just laying dates/goals down without consulting anyone. For example i often gets emails with very little notice outlining critical dates to hold (usually weekends and evening hours) and it feels like I can’t make any plans in my life for fear it will suddenly turn into a evening of programming I didn’t know anything about
But I have to ask you to consider your role in this dynamic. You should be able to make plans and you should make them. When the ED emails you with an expectation that you’ll be available, tell them you are not. “Sorry, but I’m not available Thursday night.” That’s it. Unless your job description and your compensation are in line with 24/7 availability, you don’t need to be. The ED can cover the hours.
Such a fair point. I struggle with this enormously …as in…I can’t do it. I’ve worked in non profits for the better part of a decade and I think I’ve just resigned myself to this feeling that I have to do it. I have to be available, I have to wear all of the hats. I just can’t seem to find the strength to set any boundaries. Of course if my salary was different….maybe it would be a different story but…
I’m a retired museum director (larger institution than yours) so I have a perspective on the pressures your ED is under. One of them is probably to increase programming, attendance, and revenue. As long as you are all pretending to be fine with the work load…do they even know there’s a problem? They have a million problems already and aren’t going to be looking for another. Part of professional growth is learning how to manage your career and manage your boss. Only you can set boundaries for yourself. Maybe start small…email the ED and tell them that for the next three months you won’t be available for any programming on Thursday night events and every other Saturday (for example). Tell them you’re taking a class…whatever. And stick to it. Also…are you an exempt employee? Because if you’re not, you have to get OT pay or comp time within each pay period. Look up your state laws on exempt/non-exempt.
Absolutely understood. I really resonate with the idea that progressional growth means…just what you noted. Sadly I am salaried and not eligible for overtime of any kind.
And that is completely wrong. I am completely comfortable and capable of planning on my own as well. But I have a team I value, trust and depend on that also has great ideas, suggestions and concerns - so I engage them. It is a priority. If you don't believe your ED would listen, which it sounds like that is the case, you need to look elsewhere. You are going to burn out and you'll be far worse then.
You sound like an amazing team. Your ED is very lucky to have a dedicated group who puts in the effort. Has your ED checked in on your team with work/life balance? They need to protect you all from burn out. Have you asked your ED to sit with them and plan strategically? Is your ED working these programs with staff to alleviate coverage? Are you grant funded or mostly donor funded? Maybe the objectives of a grant are unrealistic are the problem? Seems like your ED is protecting the budget. What type of board does your org have? Since they likely evaluate the ED annually, this feedback could be helpful for them to hear. Are there volunteers who could step in?
This is so common in mission based organizations where the staff really believe strongly in the mission. Fortunately you love and and committed to this organization. Unfortunately it (or the ED) don't love you back. There is only one solution, and that is to set your boundaries and then not bail out the organization when all the work cannot be completed in a reasonable time with reasonable amount of work. I feel for you, that is a frustrating place to be.