Dear Executive Director,
You are awesome. What a hard job you're doing.
Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Burned out? I'll bet you do. We all do.
There aren’t enough hours in the day to get it all done. There are clients counting on your organization to make their lives better. You have wonderful employees who are working long hours for little pay and crappy benefits. You have well intentioned board members who think events plan themselves and revenue just pours in effortlessly. You have your organization's reputation and its future resting in your hands.
Sounds exhausting. Are you exhausted?
So you throw yourself into your job. You work harder, longer. You attend trainings and conferences. You spend nights tossing and turning as you think about a looming deficit, a struggling client, a disgruntled employee.
Will you find an angel donor? Will a bequest magically fall from the sky? Will a surprise long-shot grant be awarded? Or will you have to tighten your belt a little more. Maybe let a beloved employee go. Add their responsibilities to your already overloaded team’s plate.
When you are in the trenches, it is almost impossible to see anything but the trench walls and the faces of your fellow trench-mates.
How do you carve out time for reflection and perspective taking? As Thomas Friedman said in Thank You for Being Late, “We are generating more information and knowledge than ever today, but knowledge is only good if you can reflect on it.” Here are some ideas to try:
Time pressure is relentless and never ending, like a waterfall. You may feel like you can’t afford to step off the treadmill for a moment because your organization will fall apart. But how much more will your organization suffer if you reach a breaking point and have to leave?
Invest in your own longevity. Put on your own oxygen mask first. You are your organization’s #1 asset – protect it at all cost.
You are my hero.
Sincerely,
Julie Sootin
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| Photo by Brian Dewey at Flickr.com |
Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Burned out? I'll bet you do. We all do.
There aren’t enough hours in the day to get it all done. There are clients counting on your organization to make their lives better. You have wonderful employees who are working long hours for little pay and crappy benefits. You have well intentioned board members who think events plan themselves and revenue just pours in effortlessly. You have your organization's reputation and its future resting in your hands.
Sounds exhausting. Are you exhausted?
So you throw yourself into your job. You work harder, longer. You attend trainings and conferences. You spend nights tossing and turning as you think about a looming deficit, a struggling client, a disgruntled employee.
Will you find an angel donor? Will a bequest magically fall from the sky? Will a surprise long-shot grant be awarded? Or will you have to tighten your belt a little more. Maybe let a beloved employee go. Add their responsibilities to your already overloaded team’s plate.
When you are in the trenches, it is almost impossible to see anything but the trench walls and the faces of your fellow trench-mates.
How do you carve out time for reflection and perspective taking? As Thomas Friedman said in Thank You for Being Late, “We are generating more information and knowledge than ever today, but knowledge is only good if you can reflect on it.” Here are some ideas to try:
- Start your morning with 5 minutes of meditation to set the tone for the day
- Turn your radio or podcast off during your commute and ride in silence to see what thoughts bubble up
- Go for a 20-minute walk at lunch time by yourself
- Block off a “do not disturb” hour every week for contemplation
- Work from home on occasion
- Take a sabbatical if you can – not only will you return feeling refreshed, you will have given your staff an opportunity to grow their own leadership skills
- When you finish a book, take a few minutes to write down your thoughts and ideas. Come back to your notes a week later to reinforce them.
Time pressure is relentless and never ending, like a waterfall. You may feel like you can’t afford to step off the treadmill for a moment because your organization will fall apart. But how much more will your organization suffer if you reach a breaking point and have to leave?
Invest in your own longevity. Put on your own oxygen mask first. You are your organization’s #1 asset – protect it at all cost.
You are my hero.
Sincerely,
Julie Sootin
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