As a board member, especially being young, feeling like I’m not heard by the other board members. Running up against a wall. Fall into people pleasing behavior.
Cultural issue
- Listening to what they want and trying to provide solutiosn when all they want is to check a box, and not do the uncomfortable work to do what they actually say they want to do. Managing time.
- Navigate the challenges of burnuout both as a fundraising professional, Executive Director, Co-Founder, and executive level staff. Board member. Amd as board chair. Understand the unique challenges within each situation.
- As fundraising professional, on call all the time. If a donor called me at 11pm at nighit, and didn’t respond would text me multiple times. Past by bedtime. Felt like my hands were tied, had to answer the phone. Wearing too many hats, did the whole she-bang, event planner, thank you letter writer, dishwasher. Feeling like I’m the only one responsible for the revenue.
- As an executive level staff within a nonprofit, not having leadership support. Not feeling supported through trust-based leadership, feeling valued, micromanaged, stuffed into a box, had to do things a certain way that didn’t necessarily draw on my strengths, noa ccountabiitys tructure and set expectations, guessing on things and questioning self. Not having regular feedback until performance eval – this is what you’re doing wrong. Develop iposter syndrome.
- Executive Director and Co-Founder – Isolation, floating, alone, our board chair drove the vision, challenges with other co-founder on how exactly to do things, had to learn a billion things. Feeling stuck. Had an employee who wanted more and felt stuck because couldn’t offer her a pathway to get what she wanted. Feel strapped because of the confines of the org, didn tallow me to mentor or coach people how I wanted. Reporting to a board that doesn’t understand nonprofits. So our vision of how the work should do, (especially so young) conflited with what business people think a nonprofit should be.
- As a board member, especially being young, feeling like I’m not heard by the other board members. Running up against a wall. Fall into people pleasing behavior. Cultural issue – listening to what they want and trying to provide solutiosn when all they want is to check a box, and not do the uncomfortable work to do what they actually say they want to do. Managing time.
- Burnout is a buzzword and normalized itgs just expected so ppl don’t know they’re feeling it, or how dangeour si tis, worse to drive whe you’re sleep deprived than driving drunk. Looking for other jobs. Imposter syndrome, questioning if they’re measuring up, can they meet epectations, are they enough? People peasing, Work won’t magially become whar you need it to be. You have to do the internal work.
- Yes the culture of the org led you to feel this way but you have internal things that have not allowed you to ask for help. Will carry that with you wherever you go, another job won’t help. There are those internal factors you’d have to identify. Level of career coaching = interview coaching. Help with decidingwhat kind of culture and boundaries you’d want. Help with the difficult conversations. Begin to identify red flags that matter to you.
VisionL
- Changes the way you show up to your job. Storytelling about burnout Ppl think they’re in it by themselves. They don’t know who to reach out to. Makes it relatable. Love when other people put language to what you’re feeling.
- Burntout, exhausted, lack motivation and joy – used to have joy, for life and for their mission, Stressed out all the time, tired, lacked interest in anything, zoning out – numbing behaviors, feeling lonely or isolated, can’t focus, brain fog, irritability, negativity at work.
- Frozen in place when trying to do email. Panic attack. All compounds – with stuff at home with family. Never really got sick before but has been low energy and constantly sniffling. Decrease in performance at work. Just trying to make it to Friday, end of year, end of month. Being more proactive vs. reactive bc so strapped for resources. Trigger fight flight, whe you do it for so long your hormones an dbody can’t be in that mode all the time. Threat is real for clients. Constant stress all the time.
- After, they would set better boundaries, more joyful, joyous, start to smile again, laugh, sing, finding what aligns with what you want to do – aligns purpose and passion, without necessarily changing jobs. Helps with performance. Better decisions, leadership, having space. People pleasing. Work life juggle, living in alignment, feel more confident and freer, job isn’t any easier but feel like I have choices back, get control back, live unapologetically, confident and aligned. When you live in service of others, don’t lie that way because so lost in taking care of other people.