In the world of social impact, we are consistently challenged to do more with less. Budgets are always thin, and decisions are sometimes made between adding resources to the team or serving more clients. As a leader, I always have the burnout of my team in the back of my mind. Similarly, I know my board is worried about the same for me.
There is much discussion in both the for-profit and nonprofit communities about work/life balance. Both sectors discuss balancing a passion for the business with personal obligations. Nonprofits face a unique set of problems and have to walk the line between limited resources, donor scrutiny, and employee burnout. Balance is an interesting word, much like “fair” and “equitable;” it can mean different things at different times and is unique to each person or situation.
Our leadership team is a mix of corporate and non-profit backgrounds, but everyone on my team agrees they have never worked harder than they do at BBBS. They have also never been as fulfilled. I think it’s fueled by their passion. People who work for philanthropic organizations don’t separate their jobs from their lives. In fact, 84 percent of people looking for work in the nonprofit sector see their jobs as part of their identity. That’s why the idea of work/life balance doesn’t really make sense in the charitable professions. Don’t get me wrong – We emphasize working smart not just working long. The person with the light on the longest doesn’t win a prize, but we place a tremendous about of value on getting things done. We leave it all out on the table. Everyday we go home, see friends, snuggle with family, and then return the next day to kill it again.
The thing about work/life balance is that it probably isn’t what got you to the level you are at today – I know it isn’t how I got to where I am. You didn’t walk into your first job saying balance was important to you. You went in and worked as hard as you could. If you want to move up the ladder, especially if you want to do it quickly, it is most likely something you will sacrifice. If you love what you do (like we do at BBBS) you are okay with that. I don’t focus on balance; I focus on supporting my team to the best of my abilities.
I am not anti-work/life balance, but I certainly don’t live with the concept pinned to my lapel or listed in my LinkedIn profile – nor would I ever hire someone who mentioned it in an interview. I have struggled with the amount of time I am able to spend at home. I am a mother of three young boys and I am home most nights for dinner, but I have learned that I need to be authentically me. Early on I compared myself to other moms, to women who didn’t work outside the home, and it mentally wrecked me. I am not going to be able to able to make every field trip and that is something I’ve accepted. I am showing my boys the value of hard work, and my husband and I are instilling values of teamwork and support to set the example.
Arguing for work/life balance means that there is a distinction between work and life – but there’s not. When you spend more than half of your waking hours on work, that is your life, and when you get to change lives for hours on end, it’s never work.
Our employees have emotional and intellectual connections with the work they do. To learn more about bettering yourself and your community, please visitwww.BigBroOC.org.
