“If we beat the system at its own game, we’ve lost. It is no longer time to rush through the contested world blinded by fury and anger – however worthwhile these are. Now, is the time to ‘retreat’ into the real work of reclamation, to re-member again our humanity through the intimacy of our relationships. The time is very urgent – we must slow down.” – Bayo Akomolafe

This is an invitation for you to take a moment and get off the hamster wheel.

Pause. Breathe. Reflect.

As I write this, it’s late summer, my kitchen fridge just rumbled, the dogs collectively sighed at my feet and there is a constant hum of crickets outside. The fly on my computer screen is annoying but seems to be sitting there watching these words unravel.

It’s been a slow morning. My coffee (in my favourite “World’s Best Grandma” mug) is done and today I will finally write something I’ve been thinking about for months. I’m ready to share what I feel is the most urgent, most important issue in our sector today— and a framework for tackling it together.

The big problem

The data is clear—our communities need us more than ever. Resources are dwindling and need is escalating. But that isn’t new. That is the nature of the world we live in.

Unfortunately, our people are burnt out and the big problem is, we are doing nothing about it. We need to take better care of our people. Wellness is no longer a nice to have, it’s an essential part of a successful business strategy.

We can no longer be complicit with dysfunction. You may be one of those people who is tired and wound so tight that reading this is making you emotional. I see you. You will be okay. We can fix this.

But how?

Rallying cries aren’t solving the problem. We need to do something different. We need to slow down.

Rewiring a broken system

In her book, Hope Circuits: Rewiring Universities and Other Organizations for Human Flourishing, Dr. Jessica Riddell offers a hopeful way forward. She asks, “What does it look like if we can build hopeful systems where individuals and communities flourish?” While Dr. Riddell focusses specifically on the broken system of academia everything she writes can be applied to the charitable sector. Especially the chapters on governance and fundraising.

“… imagine systems that encourages humans to be curiosity driven, make room for failure and learning, build upon each members best capacities, embrace complexity, value multiple and diverse perspectives, co-construct meaning, and invite transformation through careful, respectful dialogue.”

“Scarcity culture is perpetuated with statements like,
We never have enough people.
We never have enough staff.
We never have enough students.
We never have enough government grants.
We never have enough resources
We never have enough…

And, this inevitably moves from ‘we never have enough … to I am not enough.’”

Having spent time with Dr. Riddell, I can tell you that she is the living and breathing example of how connection, inclusion and hope can create a culture of abundance. We can learn a lot from her book and her example.

So, what would it take to stop operating in a state of permacrisis and scarcity?

Like Bayo Akomolafe writes and Jessica Riddell models, we need to reclaim and re-member our humanity through the relationships and connections we have with the people we work with, and the communities we serve. To do this, we need to slow the f**k down!

To build a high performing team, we need to start prioritizing a wellness culture. We need to take immediate action to protect our people to save our programs. Here are some ideas:

• Understand that helping everyone on our team to be mentally, physically and socially fit is essential to delivering our budgets and programs. Putting our own people first (yes, before beneficiaries and donors) will drive results for everyone.
• Ditch “professionalism” and normalize being a complicated human. If your staff are worried about childcare, what’s for dinner or how they’re missing out on a concert at school because of a donor event, they won’t be able to perform well. Modelling your humanity sets an example.
• Embrace wellness as a constant practice that impacts everything we do and how we connect with and care for each other daily. Take time to really hear how your people are doing. Slow down, create space for real conversations.
• Set boundaries with your board of directors. Dismantle unhelpful power dynamics and advocate for the wellbeing of your team by making sure budgets reflect shared values and that everyone on your staff has housing and food security.
• Adopt trauma-informed leadership practices. Working in the charitable sector can be traumatic. A client who just moved into a new senior role recently said to me: “I don’t know how to be a good boss. I’ve never had one.” Wow!

Over the coming weeks I’ll be sharing my 4C Framework for High Performing teams. Together we will explore “Culture, Collaboration, Confidence and Coaching” as a continuum of practice and we will start by digging into what a Wellness Culture looks like.

Let’s change the world together by creating healthier workplaces where people can thrive.

Please share this series with your team and talk about how to implement these changes together. If you aren’t sure how to do that, please get in touch. I can help.

Kimberley Mackenzie, CPCC, ACC is a leadership coach for overwhelmed charity executives who need space to think, get clarity, set goals and take action. She is a former charity executive, consultant, CFRE and editor for Charity eNews. Kimberley is AFP Master Trainer and expert team facilitator. You can reach Kimberley at k@kimberleymackenzie.ca or follow her on Instagram @kimberleycanada.