I want to share what I learned from consultant friends who have started a Facebook chat called Coffee Time with Master Minds. Their recent topic was Self Care. Our critical organizational resource is our staff. I urge you to think about "Structural Care". We ask so much of our staff, who are super dedicated to our missions, often to the point of burnout--and this pandemic has added immense pressure to an already challenging work. It is OUR responsibility as organization leaders to do whatever we can to avoid that burnout syndrome and to actively address care of our staff--we shouldn't put the added burden on staff to take care of themselves. Make staff wellness part of your organizational culture! Build in time for them to do what they need to do to recharge their batteries. If you have enough interest, for example, hire a yoga instructor to hold a staff class. If working from home makes it difficult to set limits on the work day, encourage them to break and take a walk (my personal recharge tool!). Build a toolbox of options and demonstrate to your staff how you value them by giving them time off.

If staff are regularly working 50 hours a week, consider why? Too much on their plate? Spinning their wheels? Do you need more staff, or less work? During my recent interim ED work, I mapped the needs of the organization and the skills and responsibilities of the staff; the resulting Venn diagram helped the Board see that a new staff position was needed, and the result was that the staff felt appreciated, felt they were heard, and job responsibilities became much better defined. Can I work with you on a similar exercise for your organization?