Alison Koch shared these thoughts originally as part of Museum Computer Network's 2019 Ignite. As I sat in an aerie above the stage, I DM'd her to ask her to share her remarks here. They were that true and that powerful. I hope you enjoy them.
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Written by Alison Koch
I think us non-profit folks have a particularly complicated
relationship with work.
Mission statements can quickly come to justify all sorts of
bad habits and behavior, both as perpetrated upon us by leadership and peers,
as well as the ways we often end up treating ourselves. I mean, we’re not not
curing cancer. Everything feels like it’s on fire, sometimes because the
rainforest actually is!
So, on the one hand, we have a meaningful north star – a
noble mission – but on the other hand, we are struggling with a unique
existential crisis, limited compensation, and sky-high expectations.
How might we re-imagine the future of mission-based work?
First, I think that museums need to think about their staff
as a stakeholder group worthy of just as much time, attention, energy, and
evaluation as visitors or donors.
What would it look like if we investigated staff turnover
with as much rigor as we courted lapsed donors and members? We love a comment
card from a visitor, but how can we gather better, honest feedback from staff
early and often before they quit or leave the sector? And how do you act on
that information to save the relationship? An exit interview is too late.
We also know we can’t just sit around and wait for a magical
top-down change. How can we as individuals take steps to make this meaningful
work feel like a sustainable choice in the long-run?
First, please stop beating yourself up. Don’t let the
mission be a weapon you wield against yourself. You are doing enough, I
promise.
You don’t have to start at “Yes”. Get better at saying “No.”
Or “Okay, but I need until June.” If you are forced to stretch or sprint
unsustainably, speak up. Document your concern. Explain. Advocate. Don’t just
drink your coffee quietly while the room burns down, because you are also
flammable.
What small thing can you normalize? What big thing can you
break and rebuild? With whatever power you have, do something that makes other
people stop and say, “Wait, we can do that?” Every inch we can move in the
right direction course-corrects leadership and sets an example for our peers.
It’s no small feat.
I’m asking you to stay. We need you. You are too important
not to be a part of the future of our work. If we all leave, there’s no one to
show us how to do it differently.
Biography:
Alison Koch is a digital storyteller, technical product
manager, design thinker, dog mama, and perpetual American Sign Language
student, currently serving as the inaugural Digital Content Producer and
strategist at Playwrights Horizons theater in New York City.
First Image credit: Paru Ramesh