NeXtGen @ CANI with Jennifer Renner
I. Introductions- Handout: 10 Tips for Getting Your Work/Life in Balance
II. Tour- We toured CANI’s historic building, which use to be where the News-Sentinel resided and learned about the many different programs CANI provides.
III. Discussion: Work/Life Balance
Jennifer Renner invited CANI’s executive director of 33 years, Joseph (Joe) Conrad to join our discussion and provide a ‘wiser’ perspective on work and life in the nonprofit sector. Joe preluded the discussion with the statement that he has no children, but his wife also works in a nonprofit and they are very supportive of each other. Joe emphasized that it’s important to recognize what’s going on and what you’re getting into when heading a nonprofit because there really is no life balance. You can’t leave the organization when you get home; it’s always on your mind.
Joe learned as a new C.E.O. that his relationship to everyone at CANI changed and there was a feeling of seclusion associated with that. Therefore, Joe and a few other area executive directors formed the Not for Profit Association. He emphasized the importance of networking, especially supportive networking, i.e. talking with peers, as we do in NeXtGen. He also said one of the most important things you can do as an executive director is hire good people.
Joe also stressed the significance of recreation in our lives. He pointed out that the word recreate is essentially “re-CREATE,” or to create anew (There was a bit of a collective sigh at this point). For Joe, this has involved exploring new recreational activities like kayaking and doing so with the intention of renewal.
Ebony Young, Branch Director of two YMCA locations, talked about a program she learned of through Indiana Youth Institute, the Journey Executive Fellowship Program facilitated by the Leadership and Renewal Outfitters. The fellowship program empowers youth workers who are in the higher levels of their nonprofit. (See the website for more details!) This came as we discussed the quick burnout associated with working in a nonprofit organization and the need to step back and refresh oneself.
The discussion then turned to the inner conflict of connecting to those we work with and getting things done. We discussed the difficulty, especially in nonprofits, of having to put personal connections aside and make a decision. Ebony, Katey Wilks, Executive Director of the Fort Wayne Children’s Choir, and Joe all reiterated the fact that decisions are about the mission and what’s right for the organization. Andy Hoffman from Neighborlink added that this grows increasingly difficult when your organization depends on volunteers and creating and maintaining the personal connection with them in order keep them volunteering.
Daisy Schmidt, Long Term Care Ombudsman Program of Northeast Indiana, commented that when we fail, we need to “Fail Forward” so that we end up in a better place than when we started and learn from that failure. Joe added that we shouldn’t be afraid to do things.
In fact, when questioned by Jennifer, Joe suggested that his biggest regrets were not taking risks along the way. He offered that at times he may not have felt capable of surmounting specific obstacles or shepherding certain goals, but that looking back, he sees that he could have.
We ended the discussion with Joe reemphasizing that it’s important to “Find recreational activities where you can re-create” as a way to balance your life. We are also looking forward to a possible meet and greet with Joe’s Not for Profit Association group.
So we ask those in attendance, what was your take-away?
Please add what you felt was the most important thing learned or tips on how you maintain balance in your life.
Lettie said
Something I took away that may deserve more discussion is how Joe decided to take on the role of Executive Director. He said he was frustrated at the turnover the position had had and a handful of folks talked to him about trying it out.
I like that Joe shared that he never intended to be E.D. for 33 years.
I read so much about our generations’ lack of commitment to organizations and positions that I feel like I learned something from Joe about how to frame things. If I look at my job as something that I am married to for 30 years, I would have a hard time staying the course. If, however, I assessed how much I enjoy my job, how much I can contribute, the relationships I am building – and looked backward at how long I, unexpectedly, have already been at ACPL- I can see that it may be entirely possible that I would be happy doing this for some time. 30 years? Maybe…
Suddenly the way I think about the passing of time is shifting. Does re-framing the commitment change it in any vital ways for anyone else?
Stephanie O'Shaughnessy said
Hearing that Joe never intended or planned to be there for 33 years did put things in perspective for me. It reminded me that we can plan all we want, but sometimes life takes us in a completely different direction.
But another thing I took away relating to the work/life balance was that I wouldn’t want to be in a job where I regularly felt that I was carrying my job around with me all the time, even at home. I think that exemplifies the live to work/ work to live generational difference among us, but even if I had a job I absolutely loved doing, I still wouldn’t want to do it 24 hours a day or even think about doing it all day long. I have too many other interests and I think after a while, I wouldn’t love that job anymore. But then again, like Joe, although I don’t plan on being in a higher position, it could just happen and I might realize talents that I never knew were there and then be in a position to work some of my other interests into a job I love. Anything is possible, I guess!
But maybe that also goes into the sectoring off of our lives that we sort of glossed over, but didn’t delve too deeply into. We have our work selves, our family selves, our social selves that we try to keep separate from each other with occasional intermingling, but is this a good thing or a bad thing? I’m not sure.
Comments/Other opinions?
Jennie said
I think as you get “higher-up” in your job it is more and more difficult to separate your work self and your social self – but I guess that also depends what your job is. Although most jobs at a higher level rely on networking which is why your social self is hard to separate from your work self.