Don't Make it Drama

 I reviewed the Market's draft budget last night though I didn't feel ready to go to Board meetings again yet. I found it confusing and inadequate. I know the Budget Committee members know how to put one together so I am making the assumption that they are no longer doing the GM's job but letting her make the effort she has been supposed to have been making for the last two-plus years. She has not learned enough, for whatever reasons, to keep us financially solvent. Apparently we are about $40,000 in the red, though that is not an official figure. No one has actually made any official statements from the Board yet.

However, someone broke the confidentiality of the Executive Session that was held after the meeting, to announce on Facebook (on the semi-private Members page) that the GM was fired. They did not share the reasons, but in an anonymous post they scapegoated one of the diligent Board members who has been making an effort to hold leaders to account. In case you forgot, I resigned from leadership last August, although just giving up the Secretary position did not make me not a leader.

I took myself off as Admin of the FB group last December, which left four staff as admins, and at some point the new Secretary was made an admin, but she took it upon herself, after resigning her position last night, to break confidentiality too in what seemed to be an official post, except that it was not neutral, as an admin post should be. Despite my vow to stay out of volunteering, I went in to moderate, see if I could dampen the drama and quiet some fears, and have now been monitoring it for let's see, 3 hours last night and 6 so far today. I had work to do but I am not doing it. I am volunteering for the market, again. 

That comes with lots of dismissal and a bit of bullying, and a bit of praise here and there, and has been somewhat effective, but at my personal cost. I did not sleep much last night. I'm fighting anxiety and the only saving grace is that I was not in the board room trying to help make the very hard decisions that had to be made. The breaking of confidentiality and the resignations to support friendships were not professional responses to the situation and now people are dividing off and imagining that it would be possible to invite the GM back. I'm embarrassed for my organization. 

It seems we've been badly managed for so long that people don't remember what good management looks like. Some of us do. It looks like a job description (which can be found in the Policies document, I believe) which is filled by a person who can handle all of the tasks in the time frame available. Who can prioritize the things that keep the organization solidly on track. Financial accountability is right up at the top of the priorities. It's the members' money...we make it with our work while we make our livings. We pay the fees, which have to be fair and sustainable. We want the budget to be followed. If there is a shortage, we want that to be identified and rectified before it gets too big to fix. The budget shortfall should not be surprising. The fact that it is due to overstaffing should have been addressed by fewer staff. It's not that difficult for someone who is a professional manager. You do what has to be done, and you do it professionally, without drama, without pain if you can. You use your skills.

It's not a personal situation, it's a business situation. Making it all about loving someone or even liking them is a messy, inappropriate use of emotions in what has to be a practical set of solutions. The missing skills have had to be filled in by volunteers, other hired people, or left unaddressed. Member complaints have been high. Members have life situations, business concerns, and all types of complex needs, but they can't dominate the job and they have to be handled well. We are independent business owners. Some of us are very experienced and skilled. It is not required that we like the manager, just that we have confidence that they can do the job, are doing the job, and are working to make the organization thrive. 

That just wasn't happening, and there were a host of member problems that were created and not managed well, in my direct observation. I'm not going to list any...they are now in the past, and hopefully solutions have been or will be found. We have to move forward and do better. 

Some leaders have stepped aside, and others will step in. Also, doesn't have to be dramatic. You do your part if you have the energy needed, and you do your best. You work with whomever else is in the room, no matter what you think about them, their style, their skills, or whatever you think. You work together for the common good. You set aside your less productive emotions and do the work. You can have boundaries, you can enter and exit at will...you are a volunteer. 

There is a world of difference between you and someone making twice as much as you have probably ever made, in  the amount of duties, the amount of stress, the number of skills needed. It is just not comparable. We need a professional manager to run our complex, deeply cultural and extremely important organization. That is really all that is happening right now. We will find a manager more suited to our current needs. 

No drama. No intrigue. No need to air every grievance or go back over every mistake or perceived error. You won't know all of what happened. You don't actually need to know. You want to know, sure. Drama is very attractive and even addictive to some people. But personnel issues are confidential. That protects your employees, keeps them safe so they can move on, and it protects your leaders and volunteers so they can continue to work for your common good.

It just isn't that complicated. Try not to make it worse than it needs to be.