One of the biggest defining experiences of my career was when I was an executive for a large nonprofit that underwent a union organizing drive.
I should start by stating that this is not an anti-union story. In fact, my Grandfather was a union leader and as a child, I always admired him. I also fully recognize the impact of unions in shaping the workplace we have today.
That said, when the employees of the organization I was co-leading, decided to initiate a union drive, I was shocked.
I should also share that I had worked in this organization for many years. In fact, it was my first real job out of college and my first experience in social work. I loved the work and the mission.
Over time, I was promoted to an executive role with the support of great supervisors. I quickly learned that my experience was not the same as many of my co-workers.
I learned that employees did not feel heard. Their complaints and problems were left unaddressed. There were inconsistent expectations from managers and, overall, the communication was poor.
The employees didn’t understand the decisions being made by leadership. They felt like lone champions for the people we served, arguing that management “didn’t care.”
To keep a long story brief, I will share the outcome.
Ultimately, in regards to the employees, they decided to steer away from unionizing. For me, I learned critical, key insights that make up the philosophy of how I work with clients today.
To be an effective leader, I had to balance ego with humility. I had to listen… and listen again. I had to be willing to see things through the eyes of my employees so I could fully understand and improve their experience.
I also had to include them in decisions, educate them on mine, implement systems for regular input, and help them understand how their work (and mine) impacted the our mission.
This experience solidified my belief that nonprofit work cannot be completed on the backs of our employees.
We must treat staff with the same consideration that we give to all stakeholders.
To be an effective leader we must be all kinds of things, but one of the most important is recognizing that when our employees thrive, the organization also thrives.
I infuse these principles in my coaching for leaders as I have witnessed the just how powerful and positive the outcomes are for my clients.