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Mazarine Treyz |
Can we talk for a minute about how to demand
respect in your fundraising office?
Picture this.
You've got the title of development coordinator,
but you're the sole development staff person. Or maybe you're part of a team of
two.
Despite your title, you're doing it all. You're
doing donor communications, like appeal letters, annual reports, etc. You're
doing grants. You're doing events. You're doing a heck of a job, but getting
yelled at by your boss every other week.
Cream on the top? You haven't gotten a raise in
two years, while your boss has laid off staff and given himself a raise. And
infinite vacation days. And you have to use up yours by the end of the fiscal
year.
So there's a bind here.
There's disrespect when it comes to salary, and
there's disrespect when it comes to day to day treatment.
Let's deal with the daily disrespect first.
Yelling at you? NOT. COOL. Get some context. We're not here to rag on your
boss. What's the larger societal structure that enables this sad situation?
It's called rankism.
What is Rankism?
Rankism is workplace abuse and can cover all of the other -isms, such as sexism, racism, and classism in the workplace, to name a few. How do you know if you're a victim of
rankism? Believe in what you feel. You may feel anxious, pushed down, maybe
your stomach hurts, maybe your afraid, unable to enjoy things you used to
like, angry and unable to function at work. This rankism can come from a co-worker, a subordinate, or a
person higher up in your organisation.
According to WBI-Zogby U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey, 54 million Americans are bullied each year, resulting in massive turnover and cost to employers.
So why should you learn how to
demand respect? It's NOT THAT Bad is it? No, it's worse. When I was working at
a certain nonprofit, not only did a board member sexually harass me and nothing
was ever done, my boss yelled at me all the time for NO reason. My boss yelled
at other people, never approved budgets, never fundraised, was rarely in the
office, threw out reports I gave him to update him on what I was doing, since
he missed every single scheduled meeting we had, and he was found stealing,
TWICE from the nonprofit, the second time for $44,000.
If you don't have good boundaries
and learn what's going on in your workplace, it can REALLY make your life
miserable. I want to save you from the pain I endured at this nonprofit job.
We're going to look at the different
types of rankists in the workplace, somebody rankists and nobody rankists.
Somebody Rankists
Tyrant -who without emotion does everything
to make underlings obey
Seething Giant – use angry outbursts
to intimidate others into submission
Gangster – use others-often without their
knowledge-to keep dissenters in line or push them out. Everyone gangs up on one
person, deciding they are the problem. Then, when they are fired, another
person becomes the problem.
Sovereign -design a system
that ensures loyalty at the expense of the organisation
Grandee -take advantage of their position
so others support their lavish lifestyle
Scapegoater -blame others to
distract from their own mistakes
Fabricator -feigning a
legitimate position, they lie and steal in large and small ways.
Gatekeeper -award access to
individuals and services solely to meet their own personal needs
Snubber -ignore those they consider to be
lesser than they are.
Nobody Rankists
Retaliator -Slams back in the
same way in which they were assaulted.
Dog-kicker -Strikes at
someone more vulnerable rather than at the original rankist.
Flatterer -Compliments
somebody rankists to keep in good standing.
Persuader -Takes the case
against rankist activities to those in power and asks for changes to be made so
everyone is treated with respect
Activist -Brings together
those who agree rank abuse is happening so they can organise and bring about
change
Avenger- Executes a secret
plan to get back at rankists without the Avenger being recognized.
Gossip – Spreads stories to undermine the
somebody rankist.
Placater – Always gives,
hoping everyone will get along.
Noble Sufferer -Would rather be
seen enduring the pain of the rankists than acting to change the situation.
Onlooker – Does not leave
the environment, but does not partake of activities.
-From Battles between
Somebodies and Nobodies - Julie Ann Wambach
So, do you recognise yourself in this list? Do
you recognise your boss? Your co-workers?
Now that you've got some context, just think
about this. We've all been a somebody and a nobody rankist at some point. Which
ranks are okay to pull?
Persuader and Activist. You can persuade people
to notice what is going on. And act as activist to draw it to the attention of
others in your nonprofit office.
When you can name it, you can claim
it. Do you feel relieved other people have had the same experience you have?
And here's 18 ways to demand dignity
at your charity.
Now, what about your
salary?
How can you get more money?
This one is tricky. When they call you
development coordinator or officer or manager, even though you're doing
everything a development director would do, then they see you stuck in that
role, and probably will not want to give you the title of director.
It's like my friend Amy Sample Ward says, “If
you start out making the coffee, that's all they will ever see you doing.”
So to get a higher salary, you will need to make
a lateral move, aka jump to a new job.
If you want some tips on how to do this, head on over to
http://WildWomanFundraising.com, where I have TONS of resources on how to find
a job, as well as good interview questions for you to ask, and what you'll
probably be asked, and MORE. Aw. Yeah.
Thank you to The Fundraising Collective for this
opportunity to post on your blog!