On March 22, 2020, NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo told New Yorkers that the State is in a ‘Pause’ mode and as of April 16th he has extended the stay-at-home orders to May 15th. Not surprising, but certainly another sign that it will take longer before we can all come back together.
Non-essential workers are to stay home and yet those who lead non-profits have had to reassess their workforce hours, services provided and strategic future plans. In all cases, the budget for the year is blown out of the water.
In some cases, talented, loyal employees have been furloughed and some even laid off due to the inability to meet financial demands of the business. We are living in a time that we need each other and to be able to reach out and formulate ‘think-tanks’ as to what our business will look like in the future while maintaining excellence to those we serve.
We are living in unprecedented times where no one has all the answers and sometimes we are even struggling with the direction. Executive Directors, CEO’s and Board of Director’s are taking on new responsibilities without having the resources to move forward on their own.
Fear is not an option as we lead our organizations…and certainly fear does not exude any level of competence. During this time of ‘Pause’ we CAN find the confidence moving forward by spending time talking to other leaders and joining support groups as we find our way forward together. There is no doubt that organizations will look different when we put these restrictions behind us. As leaders, we know we will still be making a difference in our organizations and those we serve.
Be Safe. Be Strong. You Are Not Alone.
