Trading Toxic Positivity for Connection-based Conversation in the Nonprofit Workplace

Aug 23

“This is more than a job to us.” “Do it for the kids.” “We’re not just working, we’re saving lives.”

Phrases like these are familiar to anyone who has worked in the nonprofit sector, or really any of the “helping” professions. And while these might be true and seem motivational on the surface, they are often weaponized to make folks work harder and longer for less money and no empowerment to speak up about it. All of which leads to a toxic workplace culture and ultimately, burnout.

Prioritizing connection at work sounds like the simplest thing, but it really easily falls to the wayside if there’s not a formalized process. The Connected Cultures program was introduced soon after I started working at Our Minds Matter over two years ago, and I always looked forward to when Anthony would come in and train us on a new skill. With my background in social work and therapy, facilitating a connection-based conversation was not new to me. What was new, however, was the accountability to uphold this as a key pillar of our workplace culture. We made a commitment to ourselves and one another that we wouldn’t just practice these skills and then go about our day once Anthony left. We had to make it part of our routine.

So now, two years later, our team starts almost every meeting with a Connected Cultures skill. We take time to share what’s sparking joy, what we’re grateful for, and what we feel hopeful about both in our personal lives and in our work. Even though it’s just a 5-20 minute practice, it goes a long way. Whatever mood I’m in that day or how I might be feeling about a project, in those few minutes it doesn’t matter. I am present in the moment with my colleagues as the whole people that they are, and I’m showing up as my full self as well.

And for us, it didn’t stop at connection. These skills empowered us to be vulnerable and honest about often taboo subjects, such as compensation, work expectations, and professional trust. Tangible changes, like a new compensation structure and a work culture statement, have since been introduced all in the name of employee wellness.

Connection builds culture, and culture builds the essence of a workplace.