"RIP Baltimore Opera" and other recent thoughts

The Baltimore Opera filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy this past week. So very, very sad. Yet another major arts organization taking a nose dive in this economy. They filed for Chapter 11 in December and official word was that they'd still provide education programming until they got back on their feet. But major funding required for their come-back never came forward, so they completely folded this week.

My organization has select hiring freezes right now, which always seems to be the first step before more drastic measures. I say "select" hiring freezes because some positions are eligible for rehiring, but not others. My team is down a staff member, but we're not allowed to rehire because that position is considered nonessential. Tell that to the remaining two of us! I think this is a very bad sign, especially for my team. We're clearly not valued as much as other education programming teams (screw adult programming! screw college and high school students! why should they need the arts??), and I think if staff cuts become a reality, we may be the first ones to be considered.

So it was especially timely when I received an email this past week from my previous boss, asking me if I knew anyone who might be interested in a new position that pays almost TWICE what I'm earning now. I quickly set up a meeting with him to learn more!

I may be overthinking things regarding the stability of my organization and my position, but can you blame me? Since at least last fall, ArtsJournal has been posting almost daily articles about various organizations folding across the country. It's stressing me out! And when I'm already stressed from being overworked, along with no assurance from senior management that my job will exist in six months, I'm looking for some security. Can someone please tell me what's going to happen to the economy and philanthropic giving in the next two years? Knowing this would be very helpful...

Program & Staff Cuts

Oh crappity crap crap. It IS happening. Our President/CEO/ExecDir just told us we must figure out how to cut programming AND that we can't rehire for the current vacant positions in our department. How in the world will we run whatever programs are left if we're not fully staffed? And my job is safe, right? I won a bunch of awards last month, so I'm good, right? RIGHT??

Pick One: Your Programs or Your Staff

Dammit! So arts organizations across the country are tanking due to their endowments disappearing, donors hesitating to contribute until the economy improves, and slowing ticket sales. But word on the street was that well-run orgs could weather this as long as things didn't get too much worse. However, I've learned that even my "well-run, well-respected" org is looking at taking serious measures too.

In short, senior staff may have to choose between their programs and their staff. If they want to keep their programs, then they have to look at which staff members to cut. If they want to keep their staff, they have to choose which programs to cut back on. This isn't happening just yet, but it's on everyone's minds in case things don't improve.

It's a terrible choice (and admittedly not as black-and-white as I'm making it sound). It was interesting to observe that my knee-jerk reaction is to save programs first and foremost, because those programs are serving thousands of people. The programs are having the greatest impact, and that's why we all go into the arts, isn't it? But that would mean having to select which positions to eliminate or staff to lay off. How can you do that when you really like everyone you're working with and the work they do? We don't really have any slackers on staff -- most everyone is working full steam and with efficiency.

In reality, it'll probably be a combination of the two. Hopefully we can cut back on programs so that their essence is still there but enough that we save a good chunk of funds. And if someone leaves, then we just don't rehire right away. That's most likely what's going to happen, but it's still startling to hear the phrase "Your Programs or Your Staff." Oy.

Awards and Bonuses and Cash, Oh My!

OK, I'll stop by yapping about working so much, about how I'm not paid what I'm worth, how I'm overworked, yadda yadda yadda. Because last week I received a "Superior Performance Award" at work. They give only a couple of these out each year, and it was accompanied by a mighty big check...a check the size that is not commonly seen at nonprofits, and definitely not during a down economy.

Then I received the regular employee bonus, on top of another award about doing good for the environment.

So I'll shut up now...

But it's nice to see my organization taking a cue from the corporate world in handing out performance-based bonuses. Not a common thing, is it?

Worried

I'm worried about the arts world (and, to be honest, my own job) in this economy. Major arts organizations in the LA/San Fran/NYC areas are currently hurting big time, and although patrons in the DC area are usually pretty loyal and supportive in all sorts of economic climates, I'm worried this time around, what with endowments tanking right along with the stock market. The Washington National Opera laid off several people over the summer (even waaaay before Lehman Bros went bye-bye), but now there is serious talks of hiring freezes and layoffs at other major DC orgs. This is stressing me out!

At the same time, I'm completely burnt out at work. In my previous post, I mentioned having a hard time with work/life balance. It continues: I worked 6 long days last week and yesterday was another 12-hour day. When my team asks for help from the rest of our department, because we're overwhelmed with working days, evenings, and weekends, we have to plead for assistance. Surprise, surprise, nobody wants to come in on a Saturday when we have several programs happening simultaneously.

In my most recent performance review, I was told I was a "high performing employee." I had hoped this would mean a nice raise or bonus at the end of the year, but in this economy, I doubt that will happen. So if I get paid the same salary whether I am "high performing" or just an average employee, why do I choose to go the more difficult route?

Oh -- can I rant some more? -- I'm getting a little tired of poor project management. The department I work in is filled with passionate, smart people, but due to the nature of our work, some are just not used to project management. As in, assignments, tracking progress, deadlines, etc. I have a hard time working with colleagues/managers who aren't good with project management.

I think I need an attitude adjustment. Or more money. Or an attitude adjustment AND more money. Or the ability to juggle kittens. Or the ability to juggle kittens AND more money. Or just more money. Damn the economy!

Work/Life Balance

It's been two years since I've blogged. I miss it! My career in arts management has changed so much, mostly for the best, and since my life often revolves around my career, I guess it's safe to say my life has very much changed as well.

My work with the jazz organization ended in March 2007, when I left -- very pissed off -- to work for a well-respected, major performing arts organization in the DC area. It was not an easy decision to leave the jazz org. I loved almost everyone I worked with, I loved the musicians, I loved the music, I loved the mission. But there was such dysfunction -- the type of dysfunction that case studies in management classes are made of -- that I couldn't trust the organization's leadership any more. I was bold-faced lied to on many occasions, and I saw staff treated horrendously. There were double standards, institutional passive-aggressiveness, great indecision, poor leadership, and more.

But...

There's always that "But..." when I talk about my leaving. I've been told that's how people in abusive relationships feel! Yes, I was treated poorly, lied to, disrespected, and more. BUT....I so loved the mission and the people. It was also slightly glamorous, getting to travel with internationally renowned musicians, doing events at venues like Carnegie Hall, the UN, the State Dept, the Kodak Theater, staying in very nice hotels. I STILL can't completely reconcile my leaving, though I can intellectualize that it was probably the best career decision I've ever made.

Now I'm working for another well-known organization, but this time where employees are treated with fairness and respect, where the programs are truly making a deep impact, where teamwork is crucial and strongly encouraged, where I'm surrounded by very smart and passionate people, and where people seem genuinely happy to be there.

Personally, I've learned so much in the year and a half I've been there. I'm managing a team of five full-time and part-time employees, I'm responsible for seven programs, I have the freedom to try new things and take appropriate risk, I get to work with amazing artists and educators, and I've doubled my professional contacts.

But...

I've been having two difficult issues with working at the new org, and they're getting to be big issues for me: work/life balance, and lack of excitement.

Goodness, there is so much to be done. I've never had this much work to do! I like doing excellent work, and I feel as though the only way to be excellent is to work long hours. I could do the typical 9am-5pm like others do, but I feel I would only be average. So I work 50-60 hour weeks, every week. Which was fine in the beginning. The result of all of those long hours was that the impact of our programs doubled in some cases. Revenue increased, programs expanded, statistics sky-rocketed in a very good way. Great for the org, but terrible for me in the long run. I have lost my work/life balance. I hardly see my husband or my friends, I'm not involved with the flute organization I used to head, I'm exhausted, and I can't turn my brain off. I think I'm literally addicted to work.

All of this MIGHT be manageable (except not seeing my husband as much as I'd like) if there was some crazy excitement attached. Crazy after-hours get-togethers, or travelling across the country, or, I don't know, cat juggling, or SOMETHING. But this very well-respected, well-run organization that I work for is also very straight and narrow. BORING. ::Sigh::

So I've gone from one extreme (a terribly run, but terribly exciting, organization) to another (an expertly-run, but terribly boring, organization). I need to figure out how to better balance my work and life so that I can, uh, HAVE a life. So that I can create that excitement on my own, with my husband and friends, with family, with the community, blah blah blah. And, also, how do I continue getting great results at work without working so many hours?

Also, can anyone teach me how to cat juggle?

Underappreciated

While I (some times) enjoy my current position, I've been taking a few interviews here and there to remind myself of what's out there. I had a good one a couple of weeks ago for a managing director position of a local arts organization. The full-time position was to run the day-to-day operations of the organization, manage the ensemble and its weekly rehearsals, coordinate with volunteers and of course the board, and to help fundraise (which wasn't in the job description they posted, but I'll go with it). They're looking for someone with a good deal of experience. Well, well, I've got proven experience in all of those details. Sounded like a perfect match to me. Until salary was discussed.

Starting pay for all candidates was $30k.

[insert record scratch here]

Yes, you heard me. $30k. Shall I say it one more time? $30k. For an "experienced" professional running the day-to-day operations of an arts organization, and not to mention the administrative tasks of weekly rehearsals AND fundraising.

I know I'm not in the arts for the money - it's a bigger mission than that - but $30k is just insulting for the amount work to be done.

Cry with me here, please.