The Second Shift

I was thinking about this the other day – how technology has enabled all of us in the nonprofit sector to remain firmly glued to the second shift.

It’s the one where you leave work – but you don’t leave work.

Coming at it from a development point of view – gosh there’s always more to push up the mountain.

Coming at it from an executive director point of view – well there needs to be two or three of me, so maybe if I put in a consistent 3-4 hours a day of “stolen time,” I can keep all the balls in the air.

This is especially punishing – or fruitful – for those of us with children. Make it home for dinnertime, or bedtime, then head onto the computer for another couple of hours (or at the least, one hour) of “productivity.”

And while there’s the relief that we can walk out of the office while still fulfilling our job obligations – and concomitantly, can come in late knowing we’ve taken care of the urgent matters – there’s something unrelenting about this intertwining of connectivity and responsibility.

Is this what it takes to get our jobs done? I know it’s not limited to nonprofits, but it’s certainly endemic to them.

One strategy I heard from someone today was – “Take off weekends.”

Another – related one – was that when you have young kids, it forces a balance.

But we can’t all be in that phase of life, forever. And I don’t think a dog provides the same ”Pay attention to me – otherwise I’m going to put my hands on a hot stove” imperative to shift your focus..

Balance. The second shift both allows it – and undercuts it.