Getting Through The Pandemic

As we head into a new year with all the energy and hopefulness a new year ordinarily brings, we’re also matched with feelings of fatigue from a pandemic that just won’t quit. We recognize that many rowing organizations and nonprofits have struggled considerably because of the economy and decreased donations, and the George Pocock Rowing Foundation (GPRF) has not been immune to that.?

For a variety of reasons, the GPRF has managed to keep the doors open, the lights on, and even launch some new programs. And while not everything was able to run at full speed, we didn’t give up or fail to support those who need us most. Some have asked us, “how did you do it? How are you continuing to do it?” As hard as it can be to do at the time (while we are still very much “in” this), we know reflection is an important part of how we walk away from these chapters with lessons learned and a renewed sense of how to tackle the coming year. If anything, looking back on the past year gives us some confidence for the next one, just like stringing one rowing piece to the next.

In reviewing the last twelve months of our work, and our reactions to the pandemic, a few themes become apparent. We believe these themes are important to share with our community today, on the brink of yet another new and challenging year. We also believe it’s important to name what we did and what we purposely did not do, because often, both are equally important:?

We took a close look at our spending.?

What we did do: We tightened up our spending, and with every expense report and check request, postage stamp and gas receipt, we asked ourselves, “can we live without this for a year?”. In 2019 the GPRF’s expenses totalled just over $2.3M, and in 2020 we battened down the hatches to spend far less, ending the year with $1.8M in expenses. In 2021 we spent just over $1.9M and have every intention of being deliberate, intentional, and critical with any proposed increases going forward.?

We put projects on hold and pumped the brakes on important but less vital parts of our operations that could wait for another day. This was hard. We had to let people go, furlough others, bounce back, and be nimble with every decision, knowing it could make or break us. Every person, program and team wanted to see their efforts move ahead, but with the right communication we were able to spend far less on fairly short notice. Our community also stepped up, including our boathouse management committees, volunteering to take on projects staff would ordinarily (in a “regular” year) lead.?

What we didn’t do: We did not back down from our support of young people or the commitments we made to boathouses. We continued to provide scholarships to every young person who asked for one (36 total throughout the PNW), and we continued to support? boathouses to get them off the ground like those in Kenmore, now reaching over 72 new athletes in a new community that was previously without rowing.

We also didn’t back down from supporting our staff and providing confidence in our commitment to our new hires. We promised to launch a retirement offering for employees in 2022 and while some may say that launching a 401k program (with a modest 1% match) in an economic crisis is foolish…we thought it was necessary. If we’re depending on our staff to execute programs that are going to change young people’s lives and come into work every day despite a pandemic, then we have to do what we say we’re going to do so that we can attract and retain talented people.

We were honest, and we took time to strategize and fill the bus with the right people.?

What we did do: On top of a pending pandemic, in early 2020 we were also in the midst of an executive leadership change. With so much unknown about the future, our board strategically decreased operations to the bare bones. I joined the GPRF in September of 2020, and at that time there were a handful of employees on staff. As we pieced together a 90 day plan and looked at where we wanted to head, we began to form a clear idea of who we needed on the team to lead our efforts.?

With every job description and interview we emphasized the calculated overhead risk and we asked everyone if they could be a team player. We were transparent about where we were as an organization, and we were vulnerable to a fault, knowing that this sort of work environment isn't for everybody (including really talented people who also happen to love stability).?

We were radically honest about our strengths and our warts, and that built a powerful sense of community with our staff and board. Strong relationships aren’t built in the happy or easy times, they’re developed in the trenches, on the hard days and through challenging times. It’s amazing what a good crisis can do for team building (not suggesting this, whatsoever…but it continues to bare fruit).?

What we didn’t do: We didn’t hire anyone we weren’t 150% thrilled about bringing on to the team and we didn’t hire for any positions that we didn’t feel were 100% necessary to do our work. We didn't keep positions that we felt we could cover with an all-hands-on-deck approach, and we didn’t let balls drop or our programs suffer in the interim. We put the community first in all the choices we made, and we didn’t let the most important things fall to the backburner, such as keeping boathouses afloat or programs running. This created a new sense of understanding across departments since we all had to chip in and make things happen. It also helped some fairly novice employees really shine and explore, contributing to things that were beyond their job descriptions.?

We didn’t ignore that the pandemic was happening, or the toll it was probably taking on our people. We had staff meetings where we went around the table (or zoom room) and simply talked about how we were doing. We didn’t deny feelings, struggles, or challenges. If we had a plan for a staff meeting but the temperature of the room required something else, we didn’t push through the original agenda regardless (a very tempting trait as a group of rowers). We learned that self compassion can be a strength, and when it goes unnoticed or denied, it’s unhealthy for everyone.

We assumed this time was good for something.

What we did do: A healthy amount of navel gazing, strategic conversations and relationship building went on in the last two years. Some of this resulted in making some big changes to how we operate, where our funds go, and how we position ourselves for our future work so the youth we serve are always put first. We were able to use our three strategic priorities established in 2020 as filters for all that we do. If a ‘shiny object’ opportunity came across my desk, I asked myself, “does this help us further one of the priorities?”, if not, it was really easy to say no. Well, not always easy but it helped us defend our decision making with a northstar for our compass.?

When opportunities like partnering with Arshay Cooper to become the fiscal sponsor of the A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund came our way, it was easy to say yes because that aligned with our priority to “grow and diversify the sport for young people”.?

We also took this time to really dive into the “why” of what we do. We went through a culture competency analysis with our entire staff and we asked the entire company (coaches, bookkeeper, development staff, everyone!) to sit through a two day trauma informed coaching training. We learned about the developing brains of young people and that the frontal lobe is not fully formed (not shocking to anyone who has or has had teenagers), and that trauma affects the brain in significant ways…creating obstacles for so many kids that we previously just couldn't understand how to get through to. This is exactly why coaches need our support, they need this knowledge and tools for working with this group, and our work is more important now than ever before. Every single kid we know has experienced trauma in some form because of the pandemic. This knowledge and training is shaping our approach to our programs, our grantmaking, and all that we do.

What we didn’t do: We didn’t dwell on past mistakes or sit in analysis paralysis. We continue to learn from mistakes - they’re unavoidable in a 37 year-old organization with multiple iterations, chapters and leaders. We know that we’re imperfect and we know that in order to do more and different work, it requires a different approach. Change management is a lengthy process, and there’s so many valid emotions associated with change. This has, at times, been a significant pain point for some people and our community, and we’re still working through that. Change is hard! It’s painful, it’s cumbersome, and there are a variety of ways to go about it. How we implement the change in our mission is really important, which is exactly why we invested in consultants specifically to help us navigate change, build trust, heal wounds, and move forward in 2022.

In approaching the coming year, we realize this year feels different because it is different. Upon further reflections…a year ago we were pandemic novices! Coming off the heels of a 2021 that allowed us to launch new programs and support athletes and boathouses in new ways, with utmost safety in place. With all we have learned, we are aiming to do even more in 2022.?

Thank you for being part of our community.