By: Suzanne Smith, MBA

 

When legendary football coach Lou Holtz passed away, many people revisited one of his most famous leadership insights:

 

“It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.”

 

Great coaches understand something that great organizations eventually learn the hard way: success is not just about talent or effort. It is about stamina, teamwork and knowing how to navigate the long middle of the season.

 

Right now, many nonprofit leaders feel like they are stuck in that exact moment. The adrenaline of the pandemic response has faded, but the pressures facing our sector have not. Staff are tired. Expectations are rising. And leaders are trying to rebuild culture while still delivering results.

 

In sports, this phase is often called “the grind.” In psychology, it is often called the “messy middle.” It is the moment when fatigue and uncertainty make it difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Social psychologists say we are living through that messy middle right now. We have moved past major disruptions like the pandemic, economic shocks and the return-to-work transition. Yet we are still navigating generational shifts, hybrid workplaces and the long tail of burnout.

 

The good news is that while this territory may feel new, the pattern is familiar. At Social Impact Architects, we saw something similar when helping organizations navigate the aftermath of natural disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey. Once the immediate crisis passed, the months that followed were sometimes even harder. The adrenaline wore off. Fatigue set in. And the path forward became less clear.

 

That is the messy middle. And when organizations enter this phase, culture matters more than ever. Interestingly enough, our research and that of others shows that employee satisfaction isn’t driven by the factors that often dominate headlines, such as higher wages, more flexible schedules or better benefits. While these factors certainly improve quality of life, the most powerful predictors of retention are job satisfaction, work-life balance and employee belonging. Below are three common challenges many nonprofit teams face in the messy middle, along with coaching strategies that can help organizations move forward.

 

Three Challenges Nonprofit Teams Are Facing

Burnout — “It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” — Lou Holtz

 

During the pandemic, working from home initially felt like a luxury. Over time, however, it blurred the boundaries between work and life. Many employees began to feel like they were always on the clock.

Research suggests that burnout is rarely about the physical workplace itself. It is more about how people are working and what they are working on. There is a big difference between seeing your job as simply work and seeing it as a calling.

 

And the data reinforces this point. Employees who love their work are more loyal, more productive and more resilient. Furthermore, according to research from the Mayo Clinic, workers do not need to love every aspect of their job to avoid burnout. If just 20% of their work includes tasks and people they love, they are far less likely to experience burnout.

 

Busyness — “Activity is not the same thing as progress.” — John Wooden

As my loyal readers know, I have removed the word “busy” from my vocabulary. Its meaning has evolved from “I have a lot going on and I’m excited about it” to “I’m too busy for you.”

 

We also have busyness competitions in the workplace and at home: stacked calendars, a long list of errands and mountains of emails.

 

But the real question is: Are you moving the needle?

 

Since the pandemic, organizations have adopted countless productivity tools, such as Slack and Zoom, but these tools only work if we establish clear norms.

 

1. When is an email needed?

2. When should we pick up the phone instead of going back and forth over email?

3. Are the meetings and events we kept from the pre-pandemic era still necessary?

4. How do we use virtual meetings more effectively?

5. How long do we seek consensus in meetings before making a decision?

 

These questions (and more) will help you move from an organization that values busyness to one that values productivity.

 

Burden — “Pressure grows when people feel like they are carrying the mission alone.” — Peyton Manning

 

Work in the social sector often involves serious and urgent issues. One way we manage this “burden” is through a workplace support system. When remote work became widespread, many teams lost the informal interactions that once helped relieve stress and strengthen relationships. Conversations in hallways or around the coffee machines may seem small, but they often build trust and connection.

 

Workers who reported they felt part of a team were almost three times as likely to be engaged, but also twice as likely to report a strong sense of belonging.

 

Three Coaching Moves That Help Teams Recover

Break — “Recovery is not a luxury. It is part of performance.” — Vince Lombardi

 

During the pandemic, the social sector entered what I call “superhero mode.” Organizations reinvented business models overnight and teams stepped up because communities needed them. But superheroes cannot run forever. If we are honest, many organizations are still operating at crisis speed even though the crisis phase has passed. The messy middle is the moment to pause and reset.

 

Solutions:

 

1. Encourage real breaks, including sabbaticals.

2. Discourage employees from checking emails or bringing computers with them on vacation.

3. Monitor PTO usage and watch for individuals who are not taking time off.

4. Consider organization-wide closures during the winter holidays and over the week of Independence Day.

5. Offer flexible hours that allow for a 4-day work week during the summer.

6. Create spaces that encourage healthy breaks, such as a snack room or quiet room.

 

In the “messy middle,” organizations need a collective pause. Think of it as a palate cleanse that prepares teams for the next phase of work.

 

Belonging — “People perform better when they know they matter.” — Phil Jackson

Belonging has become a popular buzzword, but it is actually quite simple. People want to feel seen, valued and connected to the organization where they work or serve. Belonging evolves across time, place and relationships. It matters not only for nonprofit employees, but also for nonprofit board members and volunteers.

 

Solutions:

 

1. Provide thoughtful onboarding to staff, board members and volunteers.

2. Encourage mentorship and “walk and talk” opportunities to connect colleagues across teams.

3. Start meetings with brief icebreakers (e.g., BINGO game, Two Truths & a Lie) to share interests and activities so folks can connect with like-minded individuals — outside of the work at hand.

4. Conduct regular 1-on-1s with direct reports and use the time to connect with them as a person. For example, ask, “What excites you about this position? What do you wish was different? What superpower do you bring to the work? How can I best help you succeed at work and at home?”

 

Bonding — “Championship teams are built on trust, not just talent.” — Michael Jordan

People often use “belonging” and “bonding” interchangeably — but we purposefully use them as distinct but complementary strategies to build a strong culture. Belonging focuses on the individual, and bonding focuses on the team. And bonding reinforces belonging.

 

Shared experiences build trust. When you bond with a team, you gel with them and your interests typically align with theirs. In addition, when you have bonded with someone or a group, you naturally experience positive resonance, meaning that you have a feeling of oneness and concern for one another.

The quickest way for this to happen is to have connecting experiences. Cultivating a culture of connection — which then produces an upward spiral of positivity — is always important but is especially important when you are recovering from challenges. They also create the relationships that sustain organizations through difficult seasons.

 

Solutions:

1. Host board and staff retreats focused on relationship-building and belonging.

2. Create a shared team identity, such as a name, t-shirt or other fun connection.

3. Organize an old-fashioned staff picnic or potluck.

4. Celebrate wins, milestones and anniversaries together.

5. Recognize individual contributions and team achievements.

 

Finishing Strong in the Messy Middle

The best coaches know that winning seasons are not built on talent alone. They are built on culture, trust and the ability to sustain effort over time. Nonprofit leaders may not wear jerseys, but they are still playing the long game. And when the organization is stuck in the “messy middle,” smart leaders focus on culture, connection and recovery to finish strong.

 

If your organization is feeling the weight of change, start small. Pick one idea from this list and try it with your team. And, if you have found other solutions that help your teams stay strong during a long season, we would love to hear from you.