A reader writes:
I work for a small-ish (100 individuals) British nonprofit. The work we do is much like serving to disabled individuals discover houses and jobs, teaching them in social and life abilities. We have now developed a community of connections with native companies who assist us make this all occur.
All good to this point. I really like my job, my coworkers and my boss. The work we do is efficacious and I’m pleased with it.
We have now plans for progress in our metropolis so we will help extra individuals. Once more all good. However … the CEO just lately introduced in a marketing consultant to work on the expansion venture.
Subsequent factor we all know, that community of native connections is being expanded past companies. All of us workers members are being requested to systematically share our personal private contacts. A sequence of conferences is deliberate over the subsequent few weeks the place small teams of us will every discuss the place within the metropolis we stay and map out our connections. (It appears like there will probably be some form of precise map concerned.)
For me, this is able to seem like giving particulars of my e book group and the cafe the place we meet, my native church and associated dialogue group, my yoga lessons, artwork group, and so forth.
Then as soon as all that info has been collected, we’re anticipated to go alongside to every location with a coworker and encourage our personal non-public social contacts to get entangled within the work we do, which could imply asking for cash or looking for individuals with the talents we have to volunteer or work for us.
This sounds so much just like the equal of a MLM scheme. Additionally, my buddies are my buddies, and I don’t need to combine these boundaries with my paid employment.
However I’m rather more introverted than most of my coworkers, and I’m listening to a whole lot of enthusiasm for this scheme from those that are extra social. The extent of fervor from the CEO and marketing consultant particularly is starting to sound nearly cult-ish.
Though my work is properly considered, I’m involved that refusing this insanity will have an effect on my prospects. My boss is away for a few weeks. I believe he’ll be sympathetic however he’s two ranges under the CEO (who’s fairly autocratic). Any concepts on how you can deal with this? Possibly I simply must fake I’ve no buddies.
Yeah, one choice is that it seems that you just’re a hermit! You don’t know many individuals regionally — possibly most of your family and friends are long-distance — and maybe that one group individuals know you’re concerned with has an express rule in opposition to any type of enterprise solicitation amongst members.
That stated, I’d be inclined as a substitute to simply determine that in fact this request shouldn’t be “open up your total life to us to take advantage of,” however as a substitute is “tell us of any components of your community that you just assume could be amenable to this and which you’d be snug approaching.” Take it as a provided that that’s what’s being requested of you and proceed accordingly. Which may imply your reply is, “There’s actually nobody in my native community who matches this, however I’ll hold interested by it.” Be at liberty so as to add, “The teams I’m in have guidelines in opposition to any form of solicitations.”
By the way in which, the concept that you’re purported to bodily present up in these locations with a coworker is de facto odd. It could be one factor to say to you, “Hey, in case you assume individuals would have an interest, might you point out us at your subsequent artwork class?” However you’re supposed to point out up in any respect these bodily places with a colleague who nobody is aware of and simply flagrantly go into enterprise pitch mode? That’s tremendous bizarre — so that you additionally may be capable of say, “They’d react actually poorly to that method and we’d positively not succeed that method, so as a substitute I’ll really feel out their curiosity one-on-one.” (After which possibly “really feel out their curiosity one-on-one” finally ends up that means “in my head, after which I’ll conclude they’re not going to have an interest.”)
Nevertheless, the most suitable choice of all is to push again extra truthfully in case you really feel you safely can. It’s common in nonprofit work for workers to be requested who of their networks could be excited about supporting the group’s work, however pressuring individuals to really feel like they have to show over their private contacts shouldn’t be okay.
That stated, it’s additionally doable this received’t change into as high-pressure as you at the moment concern. Possibly while you sit right down to do it, it should find yourself being extra within the vein of “anybody who you’d be snug approaching, if anybody.” Which is one more reason to enter it assuming that in fact we’re all being cheap about this … whereas concurrently being ready with a plan in case they’re not.