Pros
-Amazing and diverse clients
-Some genuinely devoted patrons and supporters that made crucial events like the annual client Christmas party possible
-A vision for life, job, and general independent living skills management as proposed in some of the grant programs were very hopeful for mid to high range functioning clients
-A lot of leeway given for personal style/aesthetic expression, workspace decor and work/life balance depending on the department
Cons
-Rapid turnover in the direct care and nursing aid type positions that are arguably the most important and impactful on the health and well being of the clients. A lot of this was due to low incentive wages and benefits as well as poor hiring practices.
-Board of Directors were more focused on having their namesake listed on the event and nonprofit support publications and meeting the needs of whatever Gatesway participating sponsor or high social tiered friend they could personally benefit from than on supporting hard-working, underpaid, staff in the financial, HR, operations, and patronage marketing departments. Employee and client morale seemed to be on the bottom of the board's list unless there was something in it for them.
-Unclean, border-line dilapidated housing for clients. The few times I toured the client's residential areas, it looked like something out of a horror movie - bad lighting, the smell of mildew and refuse, dirty, uninspired and run-down looking furniture and decor. The clients are struggling to overcome enough as it is - don't they deserve a comfortable, clean atmosphere to call home?
-Very little ongoing education, technology updates, or productive office restructuring for staff. Much of the older and veteran staff are so stuck in their comfortable, analog ways of finishing projects, that they can make a task that should take a couple of minutes to take hours. No one had much interest or incentive to brush up on new computer applications, even if it would have saved them and the other departments or employees waiting on them a colossal amount of time. Some of them even seemed offended to be suggested an easier way.
-This leads me to the twilight zone sense of time. 80% of the projects were sat on or stretched out through a combination of overworked staff with towering project queues, outdated technology (or lack thereof) and methods of project management, and very little consistent supervision to keep anyone in check. Then there were those awful 20% events or projects that the board or CEO had decided they wanted on the dot and were prepared to call you every few minutes or creep around the office hounding, not taking to mind that you or anyone of your co-workers were likely waiting on at least two other people to even get started. There was never a project management system in place. It seemed like it was every man for himself.