Exceptional Staff Undermined by Leadership and Toxic Culture
Pros
Remarkable colleagues: The majority of the employees are talented, passionate, collaborative, and deeply committed to the mission. Their dedication keeps the organization running, often going above and beyond to sustain programs that would normally require a much larger staff. Meaningful work: Opportunities to contribute to high-impact, mission-driven programs within the creative industry. Some perks and benefits: Remote work flexibility, “Summer Fridays,” decent healthcare coverage, and limited profit-sharing opportunities for certain roles.
Cons
The CEO- As a self-proclaimed micromanager, every employee must work closely with the CEO. I observed firsthand how his leadership affected the staff and contributed to a toxic work environment. His leadership style is unilateral, regularly presenting 5 year plans to the board without consulting a single person on staff to ensure the goals are aligned with the programs and are even attainable. As a non-profit, all tax statements are available online for public viewing. The CEO regularly takes six-figure raises for himself, gives himself bonuses that are higher than most staff salaries, and uses company resources for personal gain. In contrast, he expects the staff to work insane hours, frequently browbeats employees, and frames overwork as “passion for the mission” and unpaid overtime as a moral imperative. He consistently tells the employees the company is poor, and uses that as an excuse to give minuscule salary bumps that don’t even amount to a cost-of-living increase. He describes employees as “spoiled” for having basic expenses reimbursed, while the executive level frequently expenses high-cost travel and meals. Mothers are subtly but consistently disadvantaged, and females and POC employees deal with daily microaggressions–all patterns I experienced and witnessed while working at The One Club. The COO- The COO is generally not seen by staff as fully competent in their role. He often comes across as condescending, particularly toward female employees. Rather than serving as a counterbalance to the CEO, he frequently defers to the CEO, rationalizing or excusing questionable behavior instead of addressing it, which leaves staff without a reliable advocate at the executive level. While he appears well-meaning, there is often little guidance or support from him, and these leadership gaps make day-to-day work more complicated and frustrating than it needs to be. There is effectively no HR department. While the COO and another employee sometimes take on HR responsibilities, there is no truly safe or reliable way to report serious workplace issues, and concerns that are raised are rarely addressed adequately. This leaves employees without a dependable avenue for support or resolution.
