For the past 8 months, I have been involved with the founding of a community education non-profit. I'd say that I was on the Board of Directors, but the program is so much in it's infancy that there aren't even by-laws.
Two months ago, some new people came on board in our effort to develop our board of directors, and I have been miserable ever since. They don't like the name and want a different one (like it didn't take us two months to decide a name to begin with.) One of them rewrote the mission statement, including a phrase to which I have strong objections. The same person argued that the idea of "everyone has a voice" is inherent to the group wanted to have a large board of directors filled with the wealthy. I jokingly think of it as a Bush democracy.
Last night, I received the agenda for today's meeting and the latest draft of the by-laws and I wanted to cry. I was on the phone with Jen, who agreed that it was time for me to bail. She didn't even want me to use the excuse of transportation issues. She'll be disappointed to know that I only excused myself for the next few meetings.
Then I find out the person who got the ball rolling is moving out-of-state by month's end and is resigning. I am soooo outta there and the only question is how many bridges to burn on the way out. It makes me want to cry because this organization could have been something I was proud to be involved with.
4 comments:
Sounds like a tough situation. But you should never burn bridges...you don't really want people bad-mouthing you after you're gone. You never know who they may blab to and it could hurt you down the road.
On bridge burning, never a good idea.
Wish them luck in the new direction they're looking to take the group, but do let your reasons for leaving be known in a straightforward manner.
Not only is it a classy way out, if this new direction blows up, you might be asked back to fix it.
And above all else, start again. No sense competing against this group directly of course, but letting the passion you had to start this go to waste would be a shame.
Best of luck!
Hi, im from Portugal and i found your blog in recently updated.
Bye,
Miguel
Ditto on the bridge burning thing.
Here's a little article I blogged about that a few months ago.
Just substitute the word employer and it comes down to the same thing.
http://oldguy.castlecops.com/archives/2005/03/professionalism.html
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