Inside the Job

I have the best team of workers anyone could wish for. There are 11 of us (some full-time, most part-time) who work directly in the mission advancement department and several others who provide help with specific projects. Most are sisters, plus two employees and a volunteer. No one is perfect and I’m not claiming we never make mistakes, but I know that each and every one always strives to do her best. Each has her own area of expertise and I have complete confidence in their dedication and ability to do a great job. This makes my job as director much easier than it would be if I had to keep checking up on whether things were getting done.

So, given that I’m freed to think about the bigger picture, what do I do? I have certain basic tasks, connecting with donors, doing some writing (e.g. this blog), going to meetings, dealing with queries, liaising with the press, reporting back to our leadership, etc. Beyond that, there is the strategic stuff. I’m not particularly target-driven or goal-oriented. I tend to be a person who seizes ideas and opportunities as they occur and runs with them. I love it when things succeed, but I’m aware that if you try new things they won’t all work out and I’m comfortable taking the risk. It has to be a calculated risk and the probability fairly that high that things will go well, but I believe it’s important not miss opportunities because of excessive caution. Okay, there’s my management strategy in a nutshell.

How does all this fit with my monastic life? Being a sister is a whole person commitment. It’s not on the cards to say that Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., the monastic journey is suspended. So how does that look in a busy work environment?  And believe me, it is busy. We are not floating around all day on a reflective cloud, taking the odd phone call and typing the odd letter.

I think the answer to the question is “love.” Love is at the heart of the Gospel and the heart of the Rule of Benedict. In the workplace, this means that underpinning all our work is love for one another, for the community whom we serve and represent to the world, and for the people with whom we connect. We pray for those who ask for our prayers with love and concern. We love our donors, not because they give us money, but because they are neighbors and friends crossing our path right now; they are the people to whom God is giving us the opportunity to show Christ’s face. We put out our social media posts in the loving hope that something we say is going to inspire someone or help them get through the day.

To do our job effectively and authentically, we have to see one another not just as co-workers. We share one another’s joys and sorrows. We are people with a common purpose. At the root of that purpose is sharing a message of love to the world. It would be a hollow message if we didn’t show genuine love and concern for one another, the sisters in our community and the people whom we seek to serve.

Karen Rose, OSB