Staff contracts were extended for another two years, and with that came something that hasn’t been done quite like this before: Ali and Fabienne each conducted the staff appraisals.
When this was announced, the unease among the team was visible. What will be asked? What is expected? The answer: nearly two hours of real conversation. Space for satisfaction, space for criticism, space for honesty.
One of the central questions was why marinecultures.org repeatedly takes on new projects, leading to extra workload, uncertainty, and having to learn something new. For many team members, new is not automatically exciting. It is often met with caution, sometimes with skepticism. That is precisely why it was important to explain openly that collaborations and new projects are not optional for us. They are essential for an NGO that must continuously earn its visibility, credibility, and relevance.
Long-term funding that gives us planning security over several years is invaluable in this regard. So too is the exchange with other local NGOs and mutual visits that benefit the entire team.
The conversations were quite revealing for all of us. And they left something tangible behind: a clear overview of responsibilities now hangs on the office wall, visible to all and there to support everybody’s work.
