An Example from Animal Advocacy

Imagine a programme manager at a small wildlife rescue. Let’s call her Priya. She’s spent six years building its rehabilitation programme and knows every volunteer by name. Lately, though, she dreads Monday mornings. She’s been covering two roles since a colleague left, and there’s no time left for the hands-on work that first drew her in.

When a role at a larger conservation charity comes up, her first thought isn’t excitement. It’s “Who will look after the hedgehogs this winter?”

Priya’s guilt is real, and it comes from care. But when she looks more closely, she realises the question isn’t “Am I abandoning the animals?” It’s “What do I need to keep doing this work well for years to come?”

For her, the answer might be leaving. It might equally be an honest conversation with her trustees about workload, or a shift back toward the part of the job she loves.