 By Becky Lunders, teamWorks
Hit the pause button this week. It is National Volunteer Week and a little gratitude could fuel your mission for months to come. If you work for a nonprofit or serve in a volunteer leadership role, I urge you to take time to appreciate your key volunteers. People respond to gratitude. It’s been proven time and time again. Genuine, heartfelt praise can propel your recruitment, fundraising and outreach efforts. I know, you’re thinking, “We don’t have a gratitude budget!” Good news – you don’t need one! All you need to make it happen is a little time and creativity. Last I checked, kind words directed at an office volunteer cost nothing. Expressing how much you appreciate a board member’s unwavering commitment is free. Heck – sending a letter to the boss of your Walk Chair to thank them for allowing their employee to serve with your organization is priceless. I’ve noticed simple gratitude gives people a little pep in their step and produces more of what you want. That volunteer you recognized for reaching her fundraising goal is likely to send out another e-blast, resulting in additional income. That board member you asked out for coffee to share how much you appreciate them is likely to share the experience and work harder to bring on that next corporate sponsor. That youth baseball coach you texted to say, “Thanks for what you do,” is likely to commit next time you come calling for coaches. If you’ve got a challenging volunteer, pour on the love. It’s have to be bitter or disgruntled when someone thanks you for the work you do. Remember the appreciation needs to be genuine and specific. Find something you appreciate about that person and let them know. It could be the catalyst for an attitude change! Volunteers don’t get paid (that’s why they are volunteers!). Their compensation is the ability to make a difference and feel good about what they can contribute. Words of praise are to a volunteer what a bonus is to a sales associate. An attitude of gratitude will come back to you and the organization in ways you can’t even imagine. So hit the pause button on the many demands of your day and get to it. It might just be the most rewarding thing you’ll do this week.
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Now think of a something for which you have passion. That thing you believe in with all your heart. The one that makes your eyes light up and your heart beat faster. The one for which you will work hard for free (read: volunteer!) in order to impact those directly affected. Do more of THAT! Seriously! Find that thing that creates a physiological response in you; the one that makes your mind swirl with possibility. It could be an opportunity to raise money to end childhood cancer because of a personal experience. It might be a chance to impact homelessness in your own community. It may be an occasion to speak up and have your voice be heard on a controversial issue. Yes, that thing! Act on that. This Valentine’s Day, I challenge you to channel your passion in a positive direction. Become engaged (not enraged) and volunteer your time and talent. Put your ideas into action. Volunteer!
Passion can turn stress into energy; helplessness into productivity. Working hard for something you believe in is passion. And it might be just what we need to bring our communities together, focus forward, and leverage our talents for the greater good. What are you waiting for?! Get started.  by Becky Lunders, teamWorks
I try to live a life of kaizen - that drive for continuous improvement. It’s not always easy, but I believe it’s vital to a fulfilling life. After returning from my high school reunion weekend, I reflect on how most of us have improved over time. For the most part, my classmates (now thirty years removed from high school!) looked better than ever. I conclude that kaizen drives us. Kaizen is a Japanese word meaning continual improvement: the idea of working to get better every day, and the collective result of such an effort. It applies to work, relationships, kids and fitness. If we live with a kaizen mindset, the possibilities are endless. Personal and professional development becomes part of our DNA. In my nonprofit consulting business teamWorks, I often meet two kinds of leaders. Staff leaders who are stuck in the status quo with the mentality of, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” But if you do what you’ve always done, you’re likely to get the same results. That leads to plateauing events and bored volunteers. The other kind of leader I meet is the one on the verge of burnout. They have deep commitment, ever-increasing goals and not enough time. They try to do it all, but that formula is not sustainable. They feel like throwing in the towel. If we want our organizations to operate under the kaizen mindset, we must do something different in order to grow and thrive. Enter volunteer leaders. The collective impact that a group of people can make will almost always exceed what any of us can do alone. It’s called mobilizing volunteers and it’s the secret weapon for continuous improvement in nonprofit work. In order to generate buy-in for an event, program or outreach opportunity, we must engage volunteers. That means giving them responsibility and ownership. Leadership development means helping volunteers realize their potential and working with them to lead others. The volunteer-driven, staff-supported approach I preach allows you and your organization to change and grow in order to become more sustainable. If you work for an organization that aspires to raise more money, recruit more volunteers and reach more people, let’s talk. Through kaizen-inspired leadership, together we can get results. |
Becky Lunders, teamWorksAuthor. Speaker. Motivator. Archives
April 2020
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