The Value of Perspective

I ran cross country in high school and the longer races on the track team. I was never competitive, I mostly enjoyed the team spirit and the challenge of completing a 3 or 5 mile run. I recall one meet where they needed another person to compete in the 3200 meter race or our star performer would not have a chance to qualify for the state competitions. I was fairly ill and had already done the 1600 but I figured I could walk it if I had to, the point was that someone from our team simply go around the track 8 times. By the 5th time around, I had already been lapped by a few of the front runners and I was seriously questioning my decision. Usually when I ran a long race, I would pace myself throughout and then put everything I had into the last 100 meters. I made the decision that I would not do that this time, as I made my way around the final curve of the track, since I was the only person left on the track by this point. But instinct won over and as I crossed the 100 meter line on the track, I automatically kicked it into high gear, which wasn't very high by that point. As I worked to correct this error and slow down, the crowd in the stands began to stand, cheer, and clap for me. My instinctive push had inspired them to cheer me on and their cheering inspired me to continue.

When I think about working in the nonprofit world, I often compare it to my experiences as a runner. Lasting social change is created through consistency, not sporadically applied passion. It's a marathon, not a mad dash to finish line, and if we want to be effective, we need to remember that. We often lose our strongest people because they burn themselves out trying to sprint the 26 miles of the marathon. Keeping that perspective, understanding that if we work ourselves so hard that we burn out we won't get where we want to go, is an invaluable part of what we do in the nonprofit sector.

The Relative Value of Volunteering, pt. 2

So, back to the equation= E=mc2. The other part of volunteering is having a clear understanding of what you are doing. Most smaller non-profits run on a shoestring budget and crave volunteers the way a wanderer in the desert craves water (or the way I crave chocolate)! Many people have the desire to volunteer, but don't always accurately evaluate their ability to give their time. This translates into jobs not done, often until the last minute, and puts a strain on the very organization you set out to help.

E=Energy; in order to effectively volunteer, you must have a clear idea of how much actual energy you have to give. For instance, if you have a full time job, do judo twice a week, have 3 kids, and a life partner, you really want to think about what you offer to give an organization. Don't promise two hours a week, you are unlikely to be able to follow through. Instead volunteer for a specific project that can be done at odd intervals, or even out of the office, with a clear deadline. You will be tempted, when you are surrounded by the glamour that is Making A Difference In The World to allow your enthusiasm to overestimate your available energy. Resist.

M= Mass of free time; whatever your other obligations, your free time has a value to you. One way that I like to volunteer is by doing it with people I like to spend time with. Volunteering can be highly social and you can often spend a couple of hours doing something meaningful and then retire to a nearby pub for pool and beer with your friends (and often new friends as well).

Is your business growing or just surviving?

Like the plant that only ever gets watered when it looks wilted and depressed, many businesses only pay real attention to their people when there is an issue or concern to be addressed. Diversity classes become mandatory after enough lawsuits. New motivation & retention programs are implemented when someone realizes that they are losing all their best talent. This is not a solution, it is a reaction.

Take the time to look at the long term needs of your people. If you are one of the people, take the risk and talk to your manager/boss and say, "We need education, motivation and training BEFORE it becomes an issue. Because by then we are done."

Especially when dealing with the younger generation of employees, many of them are not going to give you the luxury of a two week notice. You'll be lucky if they even say goodbye. I've heard more stories lately of young employees leaving for lunch and not returning, taking a call (presumably confirming a new job somewhere else) and just walking out. These people don't give you the chance to change, because history has shown that business are slow to change, why not just move to somewhere that has already made the changes you want.

Foster and help your people not jus tto work well, but to LIKE their jobs and want to be there. Not just want the paycheck, but want to see the company improve, profit, and grow. This cannot be done with reactionary management and training. It can only be done with collaborative and preemptive action. You can do it, We can help. :)

Trust is not a 4 letter word, it's 5.

We trust people all the time in odd situations. I just left my bag in a coffee shop, and said to the stranger sitting next to me.

Me - "Will you watch my stuff for a moment?"
Her - "Sure thing."
5 minutes later
Me - "Thanks. And hey all my stuff is still here."
Her - "Yes, and all your stuff is still here."

The tone in her voice said to me that she didn't quite catch the sarcasm in my voice. Of course my stuff was still there. That's because the chances of finding that one stranger who is actually going to grab your bag and run as soon as you enter the restroom is about the same as winning the lottery.

We trust people like this in the airport, because we believe anyone who has gotten through security must there for be trust worthy. Or that no one in OUR coffee shop or neighborhood would do such a thing. But then we go to work and most of us aren't trusted to enter certain buildings, see all the files or have keys to the office.

Why don't we trust our employees more?
If you don't trust them enough, why did you hire them?

How to make even health insurance fun.

Here is the e-mail I got from the smartest health insurance company I've ever seen:

Because doctors don't offer double-coupon Wednesdays.

You can cut coupons for groceries. You can cut coupons for oil changes. But we don't recommend cutting coupons for medical procedures. And to make sure you never have to look for a doctor offering weekly specials, there's Tonik. Tonik is simple, affordable health coverage from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia. You get three plans to choose from, and chances are one's going to be right for you. If you're under 30, we can help cover you for $65 to $196 a month. Prices are subject to change and vary depending on your age, gender, where you live, and your medical history. Know someone who always keeps an envelope of coupons with them? Forward this to them.

They got my business and I am sure a number of other younger individuals who would not have taken the time to get health insurance. With plans like The Thrill Seeker, The Part-time Dare-Devil and The Calculated Risktaker I feel far more connected to their understanding of who I am as a customer. They are having fun with their business and with me. I don't want to sign up for a Differed Medical Plus package with a $500 deductible. That's not me. Oh but a Calculate Ristaker, that's more my style. $130 a month with a $40 co-pay? Sure I can swing that. It doesn't matter that the deductible is $1500. It sounds like ME. It has personality.

What kind of personality does your business have? Would you want to "go out with" your business?

The Relative Value of Volunteering, pt. 1

For yourself, and for the organization you volunteer for, the value of your time is relative. E=mc2 right? Well let's try to make that applicable to our world.

Einstein said that the Energy of an object in Joules is equal to the mass of the object times the speed of light squared.

So let us say that the Energy you have to give to a volunteer position, in HOYDLs (hours outside of your daily life) is equal to the Mass amount of free time you have multiplied by the perCentage of time per week you wish to devote. (We'll just leave out the squared part for now.)

Calculating this isn't as easy as just plugging in numbers. First you have to figure out what those numbers actually are. How much available time do you really have? And why do you want to spend it working for someone else, doesn't your lawn need to be mowed anyway? And how is this fun, aren't we all about the fun?

We all know, it's easier to clean someone else's house than to clean our own. And sometimes it inspires us to go home and do a better job to clean our space. The intrinsic value of volunteering goes far beyond the amount of time spent doing the job. Because more than getting the newsletters folded or the building painted, you are contributing in some small way to building something larger than yourself, a community. A place where people reach out to care for one another and be better than they are.