Last week I moved out of my perfectly good house that was completely decorated the way I liked and was at the “maintenance only” landscape stage. That is to say, I had moved almost every plant (including small trees) three times in an effort to get it “just right.” There was no more fun to be had. So it was obviously time to move!

Unfortunately there was a three week transition period before I could get in my new house, so I got a PODS storage unit. (PODs are the coolest thing on earth by the way. If you rent one, make sure you hang out and watch the handlers deliver it. Truly amazing.)

On Saturday and Sunday of that weekend my children and I rushed to empty our house into the POD. On Tuesday morning, while I was at an important conference, my son called, distraught. He was unable to find his uniform for his high school volleyball game later that night. And then he said it, “I think it’s in the POD.”

Finding something in a POD without unpacking it is like having one large drawer the size of a room. You have to scratch and claw your way through it to find what you are looking for. Now I had a dilemma. High school volleyball, or conference? Clearly I needed to stay at work and do my job. Clearly that is NOT what I did.

After 4 ½ hours of climbing around the POD looking for the dag-blasted uniform, I gave up and went to the match scheduled for 5 pm. Hot, sweaty and mad, but possessing a colorfully expanded vocabulary, I came to watch my child sit the bench as he had no uniform and I knew the coach’s policy – no uniform, no play.

And then, there he was ON THE COURT, in a new uniform. In my mind, I put him on death row, needing to earn a reprieve from the governor to enjoy one more day of 17-year-old life.

After the match, he walked straight up to me with his big blue eyes wide and said, “Mom, thank you so much for looking for my uniform. I am so sorry to have put you through that. I love you.”

Game, set, match to boy. I was immediately disarmed and back on his side. And that, my friend, is what I plan to do next time I screw up big. Roll over and show my soft, white underbelly.

A few months ago, I was approached by a group wanting to establish a center to train the intellectually disabled in work skills. Since our complex had un-leased space and the cause was dear to my heart, I said yes. I gave them discounted rent and wished them well. Their front door is about 20 yards from our front door. From the street it is confusing which door one should enter for which business.

What I didn’t think about when I said yes to this tenant was that my company would now see at least once a day one or more intellectually disabled persons walk through our front door without a clue where they were. This week, during a horrendous rain storm, our receptionist rescued a man who had been dropped off by a transportation service at the wrong time. The door was locked to the training center. He stood in the rain. He didn’t know what to do.

Once my staff got him inside, my general manager found the gentleman was not communicative, nor was he comfortable being in what he clearly knew was not the right place. He repeatedly went back outside into the rain to stand. Ultimately, through phone calls and internet searches, we found the people who dropped him off and got the gentleman back to his home.

When I said yes to the training center being in our complex, I never asked my employees if that was OK. I never thought it through because if one did, clearly you’d see confusion like that coming.

So in our management meeting yesterday, I asked my management team if I had overstepped my bounds, if I had committed them to managing something that they didn’t sign up for. Their little heads cocked to one side. I said, “This group doesn’t have to be tenants here.”

They looked like cute little puppies, confused, their little ears perked, trying to understand why I would say what I was saying. I said, “I didn’t ask you if this would be OK or if you’re good with helping these people when they need it.”

Finally one said, “We just need to make sure they don’t drop off anyone when the center isn’t open. I mean, what if we weren’t open to help?”

My wonderful people blew right past “she didn’t ask me if I was OK with this” to “I get to take care of someone.” They slipped into the role of hero and heroine without knowing they did it, without blinking, without feeling put upon.

I thank God I work with these people. I thank God I am in a position to offer things to this special population. I thank God for this special population because they give us the stage upon which we can play the good guy, and that’s a gift to us.

Here is another great guest blog post from Becky Lunders. Enjoy! -Katrina

One of my favorite things about the holiday season is taking my kids to see Santa and watching as their eyes light up! It truly is magical, even as they get older. As we read the traditional stories and sing the holiday songs, I’m reminded of how life at the North Pole represents model leadership. I realize how much truth there is in the inspiring book The Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus. This quick read from walkthetalk.com talks about key leadership traits. I’ve twisted it here a little to make it more applicable to nonprofit volunteer management.

As we take time to reflect this holiday season and plan for the New Year, remember this: volunteer managers, like Santa, have to carry the sack, lead the pack, and keep (the volunteers) coming back!

Santa Management Lessons for Nonprofit Volunteer Management

Santa lesson #1: Choose reindeer wisely and keep them engaged.
You think Santa just put Rudolph in charge of the sleigh without seeing if he was a leader? I think not! Rudolph showed leadership skills so he got the job at the front of the pack!

More than likely Santa observed all his reindeer to determine their strengths and weaknesses (imagine if all the fast ones were on the right side  – the sleigh would go in circles!). Then he placed them in roles where they could be successful. And, I wouldn’t be surprised if he changes it up each year to keep things fresh and to make sure his reindeer stay engaged.

We’d be wise to do the same thing with our volunteers. Observe them. Talk to them and find out their passion, their interests, and their desires. Then place them in a leadership role where they can succeed.

Santa lesson #2: Elves make the magic. Make sure you have enough of them.
Nothing would get done without the elves working diligently year round in Santa’s workshop. They do their job and make Santa and the reindeer look good. Without them, the magic wouldn’t happen.

So look in your workshop and see if you have enough elves to do the job. Do you have subcommittees so the workload is manageable? If not, recruit some more elves to be the “do-ers” in your organization. And don’t forget to listen to them. They may have ideas to improve the way you deliver programs or manage events. They will be the ones to tell you if something is broken!

Santa lesson #3: Recognize Hermey, the Tall Elf, and the other co-workers.
Often times, the volunteer doers (elves) in your organization don’t get the recognition like Santa or the reindeer, so it’s up to YOU to recognize them. An elf who knows they are appreciated will continue to work hard and may even recruit other elves to help. A simple thank you will go a long way to motivate and retain your team.

Santa lesson #4: Let Rudolph lead.
Imagine the trouble Santa would have if he didn’t have a leader like Rudolph. Sure, he’d be able to direct the sleigh from the rear for a while, but after a few stops, he’d get tired. By empowering the reindeer to lead the way, Santa can sit back, enjoy the ride, and scratch them on the belly now and again. It keeps him from burning out and gives him time to focus on other things, including showing his reindeer some appreciation for their effort.

Volunteer managers should do the same with their leaders. Guide them, but let them take the lead. That will give you more time to let them know how much you appreciate them. (I recommend you forgo the belly rub, though!)

Happy Holidays to you all!

- This post written by Becky Lunders, Turnkey’s Volunteer Management Guru. You can reach Becky directly at becky@turnkeywow.com orbecky@totalteamworks.com.

Why is this event great? Because the person on either side of you shares your pain and your passion! I have made fast friends at these conferences – people who are motivated to do good in the world and for their organizations. My war-mongering, hard-right brother might call it “sappy,” but I don’t agree.

The people who attend this conference are there because they want to be; in fact, most face a budget fight just to attend the event. It’s the perfect place to bring the motivated people in your organization. You know, the ones who possess open minds and who are willing to talk about what is really hard in their world. And likewise, you have the chance to share your unique wisdom too. (Plus, the hotel is so nice, so it’s an all around win-win!)  

As an Event Sponsor We Have a Few Discounted Tickets
If you are interested in joining me, I’ve got a few discounted tickets available. Bring your key partners and make it a staff retreat to remember! You will need to contact me before you register for our discount code. For more info, visit Turnkey Promotions Offers 2012 RWRFC Discounts.

I hope to see you there! I’ll be the one hugging a new friend (hopefully they won’t be trying to escape), furiously writing in a notebook, or sharing how I conquered my particular beast.

I ask him, “Does it burn your hand when you answer a telemarketer’s call? Which hurts more, speaking to a telemarketer, or not speaking to the people you want to because you won’t answer the phone?”

My line of reasoning doesn’t work at all because he believes heartily in the benefits of “being Norman.” The family is forced to conform to his mentality. Like a line of worker ants absent-mindedly following some unknown Natural Rule of Order, we chant: we shall conform to the Norman… we shall conform to the Norman… we shall…. Action to the contrary is not an option.

But, I’ve recently discovered his persnickety phone antics have led me to a customer experience lesson worthy of sharing. Let me explain.

My dad left me five phone messages between 4:30 pm yesterday and 8:30 am this morning. FIVE.

His last message went something like this: “I called your cell yesterday afternoon, then your house last night, and your cell. And your cell this morning and your desk again. I can’t believe you won’t answer the phone.”

Along the way to that message I got: “I called your office last night at 8:30 pm. A real nice lady answered the phone. It was 8:30, and she was so nice. What are you running over there, a slave operation? She didn’t have to answer the phone. And why was she there at 8:30 at night? Tell me the names of all the ladies who work there so I know who it is. That was real nice. You need to think about how you’re running things.”

That whole 12 hour grace period to return a call is nonexistent with my dad. And, since he won’t answer the phone and you don’t get points for leaving messages, it’s tough to meet his expectations.

But, you know, I really couldn’t answer the phone between 4:30 pm yesterday and 8:30 am today. There was a client appointment, a developer meeting, a Junior Beta Club induction, dinner for kids, a trip to the dentist, and a sudden onset of strep throat. Those of you reading this post probably have days like this too, and I know you feel my pain.

After that last message from my dad I realized his expectations and that of fundraisers, clients, and even donors are the same. You might be thwarted by circumstance and they may be unfair in their assessment of your performance, but it really doesn’t matter. All that matters is their experience.

Which is why the only answer for my dad is, “I’ll find out who is working at 8:30 at night and get her donuts, and then I’ll figure out what’s wrong with my phones.” I’ll look for expectation opportunities. I may not always succeed, but in my heart I will follow: I shall exceed … I shall exceed … I shall exceed. A heart of another kind, not an option.

I am in the business of figuring out how to get people to do something. To do that, I have to figure out what they want…not what they SAY they want, but what they really want. And, oddly, what they say they want and what they really want are rarely the same thing.

We humans are terrible predictors of our own behavior. Surveys that ask “What do you think about this thing?” or “What would you do in this situation?” collect opinion; an analysis of what people actually DO in the situation is more valuable.

For example, if a group of people were asked, “If a soda and milk shake cost the same, would you buy one or the other more often?” I bet their answers and data around their buying habits would conflict.

My company builds nonprofit incentive programs. We want event participants to raise money for our clients. If we ask them, “Would you raise more money for this jacket?” the universal answer is “That jacket will not make me raise more money.” But our behavioral statistics don’t agree. The data says, “I would knock down three little old ladies and a priest to get that jacket.”

Further, we now understand that the jacket (with your nonprofit brand) is simply a symbol of what they REALLY want. We know this because we can sub in many different items with your nonprofit brand and get the same result.

What the fundraiser is after is what we are all after. The fundraiser wants you to say his or her name. It’s an easy phrase that rolls off the tongue – they want to be RECOGNIZED. But when you dig into that phrase, you tap into a deep human emotion that doesn’t test well on a survey. It’s about being a member of a group. It’s about being a part of something you care about. It’s like home.

So, how do you test for that?

My daughter was born with Down Syndrome and later developed Type 1 diabetes.  And, if I can’t get what I need for her by mentioning those maladies, I whip out the fact that she has Autism, too. 

These labels imply hardship. But, that’s just not how it is all the time. On the bright side, my 13 and 17-year-old boys are the people they are BECAUSE of their sister. For example, my son has talked for years about his friend Jorge. “Jorge and I are going to practice volleyball.” “Jorge plays the cello.” “Jorge just called me…” 

Then I met Jorge. I couldn’t shake his hand because Jorge has no arms. That didn’t come up before. 

My other son talked about his friend Chad. ”Chad is having a hard time being quiet in class,” he said. He says things like, “Chad has an older friend in class.” “I need to sit beside him, to help.” It turns out Chad has an aide and is also a special needs child. My son didn’t interpret it that way.

Sometimes I think us calling the Annas of the world “disabled” and “handicapped” is like calling Mount Everest a big pile of rock in the way of getting to somewhere else.  These people are not the challenge to overcome, but the opportunity for growth and joy, like Mount Everest is an opportunity for adventure and excitement.  

We need new labels.

Later, I’m at my desk and a fruit fly has decided to make my nasal passages his home. He keeps dropping by for one more walk through just to make sure it’s the right place for him. I nearly knock myself out trying to kill this tiny bit of irritation.

Not long after that, I get a “how to stop stress in 60 seconds” email. I immediately know that for items one through three to be truly effective they must include illegal substances or acts, but I proceed anyway.  

1. “Get physical fast.” The article’s instructions include jumping rope and sit ups. Wouldn’t it be easier to throw your file cabinet, drawer by drawer, out your window?
2. “Focus on your breathing.” Snorting and foaming at the mouth comes easy. Who needs to focus?
3. “Stretch the stress out.” I think they mean touching your toes. Better to reach for your office mate’s neck across the desk for a good lower back stretch.
4. “Visualize a calming image.” And now we’re back to homicide, and that’s just plain wrong.
5. “Soothe your senses with calming scents.” Vodka doesn’t smell. That’s its charm.

And in the height of my angst I realize I have three great kids. I have my health and they have theirs. I have an extended family most people envy. I have a nice house, a good car, and the best compost pile in the county. My lawn is green in August without irrigation. I grew corn in my suburban backyard, and my neighbors didn’t complain. I have a great church. The people I work with are nice, honest, and hard-working—even my evil marketing person isn’t all bad. The irritants that are getting me ratcheted up just don’t mean that much, AND I have most of a dark chocolate bar in my desk. Life is good.

What thoughts do you use to realign your perspective? I would love to know!

Guest post by Becky Lunders

Summer is winding down and the kids are back in school. Now it’s my turn to find my volunteer nitch and determine what I’ll commit my energy to this year. I’ve volunteered in many different capacities over the years. I’ve spent many years pouring my heart and energies into a national health organization because I lost my Mom to cancer at a young age. I’ve volunteered at my neighborhood school because my kids are my world, and I want them to have the best experience and the most opportunities possible. I’ve even done a leadership stint with a local youth sports league, believing I might as well utilize my leadership skills since I spend so much time at the ballpark anyway!

There are so many opportunities to volunteer. How do you choose which nonprofit will be the right fit for you? Here are three keys pieces of advice I tell my friends and colleagues to follow when they are ready to sign up:

1. Follow your passion
2. Know your limits
3. Remember your roots

Passion is a powerful thing.
When it comes to volunteering, you have to feel a connection to the cause. You’re not getting paid, so passion is the thing that will propel you to enthusiastically attend a meeting or catapult you out of bed for an early morning event even when you have a million other things to do. Passion is contagious, and a group of passionate people is unstoppable. First, find a cause that you believe in with all your heart. Then, determine which organizations are committed to that cause, and then, choose the one that best works for you.

Know what you can do and are willing to do.
Only commit to that which you can successfully execute. One common weakness among passionate people is they over-commit. Find out the time commitment, the frequency of meetings, and the level of support offered by the organization. If you take on a leadership role, ask about what volunteer committees are in place to help. Don’t take on too much. Being in charge of a program or event doesn’t mean you have to do it all! The best way to be successful is to surround yourself with others who exhibit the same level of passion.  

Remember what brought you to the nonprofit in the first place.
Don’t forget your roots. When personalities clash and conflict arises, which will likely happen, reflect back to why you chose to volunteer for that particular organization. Remind yourself why you committed to the cause and to fulfilling its mission. In fact, ask your entire committee of volunteers why they volunteer. Chances are it will help everyone focus and put things into perspective. Most likely, the adversity that you are experiencing is trivial compared to the mountain of great work the organization is achieving.

Be proud knowing that you are making a difference in the lives of those impacted by the mission. And when you look around, recognize that it’s passionate people like you — the volunteers — that hold this world together.

- This post written by Becky Lunders, Turnkey’s Volunteer Management Guru. Interested in reading more? Becky regularly posts to Turnkey’s Nonprofit Tools blog!

As the woman walked away, the agent’s face changed, and I could see the cost of the conversation on her. When I got to her, I had to say, “I’ve never seen anyone be able to stay as professional and kind as you just did in the face of pure evil. Thank you for doing that. That woman could have been here forever.”  The gate agent’s expression changed completely. Several people around us affirmed my comment. The gate agent was made emotionally whole, simply because someone said thank you. 

Sometimes, nonprofit field staff need the same sort of emotional uplift. Here are a few ways to do that even if you don’t have a budget!

1. Give public recognition… like we give our volunteers.

2. Ask the person to help you with a problem that is unusual… because you value their feedback.

3. Bring them a fancy coffee, unsolicited. Better yet, add in a chocolate bar.

4. Ask for that person’s opinion on anything.

5. When an outsider visits your office, introduce them and brag about the staffer.

6. Tell him/her how much you admire how they handled “X” and why it was impressive.  

7. If his or her numeric measurable (income goal) is where you want it, say so.

8. Introduce the staffer to your boss and say something positive.

9. Ask them about their next planned day off… and make sure there is one.

10. Cook lunch for the office.

What are some of your UPLIFTING ideas? I would love to hear them!

-Katrina