One issue I find myself speaking with clients about frequently is delegation. Or more specifically, the challenge of Effectively Delegating. There are a few common reasons that leaders hesitate to delegate but in an informal (kind of an accidental) survey, it seems the #1 reason is that it's simply easier for them to do the task that was to be delegated. This often stems from a lack of trust in the individual that would be taking up the task. And drilling down further, the lack of trust is from perceived incompetence or proven incompetence.
To illustrate, a leader was sharing how he questioned why a board member would genuinely want to help. I shared that I find the subject of volunteerism to be a fascinating subject as it brings up several dichotomies. First off, there's the whole idea of recognition. While we as nonprofit professionals spend lots of time, energy and resources thinking of how to effectively recognize our best volunteers and donors, I've been grateful to find a major irony here. Our very best volunteers and donors don't care about acknowledgement. They are there out of a true sense of service and giving. This doesn't mean for a second that it's not a worthy endeavor to show our appreciation. Rather it's one of the wonderful aspects about working in a field where we see true generosity in action. And for no other reason that service. So how do we start changing the perspective on delegation? What if we recognized that when we delegate, it's truly creating the most giving form of service. As leaders (or managers, supervisors) etc. when we delegate, we're truly being of service by showing confidence in those we delegate to. We're saying "we trust you and value you". Equally important, we're giving those we delegate to the chance to live out their their possibility for growth, mastery and expertise. And in the nonprofit field, when we entrust our volunteers and board members with sharing our work, we're providing them with an opportunity to live out their generosity of spirit. It might be a bit of a cliche but the above way of thinking about delegation is truly a Win-Win for all. Give it a try.
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The other day I noticed a trend among the folks I was coaching. Several of them identified the need to be more intentional about both recognizing and celebrating their wins and that of their teams. In a moment where I'm also hearing plenty about burnout, the need for a break and other less than positive ideas, this is an important thing to recognize. It's also an opportunity to create a shift in both our own perspectives as well as those we work with.
First, let's tackle the Recognition aspect. How do you measure a win? In my experience, we tend to be pretty tough on ourselves. The win has to be tangible, measurable and "Big" in the eyes of many. In the nonprofit world, a win is typically measurable success in one of our programs, a successful event or getting that big donation. But does this have to be the case? Could there be value in celebrating new thinking, a healthy brainstorming session or even the acquisition of some smaller but still significant donors? How about a volunteer or staff member getting out of their comfort zone and creating a calling plan to reach out to five new donors in a very personal way? While these may not seem like the big game changers, these "little wins" add up to measurable long term wins for ourselves and our organizations. Now, how about the Celebration. How do you celebrate? Everyone is doing the virtual happy hour but what can you do that's a different? When celebrating your own win, how about treating yourself to a half hour of time to think, relax or read? If you're celebrating something that was accomplished by your team, what could you do to help solidify relationships? Or when it comes to a single employee, sharing a favorite book or article that speaks to something they're trying to learn? These of course are just some ideas to get you thinking. My main point is that there are so many ways to celebrate if we can be creative. Here's my end point: At a time when all of us could you use a bit more lightness and reasons for gratitude, let's identify more opportunities to celebrate and get creative about doing so. Have a safe and healthy weekend! Me: So, when you were writing songs, were there any rules you adhered to? Things like chord structures, progressions - things like that?
Jon Anderson (from Yes): No. Some of us knew that stuff. For most of us, we just did what felt right. What felt real to us in that moment. Paul Westerberg (from the Replacements): What are you talking about??? Rules? We never paid attention to rules. There were times when we played a song six different ways on six different days. Steve Chandler (an awesome coach): Write the book you'd want to read. Don't pay attention to the way you're supposed to do it. Leave the shoulds behind... Me: Thanks guys. Thanks for reminding me to write what's real for me. That goes for writing books, posts and music. The above "paper conversation" was yet another exercise in the Accidental Genius by Mark Levy. While my writing over the past couple days may seem a bit like a book report, I find that the best way to put new ideas into practice is to put them into action. I'd recommend that for anyone committed to change. And I do it here in the hope that my attempts at these things might help you if you're looking for new approaches. But to the point of the conversation above, over the past few weeks I've gotten a bit caught up in whether there's a "right way" to write. I think this may come from being a musician. I've known since my early days of learning music that there are chord structures, progressions and melodies that work - simply put, they're pleasing to the ear. And there are plenty of books and articles out there about the right formula for writing an article or book that connects with the audience. For example, a typical how-to for writing is "Start with a Grabber". A grabber could be a shocking or inspirational quote, a brief story or something like "These are the top 5 mistakes people make when...". I have no doubt these things do have a wide appeal and can get the attention of a reader. I may even do them from time to time. Anyway, don't get caught up in the identities of the people I'm talking to in my paper conversation. Suffice to say they're musicians and a professional coach that I have a ton of respect for and admire. More importantly, they're what I would call Originals. They do what they do in a way that leads and doesn't follow whether it's with the music they're written or the coaching they're offered and books they've written. Holding this little conversation was my way of reminding myself and you of one of my favorite sayings: Don't be the next (fill in the blank with someone you want to be like). Be the first and best version of you. Simply put: Be an Original Over the past eight years, I've wrestled with different feelings about the value of Giving Tuesday. The first several years after it was launched, I was a fan. The idea that a rising tide lifts all boats seemed to be the appropriate sentiment. I say this because the day provided nonprofits with a heightened sense of awareness from the public and a great recognition of the need for financial support. Some of that positive feeling may have been contextual. Around the time Giving Tuesday was introduced, I was splitting my time between growing my own new nonprofit organization and leading another more established nonprofit. I could see that for less visible organizations like mine, Giving Tuesday was especially helpful.
Over the years, that sentiment has shifted. I still believe Giving Tuesday is a wonderful idea, but I've also experienced some of the pitfalls. Please know I'm not generalizing here - I'm merely stating some of what I've experienced. I've worked with several nonprofits where Giving Tuesday cannibalized the launch of a year-end holiday appeal. There was an organization which made the process of donating and fundraising so complicated that it became an 8 step process requiring numerous emails many weeks in advance. I've talked to organizations that spent lots of time, energy and resource planning elaborate campaigns for the day only to see very small amounts raised - sometimes pretty much what would have been raised with little or no effort. Here's my end point: Giving Tuesday provides a unique opportunity to globally raise awareness of the important work of the nonprofit community. That in and of itself is of value. At the same time, organizations should decide whether it's a worthwhile investment to dedicate significant resources to the effort. How do you make that kind of decision? Pretty much the same way you'd decide on and structure any campaign. Understand the results you want to create. Have a good understanding of what you'll need to raise to create those results. Know your donors and how they receive messages. And finally, figure out if Giving Tuesday is the best way to connect with those that are eager to support you. And my final endpoint: Wishing all of you a Giving Tuesday that rewards your efforts and supports the important work you do. |
AuthorRobert Grabel is the President of Nonprofit Now! You can find his posts here and at www.robertgrabel.com Archives
August 2022
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