May I Help You? | The Volunteer

WITH FLORENCE MAY

LET’S TALK ABOUT EXHAUSTION (OR VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP IN DIFFICULT TIMES)

During the last five years this column topic has focused largely on …

1. Recruiting with major emphasis on working with corporate, charitable, church, school and other groups. Volunteer trends particularly for events lean heavily towards groups and the pandemic has only intensified this trend.

2. Creating space for volunteers to form networks and community.

3. Clearly defining volunteer needs and expectations.

4. Great communications pre, during and post event.

5. Rewarding your volunteers for productive work.

But the pandemic has added complexity to the basic volunteer management tenants. Legal matters. Health matters. Insurance matters. Regulation matters. All shifting. And feeding constant change. The result is exhausted staff and volunteers. There is enormous employee and volunteer turnover in our industry.

Recently I was talking with a foundation leader and asked about the leadership challenges during this period of high burn out. She commented that when leaders become exhausted, their tone changes. Staff and volunteers then pick up on that exhausted tone and it begins to permeate through the organization.

This is a Moment for Reflection

As leaders, we all need to take a step back and ask ourselves some tough questions. What tone am I conveying in the office? A tone of exhaustion or high energy? Of frustration or resilience? Of negativity or optimism? Or even hopelessness instead of hopeful spirit?

The reality is that we are all tired, but we can’t wallow in it. It’s time to branch out and explore this topic.

Seeking Motivation

Searching for a little inspiration was first. I started with the book “Motivational Myths” by Jeff Haden. I was struck by his take on the motivation topic. Mr. Haden wasn’t big on finding inspiration first. He emphasizes setting a big goal for the organization (or yourself). But then don’t focus on the big goal. Only focus on the day-to-day smaller steps.

Mr. Hayden stresses a virtuous cycle, “Seemingly little successes create a virtuous cycle. Improving feels good. Feeling good breeds confidence. Confidence helps you keep going, which leads to further improving. Rinse and repeat.”

The inspiration is driven from the small successes which build and reinforce each other. This completely resonated with me. But what happens when there are major challenges?

“Many obstacles knock us off the virtuous cycle and make us demoralized. Don’t focus on the mountain. Focus on the next step. Put time and effort into creating the right environment – it’s far more important than willpower.” Mr. Hayden continues, “Make your daily plan specific and achievable. In other words, do less well. And do less to achieve more.”

There are many chronic overachievers in the event and festival space, perhaps revisiting our goals and the steps to get there is a good starting place. But how do we reinforce positive leadership throughout our very public organizations?

While I was looking back through some of my leadership guides and seeking newer sources, several colleagues (and my husband) mentioned the TV show, Ted Lasso, as a refreshing take on positive leadership. Admittedly, I don’t watch much television, but was quite taken with this brilliantly uplifting series and the positive response to it.

Finding Inspiration from Winning EQ and Lasso Leadership

Winning EQ thought so also and provided the great list of inspirational leadership qualities found in the program on their website at winningeq.com. I’ve shamelessly paraphrased or directly quoted their summaries below. (Please visit the original source for a deeper dive on leadership)

1. LEAD WITH EMPATHY

Do you listen to the staff and volunteers around you, and try to put yourself in their shoes so you can fully understand them, and determine how you can encourage their best outcomes? As a result of empathy, the staff, volunteers and public you interact with are more likely to feel cared for and heard.

2. NEVER TAKE THINGS PERSONALLY

Your credibility and leadership methods will be subject to judgment. You may have distractors on your staff, volunteers and even from the public. It can be challenging to stay grounded in who you are and hold true to your leadership philosophies in times of overwhelming scrutiny.

3. WINNING AND LOSING IS NOT EVERYTHING

Winning and losing provides incentive and motivation to perform at our best, and yes, both carry consequences, especially in public eye. Yet winning isn’t everything, or indeed the only thing. It is the journey of inspiring staff and volunteers to grow and step into possibility that must drive leaders.

4. EQUALITY OVER HIERARCHY

Forge relationships at all levels of your organization. Strive to bridge the gap to the highest level of the organization, always encouraging the higher ups to “join the team” more often and in particular to get input from your volunteers.

5. EMPOWERMENT BREEDS CONFIDENCE

Empower your staff and volunteers to perform tasks beyond their role. Encourage your staff and volunteers to give their input on tactics, which creates a sense of ownership, leading to more engagement and motivation.

6. NOBODY IS BIGGER THAN THE TEAM

Leading high performing staff and volunteers often means managing large egos and resolving personality conflicts. Tirelessly communicate the message that the organization (team) comes first, no matter your talent or hierarchal status. As the leader, you need to remember your role as a coach.

7. OPTIMISM IS INFECTIOUS

A “can-do” attitude creates a ripple effect with staff, volunteers and the public that raises the collective vibration around you. Enough said.

8. HUMOR CUTS THROUGH TENSION

There is something to be said about injecting humor into a high-pressure environment at the right time, helping to ease the tension and remind staff and volunteers to relax and enjoy their work.

9. EMBRACE CHANGE

The thought of running big public events in the face of a pandemic and major social change is challenging for most people. But it is important to embrace each challenge with humility and grace, always looking for the opportunities presented.

10. BE A GOLDFISH

Which is the best animal to embody when you make a mistake? The one with a memory that lasts between 5 – 10 seconds of course. Next time you need to shake it off and get back to optimal performance...be a goldfish. And encourage staff and volunteers who make mistakes to learn from the experience but not to wallow in it.

11. COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP EARNS TRUST

Find the courage to have the crucial conversations and address the tough topics, because it will improve the individual, and serve the culture of the organization. Ignoring major problems breeds further problems.

12. BELIEVE

Self-doubt can be crippling, especially when the odds seem stacked against us. It is virtually impossible for us to achieve our desires if we don’t believe we are either capable or deserving of achieving them. We must believe to achieve and remember to have as much fun as possible on the journey. Or as Ted Lasso says, “You say impossible, but all I hear is ‘I’m possible.’”

The Journey

All the change and challenges, as uncomfortable as they may be, are part of our journey. In this moment of enormous flux, we need to step back and consider our leadership approach:

• How are you leading a positive and sustainable path for your organization and event?

• What elements of motivation, goal setting and establishing a virtuous cycle need evolution in your office and on site at events?

• Which inspirational leadership qualities are you bringing to your staff and volunteers?

• Are you simply surviving or are you “coaching” your staff and volunteers through this difficult period?

Find inspiration in your journey from the words and actions of Ted Lasso, “Doing the right thing is never the wrong thing.”

Florence May is the Founder and President of TRS Volunteer Solutions. Her company provides myTRS Software for hundreds of Festivals, Conventions, Non-Profits, corporations and Sports Commissions. Among these support for 26 Final Fours, 5 Super Bowls, 2 Republican National Conventions, 2 Democratic National Conventions, 18 F1 Races, 12 Special Olympic Organizations, Indy 500 Events and so many others. Flory is a national Speaker, Author and Workshop Leader on Volunteer Management Trends. You may contact Flory with volunteer management questions at fmay@my-trs.com or 317.966.6919. And there is a library of volunteer management resources at www.my-trs.com/articles.

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