Connecting Willing Volunteers with Fulfilling Opportunities

Comerica Bank hosted an event today, featuring a stellar panel of community leaders, who shared their reasons for volunteer engagement and practical ways to maximize impact.   My aha moment occurred when one of the panelists I'd invited, shared that his community engagement prior to 9/11 had been two-fold: supporting his wife's volunteer leadership and writing checks/attending nonprofit events.  I've only become friends with this successful lawyer and incredible community leader since his immersion into board service.

My assumption, prior to today, was that successful folks included board service or other significant volunteer commitments in their way of being/doing/operating.  My aha discovery was that the "engagement gene" may well evolve as an individual has more control over her/his schedule.  Sometimes it is inherited - and sometimes it evolves.  

Regardless of how an individual invests time, talent and/or treasure, passion is the key.  Excitement about the organization's mission will ideally inspire engagement and commitment.

Paintdrops Weren't Falling on Our Heads

Years ago, my husband and I realized that we were "have it done for yourselfers" rather than do-it-yourselfers".  However, I recently agreed to join my Comerica colleagues for 4 hours of paining at a United Way agency for Comerica's national day of service.

Thankfully, visions of paintdrops falling on my head, did not materialize.  One of our committed colleagues engaged her accomplished painting contractor husband.  He and she saved the day!

Our small, but eager team was effectively directed to achieve a project that appeared to exceed our abilities.  This experience reminded me that leaders often situationally emerge.

We can keep paintdrops from falling on our heads by bringing the right tools and engaging the best team members.

How Are You?

How are you? This simple question can evoke so many emotions.  Our answer may be impacted by the time, circumstance, relationship to the questioner, attitude, experience, location, etc.

I've chosen to consciously respond to those with whom I don't have an established relationship with any positive response other than "fine". 

Opportunities to positively connect expand exponentially when we ask any other positively engaging question other than "how are you?"

Great Idea

An older associate recently won my heart with an email inviting me to join a small group for a one-time planning meeting for an upcoming event.  Her approach was to indicate that I always have great ideas and she hoped that I would join them.  Her approach made me want to participate and left me sad that I had a conflict.

When we approach someone with a sincere compliment, we can often engage them with a time-bounded opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities.

The great idea is to be able to give others the chance to shine in a way that is mutually beneficial.

Asking Great Questions

One of the best ways to engage interesting conversation is to ask open-ended questions.  So often we are asked yes or no questions, which have a 50% chance of leading to an answer the questioner is not hoping to hear.

Some engaging options include:

• How have you continued to excel?
• What are some of your best success tips?
• What exciting things are you doing?
• Tell me about your organization.

When we offer the opportunity for others to share their expertise and experience, we have a chance to connect and learn.

What Do You Think?

Being asked for input for important decisions is incredibly motivating.  We lose the opportunity to actively engage other team members when we omit the chance to incorporate their feedback. 

Everyone Matters

Last year, I took an unplanned sabbatical from church.  It probably began as an out of town trip.  This was followed by a decision to not get up and dressed the next Sunday.  Several weeks passed without attending church.  I was still praying every day and sending our monthly pledge, so I assumed no one noticed.  A hand-written note from our rector arrived saying that he missed us.  What an effective way to get me back where I need to be.

Regardless of how many people are part of a group or organization, when we are expected to be present, our absence is felt.   Sometimes, the only encouragement needed to engage or re-engage an individual is a personal communication from someone who is actively involved letting the person who's not participating fully know that his or her contributions are valued.

It's Not About Me

I recently read a book that's not a biography, but it is all about the author.  It's a vanity book with a few glimmers of things we should embrace.  I'm Queen of Cliff Notes and think that we should always make it easy for others to understand what is most important.  When we make it difficult for others to realize our intent, purpose or meaning, they may just give up.  When the message is focused toward the audience rather than the messenger, it's easier to maintain interest.

It's another vivid reminder that in face to face encounters the 2:1 ratio should be in effect: use our two ears to intently listen twice as frequently as we use our one mouth to speak. This allows relationships to grow as we learn more of what's important to others.

Why?

One of the most powerful questions we can ask is "Why?".  If we ask the question, then silently and non-judgmentally listen to the answer, we can learn ever so much.

Why did you:

• study...?
• move to...?
• start your particular business?
• contribute to...?
• recommend...?
• change your mind?
• like the ...?
• dislike the ...?
• make this decision?
• make ...?
• create ...?
• ...?