Dare we ask volunteers, “how resilient are you?” Does nurturing a resilient mindset belong in volunteer meetings or in orientation? Is resilience in the face of change as crucial as policies, ethics, and the most valuable, urgent, significant, important phrase to throw at new volunteers; “by the way, we welcome donations too! And, here’s an envelope to take with you!”

Discussing resilience and utilizing change scenarios when orienting or constructing workshops lays the groundwork for smooth change management down the road. It’s like a gift to your future self. It doesn’t matter if change is upheaval or small. Change upsets the status quo and we can nurture a “change is not the end of the world” mindset, so that when changes occur, volunteers are prepared to work through them.

This free worksheet explores resilience and reframes this debilitating response to change: “Nothing will ever be the same.”

Hopefully, it will get your creative juices flowing and you will consider adding Resilience Nurturing to your volunteer mentoring.

-Meridian