In this episode, Corina Sadler shares her thoughts on an important, but seldom discussed topic: Volunteer managers’ personal and professional development. Listen in as Corina talks about:
Looking outside the box for training to skillset
Developing a professional story
Using social media to recruit by not recruiting
Creating your own content
The importance of showcasing staff who engage volunteers
Why professional volunteer manager organizations are vital
Steps to creating a niche volunteer manager peer group
About Corina:
Corina Sadler, CVA, is Volunteer Resources Supervisor for the City of Plano, Texas “Volunteers in Plano” department and she has spent 15 years in local government. Corina and her team support staff in engaging 10,000 volunteers a year. In 2019 she received a national IMPACT Award from the Association of Leaders in Volunteer Engagement (AL!VE) for displaying exemplary leadership in the field. She is a committee member of Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration, e-Volunteerism, AL!VE and the Texas Volunteer Management Conference. Ms. Sadler holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Gerontology and Nonprofit Management along with certificates in nonprofit marketing and governance.
Interested in training with Corina? You can catch her September 29 with NOVAA and October 2 at the Colorado Conference on Volunteerism. Where will she be next? Connect with Corina on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/corinasadler/] or Instagram @CorinaInPlano to keep in touch. She hopes to see a bit of YOUR volunteer engagement story online.
Thank you Corina for sharing your insights and actionable tips. Your volunteer manager journey inspires us all to include our professional stories to further our programs and our personal development.
Like it or not, Covid means changes affecting our volunteers are inevitable. How do we manage the upheaval change brings?
There are multitudes of theories on change management, and wading through them can be exhausting. For our purposes, here are 3 tips to help you navigate your changing landscape.
Why are volunteers averse to change?
Change represents uncertainty and loss. Change threatens our status quo and destroys our comfort zones. Even if the status quo is not ideal, humans cling to the known verses embracing change for a better unknown. Managing change is tough, even if the change is for the better.
Let’s begin by assessing the volunteers. As we introduce change, what are the volunteers thinking/feeling/imagining? They may verbalize or worse, internalize:
“Where does this change leave me?”
“Does this change mean more change (upheaval) is coming?”
“Will my role disappear?” or “What if I’m no longer needed?”
“What if change is an excuse to get rid of the volunteering I love so much?”
“What if I can’t adapt to this change? Then what?”
Tip 1: Involve the Volunteers
Easier said than done, right? Especially if Covid has changed policies to reflect social distancing. There’s little to no room for volunteer input on mandatory changes. However, HOW you go about implementing change can involve your volunteers. Volunteers can set goals and brainstorm the path to achieving these goals once they understand the need to implement change.
A large portion of change management deals with the why. Why are these changes happening? Failed change management strategies don’t adequately explain the why, which leads to push-back and ultimately mutiny. We don’t have to worry excessively about explaining the why, because a global pandemic speaks for itself which differs vastly from an organization internally revamping policies. We still must explain the why, but at least they don’t view Covid as some mean CEO who hates volunteers and just wants to get rid of them. (yeah, been down that pot-holed road a few times)
Create focus groups or panels of volunteers to flesh out how to best implement the change. Controlling some changes helps create volunteer commitment, especially when you connect the changes to delivering mission goals.
For example: Volunteers can no longer make in-person house visits (temporarily or permanently). You’ve already decided that in-person volunteers can substitute phone calls for the in-person visits, but don’t suggest that. Instead, ask the focus group to re-imagine ways to continue a personal touch. They may suggest Zoom or phone calls, or emailing, etc. The point is, give them the control and let them come up with the solutions instead of just telling them the alternative.
Tip 2: We’re in this Together
Make Covid the enemy, which means we are all in this together. Adopt verbiage that reinforces a team approach and commitment to flexible thinking (flexible thinking says, “this is not written in stone, your input is valuable to making this work”). Ditch the “I, they, them” words and use “we” verbiage such as:
“Together, we’ll figure this out and beat this.”
“The organization is on board with..”
“We’re all invested in our mission goals despite having this setback.”
“Everyone has a valuable role in achieving our goals.”
“We are all contributing to success.”
“We can’t do it without everyone’s contribution.”
“We’re stronger than this pandemic.”
Change management often fails due to something as innocent as two people in authority delivering conflicting messages. Conflicting messages reinforces the “they don’t know what they’re doing” push-back and undermines volunteers’ confidence and commitment.
Can we control messaging from other staff, volunteers and senior management? Probably not, but we can routinely ask our volunteers, “what have you heard about this change from others?” We can’t control everyone’s word choices, but we can clear up misinformation, discrepancies and bring messaging anomalies to the attention of staff and senior management.
Make messaging clear. Ask senior management to create short, easily digested statements on any changes. For example:
“Because of social distancing rules and guidelines, we have to consider the legal implications of letting volunteers go into homes, even with masks on, so to be on the safe side, we are putting a temporary moratorium on in home visits,” becomes “Temporarily, we are suspending in home visits.”
Too much verbiage is not only confusing, it opens itself up to wide interpretation. Often, long explanations contain apologetic language that implies, “we’re not committed to what we’re saying, so go ahead and challenge us.” Simple, to the point sentencing ensures everyone will repeat the same message.
Tip 3: Repeat, Check-in, Repeat
Repeat your change message often, way more often than you think is necessary. Sounds childish, right? But studies have shown that in order for a message to stick, it needs to be repeated anywhere from 7-66 times. Work messaging into chats, meetings, phone calls and emails. Be consistent. You’re not being patronizing, you are being clear. When you hear a volunteer laughingly repeat, “I know, we’re all valuable in making this change work,” you’re on the right track.
A change management strategy includes change duration (how long will it take to implement change). But here’s the interesting finding. In successful change management, duration of change is less of a factor than the frequency of reviews (the process of consistently reviewing change implementation). For us, that means don’t worry so much about how long it will take to implement a change, concentrate on frequent reviews for maximum success.
And formal reviews are superior to informal reviews. What do I mean by that? The casual, “hey how’s it going with the new virtual mentoring program” as you chat on the phone with your volunteer holds no weight against a scheduled, formal review in which you go over changes by taking notes, asking questions, and reinforcing the volunteer’s importance and value in achieving change goals. Formal reviews show you’re serious about successful change implementation and you care about the volunteers’ contributions.
Change is never easy, but we can manage it with strategies. And who is the best person to navigate a changing landscape that volunteers will get behind? You got this.
I remember each moment one of my children called to tell me something wonderful happened. I remember my best friend jumping into her car and driving to my house to show me her acceptance letter into college. I also remember the morning my childhood friend plowed through snowdrifts to fall into my arms when her Dad walked out on their family.
I vividly remember volunteers who couldn’t wait to show me a picture of their new grandchild or share a family moment. I remember volunteers seeking me out to talk about a challenge they faced or sitting with volunteers, tears streaming as they shared their lives or volunteering experiences with me.
Do you often hear these phrases:
“gosh, I could go on and on”
“I’m sorry, I’m taking up your time”
“I feel so much better”
“thank you for hearing me”
“where did the time go”
“I was so excited, I just had to tell you”
“I couldn’t wait to share this with you”
You hear these phrases, because you are an empathetic listener. You use your emotional energy to listen well and you seek to understand the underlying emotions. It’s one of those things we do for others, right?
But did you know that being empathetic is beneficial for us too?
According to this article in Psychology Today, empathy helps us lower our stress levels and prevents burn-out.
Emotion Regulation
Empathetic listening helps us practice emotion regulation. By hearing others’ intense emotions, we are strengthening our skills to regulate the emotions that can cause us stress, such as anger and anxiety. As we listen to others, we are monitoring our own emotional response so we can focus on the speaker.
Preventing Burn-out
Empathetic listening helps us better understand how to handle stress, and how to communicate better. It shows us how to effectively communicate and work well with others. Our emotional intelligence gives us an advantage when advocating for volunteers’ and our needs.
Collaboration and Managing Conflict
Empathy increases our emotional intelligence, which guides us when managing difficult situations with volunteers or staff. As we flex our emotion regulation muscle, we can diffuse situations, handle tough conversations and forge collaboration.
Every time we connect on a deep level with one of our volunteers, we forge a bond between us and ultimately between the volunteer and our mission. We become the emotional rubber band that stretches with the volunteer and gently pulls them into service.
I used to assume any emotional intelligence I possessed was due to getting older and wiser. But I don’t think so anymore. I’m now convinced that emotional growth has come from being a #LoVols and using empathy daily. My profession changed me in ways I am forever grateful for.
So the next time you close your email, silence your phone, shut the door, take a deep breath and settle in to be present with a volunteer, remember this: You are being present with your volunteer, but you are also developing mad skills that will serve you well. You are building your EQ (emotional intelligence) and emotion regulation ability.
Or, in simpler terms, you’re becoming a more kick-ass leader.
The Covid pandemic has forced many active volunteers into furloughs. It has put vital in-person training on hold. It has stalled volunteer-rich projects. It has created a giant periphery of volunteers who revolve around organizations like Pluto orbits the sun, not knowing if it’s a planet or a dwarf planet.
Unlike HR folks, who contend with active staff, volunteer managers are tethered to every volunteer, whether they are actively volunteering or they’re rotating in the periphery. This includes:
potential volunteers
retired volunteers
volunteers on leave
sick or injured volunteers
episodic volunteers
volunteers awaiting training
volunteers awaiting placement
student volunteers
community service volunteers
corporate volunteers
Often, our volunteer periphery exceeds active volunteers. How do we juggle this giant system? And for those naysayers who tell you, “just purge the roster,” that’s not acceptable. Every volunteer has value. Soooooo, what do we do?
Organize those pesky lists
Create categorized email lists: Categorize prospective volunteers, group and corporate volunteers, temporarily inactive volunteers etc. Send targeted messages to each group, such as upcoming training sessions, newsletters, notices about volunteer events or vacancies, etc.
If a volunteer fits onto more than one list, make sure not to count them twice. Slot them into their primary category and color code or asterisk them on other lists. Send general information to all categories, because recurring communication keeps them engaged.
Get help
Recruit volunteers to oversee the periphery: Lists are only helpful if they are accurate. It’s humbling when you take a call telling you that volunteer Dave died a year ago and his family keeps getting mail addressed to him.
A volunteer or volunteers in charge of overseeing other volunteers on the periphery can keep lists up to date. Volunteers can also make phone calls, conduct interviews, do impromptu surveys, offer new opportunities, gather information and compile statistics. The scope of the potential work can fill a full-time volunteer position or several part-time positions. Besides, a personal check-in from a fellow volunteer creates the team feeling.
For the love of all that is sane, show your work
Report your time spent managing peripheral volunteers: Don’t let this be one of the duties we shrug about and mutter, “yeah, it comes with the territory.” Managing the periphery requires your expert time, so report it as part of your volunteer recruitment, retention, and cultivation.
Capture stats from your efforts to engage “prospective volunteers, retain episodic volunteers, build community awareness, increase visibility, maintain relationships, create partnerships, cultivate donors, supporters, etc. This nuanced area of our work is critical, time consuming, and we must account for it.
Peripheral volunteers have value
Volunteers who are not actively working still:
share experiences with friends, family, neighbors, clubs, co-workers etc.
continue to advocate for our work
provide us with community resources
share the pulse of the community with us
A volunteer team is fluid. Savvy volunteer managers know that volunteers on the periphery are valuable assets.
It’s time our organizations realized peripheral volunteers’ worth. It’s time organizations thought about how to engage peripheral volunteers. Oh, wait, there’s someone in the organization already doing just that:
Let’s pretend volunteers are a type of consumer. They search for a volunteer experience that fits for them, kinda like looking for that certain shirt for the next Zoom meeting. Organizations advertise volunteer jobs in an O2V (organization to volunteer) model. Orgs basically say, “Here’s what we have to offer, take it or leave it. Go ahead, shop around, there’s nothing better out there.”
But, social media has changed everything. Customers now can buy direct from one another in a C2C (customer to customer) model. We are seeing this shift in our sector as volunteers bypass formal volunteering and mobilize directly through social media. They’ve cut out the cumbersome organizational middle man in an new, V2V (volunteer to volunteer) model.
But now, businesses are seeing an additional shift to a C2B (customer to business) model. In this model, customers’ value increases. Customers offer businesses talent for hire through numerous websites such as Upwork. Customers with a social media following advertise products. Customers review products online and participate in surveys and by doing so, add value by helping design the next product.
But how would a V2O (volunteer to organization) model look? Can we adopt this growing trend or are nonprofits stuck in an archaic model that sells their volunteering experiences in a take it or leave it fashion while the world moves on?
The point of V2O: Recognizing and embracing volunteer value.
Demonstrating volunteer impact is one way of showing volunteer value. Embracing the additional ways volunteers add value takes us into a V2O model.
So, how do we adopt a V2O model without breaking the system?
Soliciting Feedback:
Encourage volunteers to review their experience. But wait, what about negative comments? Here’s the interesting thing about negative reviews. Businesses have found that negative comments do not deter customers, it’s the way businesses respond to negative comments that turn people off.
So, that volunteer comment that states, “I didn’t like my assigned job,” becomes an opportunity for the organization to respond, “thank you for your comment and we are committed to improving volunteer roles. Let us show you other roles that may be a better fit for you.” The negative comment becomes a vehicle for the organization to advertise their dedication to working with volunteers. It’s a powerful opportunity.
Focus Groups, Surveys and the like
Volunteers offer diverse opinions. Many volunteered because they also benefited from mission resources and are a wealth of information on the mission experience. (see more in The Disruptive Volunteer Manager) Volunteers have a wide circle of influence and bring in breaths of fresh air from the communities we serve.
Volunteer In-demand Talent
Freelancing is here to stay and volunteers are moving from committed volunteering to freelancing. It’s time we sought out volunteer candidates on sites such as Linkedin. Remember the old, but true survey result that the number 1 reason people didn’t volunteer was because no one asked? Well, it’s time we paid attention by searching out the people we feel would add value and ask them to volunteer.
Volunteer-generated content
Volunteers are an untapped, rich source of content. In a study by TurnTo, USG (user generated content) bests traditional marketing by influencing 90% of consumer purchasing decisions. Whuh-what?
Organizations shy away from “letting” volunteers speak on behalf of the organization. “But, we can’t control what they will say.” This iron fist clinging to the message is short-sighted. As with negative comments, organizations can quickly correct any misinformation given by a volunteer (or staff BTW-let’s not pretend staff give out correct information all the time, am I right?) on sites. By holding tight to messaging, organizations are missing the marketing content volunteers provide.
And think about this for a minute. If a volunteer says their organization is doing good work, it’s more convincing, considering the volunteer is unpaid and not afraid of losing a job (whereas a staff member is perceived as having to be biased).
V2O is simply embracing volunteer value in ways that sustain volunteering. As leaders of volunteers, we can move towards V2O by:
recording and analyzing volunteer impact
seeking out volunteer candidates who add value
soliciting volunteer opinions, testimonials, quotes, etc.
advocating for volunteer voices
streamlining volunteer onboarding
using volunteer focus groups to create new volunteering opportunities
reaching out to volunteer grassroots groups
partnering with fellow volunteer leaders in our communities to form coalitions that speak with one, strong voice and share volunteers, volunteer resources etc. (more in the Disruptive Volunteer Manager)
Leaders of volunteers are tuned in to the ever-changing volunteer mindset and are adapting practices based on what today’s volunteers want. As volunteers leave the organization to volunteer (O2V) model, we can create a volunteer to organization (V2O) environment that engages modern volunteers.
Or, we can just continue to be a V-Mart. (“go ahead, shop around, we may not have the volunteer experience you’re looking for, but nobody else does either.”)
Friends, we are behind the times. Way behind. You can feel movement like cool air that flows down a mountain. Can we define it?
Businesses are rapidly changing because they feel it and see it. They are moving out of a B2C (business to consumer) model. You know, the “hey, Target has a sale, I’ll see if they have a shirt I can wear during zoom meetings.”
But there’s nothing I want at Target. So I look at a marketplace like Etsy for something unique. (Etsy is a C2C-consumer to consumer model). I purchase a fun shirt I love directly from a designer.
What is our current nonprofit volunteer model?
Organization to Volunteer or Volunteer to Organization?
Let’s say I’m a volunteer looking to join an organization. My first experience with an organization is reading an ad, or looking at a website. What catches my eye?
From an actual current volunteer ad:
Have you ever wanted to do something AMAZING to change the world but didn’t know where to start? Here is an opportunity to help underprivileged children, to help under-served children, to help ALL children displaced from school due to COVID-19, and even to help many adults.
I then look at this organization’s website and find no volunteer information. No volunteer prompt. No volunteer pictures or information on how volunteering will enhance my life. Just Crickets. But donations are welcomed.
Above is an example of an O2V (organization to volunteer) concept. It goes like this: “We, the organization, want XYZ from you, the volunteer.” Or, more simply, “buy our product (volunteering). We designed it and you’re going to have to buy it because that’s all you have to choose from.”
But wait, there are volunteer choices now.
People are bypassing formal volunteering and exploring solutions through social media on their own. Why choose a volunteer job that is cumbersome and just ok when you can find real satisfaction from joining a group on social media?
There’s a monumental shift afoot from O2V to V2V (volunteer to volunteer)
We see this all the time. My last podcast highlighted two amazing young women who started their own organization while in high school. They are now in the process of procuring donations, creating corporate partnerships and recruiting volunteers.
We see this every time a disaster strikes. Volunteers find one another on social media and they band together and act. They bypass formal organizations and change their communities by forming their own grass-roots groups. Nonprofits no longer have the monopoly on solving issues.
Next time: Businesses are moving from B2C to C2C to C2B. What would V2O look like?
We are coping with a new normal that creates additional stress on already overburdened volunteer managers. Constant change and adaptation wears your psyche down like balding tires on a cross-country trip. You get no traction; only tires spinning and clouds of that toxic burning rubber smell. Your hard work is on hold. Volunteers are not getting the benefits of volunteering. People are not receiving the loving care from volunteers.
I don’t have some magic pill answer. Sometimes you just have to stop fighting and feel the feelings. (and remember, I am not a mental health counselor, just someone who’s also experienced burnout and dejection and stress).
When struggling, I would find that fighting the burnout was more exhausting than experiencing it. I found that constantly berating myself for “having those feelings” crushed me. Instead, I began to let my understandably human emotions play out. I’d crawl into the feelings, turn them over, and verbalize how crappy everything was. I’d let the feelings run rampant.
Then, after I rolled around in the negativity for a bit, something interesting would happen. I’d start to look at challenges without the crushing weight of burnout. Things didn’t seem so bleak. Sure, they were still hard, but they moved into a new perspective.
I think we, volunteer managers tend to deny our negative feelings because we’re always “on.” We’re looked at as cheerful people with can-do attitudes and we don’t think we can have bad days. But we can. Because we’re human and our human-ness is what makes us so darned effective.
Our human-ness allows us to empathize, to focus, to sincerely care. It makes us weep, and laugh, act silly and deeply serious. It leads us to connect and retain that connection as if invisible fibers radiated from our bodies to those around us.
But it also gives us resilience. It gives us the will to get back up. It shows us that life is not always pretty or fun or good. We see the joys and the tragedies as we walk besides fellow travelers in the journey.
We know that the human experience is filled with wonder, disaster, sadness and light. We know it is as varied as drifting snowflakes, and as vast as drops of ocean water.
About Samantha and Sydney: Samantha Feinberg started Balance Boxes when she was a Sophomore at Deerfield High School (2020). She is very passionate about Balance Boxes and helping underserved children. Samantha explained that, “Sydney and I, developed this idea when the COVID-19 outbreak began. We were looking for a way to help youth in need and we had the time to brainstorm. We believed that Balance Boxes would benefit a plethora of children, both academically and socially.” Beyond Balance Boxes Samantha is involved in, Student Congress (Domestic Bills Research Captain), Human Rights Club, Model United Nations, Teens Stand Against Trafficking (Ambassador and Founder of IL chapter), The North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic Student Board (Founding Member and Event Chair), The Holocaust Teen Executive Committee-USHMM (Secretary), The IL Holocaust Memorial Museum Teen Board, Deerfield High School’s Israel Club, DECA, JUF’s Voices, Learn2Be Mathematics Tutor, Deerfield High School Genocide Commemoration Planning Day Committee, and Voters of Tomorrow (Legislative Outreach Coordinator). Samantha stated, “I am so excited to see the direction Balance Boxes takes me and how it makes a difference in many lives.” Sydney Holubow started Balance Boxes when she was a Junior at Deerfield High School (2020). She decided to become a founder of Balance Boxes because she felt a strong passion for giving back to the community. and people around her. Sydney said, “I lived in Chicago when I was younger and the wage gap is very apparent. Samantha and I strongly believe in giving children equal opportunities and we feel that Balance Boxes is a great way to give underprivileged children a great start.” Sydney Holubow is very passionate about STEM and has been on the planning committee of GirlCon Chicago for two years. GirlCon is a one-day tech conference created FOR high school girls in tech BY high school girls. Sydney is also am an advocate feminist. She started a local chapter of Girl Up at her school, uniting girls to change the world. Additionally, she does many other clubs at her school. Sydney is super excited to put her energy into Balance Boxes
Thank you Sydney and Samantha for sharing your experiences and insights with us.
As we move into a new reality, this is an ideal time to survey volunteers and sort through their thoughts on volunteering past and volunteering future. By gathering their opinions, we can create data that supports our advocacy for a vibrant volunteer initiative.
Ask volunteers to write down their thoughts on their past volunteering along with their visions for the future. The shorter “list-type” sections help volunteers hone in on specifics. From these survey questions, you can extract key words, phrases and topics and connect the dots.
For example, under the question “how can technology support your volunteering” on page 5, 80 of 100 volunteers surveyed used the phrase, “keeps us more informed.” On the same page under “volunteers need,” 85 volunteers wrote “training.” Finally, in the box asking, “volunteers feel supported when,” 92 volunteers wrote “when we are included.”
By connecting the dots, you then can say:
80% of volunteers surveyed will use technology to stay informed
85% of volunteers surveyed want more training
92% of volunteers surveyed feel supported when they are included
conclusion: training and technology can be used to help volunteers feel included which supports volunteers and keeps them engaged.
Hope you can use this, or at least I hope it might stimulate your creative thinking on how to gather data from your volunteers.
We, volunteer managers can get stuck in a rut, even though our days are varied and utterly unpredictable.
I remember acknowledging I was stuck in a rut when I realized I watched out my open door every morning to see if the marketing director was wearing hose, because our policy attire required hose and she was never reprimanded. Yeah, sad, I know.
Recognizing a rut
But it made me recognize I was in a rut. I would arrive, sit down with my coffee, answer emails, make phone calls, then prepare for training, meetings, check ad responses, gather stats and set up interviews. All problems and crazy situations were just bumps in the rut road. Even the volunteer who removed taxidermy from a patient’s home because he couldn’t stand the deer looking at him became a routine challenge.
Ruts are the dangerous, motivation killing, brain numbing enemy of creative volunteer managers. Ruts destroy our ability to move forward.
We can be in a rut and not know it. We move slower. We take on nothing new. We look at the volunteer who, without permission, is rearranging the front office every time she comes in and think, “so what.” Every task and every question seems like another stone on our chest.
Does a pandemic kill a rut?
Even in a world altering pandemic that changes everything, our new routines can seem like weights because we haven’t fixed our old ruts. The rut just went in a different direction.
New circumstances don’t automatically alter old perceptions and old inner challenges. New circumstances often add to the burden.
How did I get here?
So, how do you get out of a rut? For me, the first thing is dealing with my internal perceptions of the rut I created. By that I mean looking at how I perceive the things I’m doing. For example:
Q: why do I care that the marketing manager is not wearing hose?
A: because I feel there are different sets of rules for favored staff and I’m being treated unfairly.
Q: why do I sit and answer email instead of doing something else?
A: because it’s safe and I don’t have to interact personally cause I’m unmotivated.
Q: why don’t I care that a volunteer is rearranging the front office without permission?
A: I do actually care, but I don’t want to upset the volunteer by having an intervention, it’s so hard.
Turning the wheel
To get out of a rut, you have to consciously turn the wheel and find another road. Start small by varying your routine. Read emails at the end of the day. Ask a volunteer to make phone calls. Eat lunch at 10am. Vary your routine so it becomes obvious that it’s not about the order in which you do things, it’s the effort you put into each task.
Take lots of mental breaks. Lots. Lots. Lots. We, volunteer managers need mental breaks in the best of times. Have your quilting or model airplane or unfinished painting nearby and stop, work for a few minutes on your hobby/project/silly fun doodle/whatever during the day. Clear that brain.
Take stock of all your successes. Begin (if you haven’t already) to record inspiration-get a notebook and write down the things that inspire you, including quotes, stories, testimonials from volunteers, family, staff, community and your own experiences. Keep these nearby.
Be un-perfect
Purposefully forget to do something. Yep, not a typo. Prove to yourself that perfection is not the goal and instead, perfectionism drives you into a rut. Own your less-than-perfect self un-apologetically and don’t hold yourself to a standard you’d never place on a volunteer, other staff member or a person your organization is serving.
So, I took my own advice and I wrote this post in one sitting, no revisions, re-thinking etc. It’s a mess, I know. Oh well.
volunteerplaintalk 