The Why of Work: The Satisfaction of a Genuine Contribution

As my post at the end of September alluded I have been on a journey reading and processing the book "The Why of Work" By Dave and Wendy Ulrich. The Ulriches and the book have a web site: http://thewhyofwork.com/ . After quickly being captured by some startling research and time contemplating the section titled 'Leaders who focus on Meaning create an abundant response', I took a few weeks to think about the "Seven Questions that Drive Abundance". In this examination I am reviewing what they Ulrich's write on employee contributions.

"As a leader, you create a more abundant organization when you help employees clarify their personal identity and enhance their signature strengths and then help them see how those strengths fit with the goals and values of the organization."

The Ulrich's suggest a 5 step process to achieve this:
1. Help employees define and grow their personal strengths. - There is a web site authentichappiness.org that offers a survey "VIA Survey of Character Strengths". A baseline tool to support your employees identifying their strengths. 
2. Define and build organizational capabilities required for success.
3. Meld personal strengths and organizational capabilities.
4. Determine customer and investor expectations.
5. Connect both personal and organizational identities with the needs of customers and investors.


In the non profit world this seems like an overwhelming task and I initially wonder is it even worth is considering the high turn over rate our sector is faced with. I wonder about myself and can think of times that i have been given a task that built the organizational capacity that also utilized and strengthened by personal strengths. These projects as stand along projects were a value added investment to the organization regardless of the length of time I stayed in my position. In honest reflection these projects expanded my time with the organization as an employee.

When I was working in a youth mentoring program our volunteers would fill out an interest survey that we used to match them with a youth who shared similar interests. I am confidant that a similar system could be used for both staff and volunteers to identify who is best suited to tasks needed to meet customer (Client) and investor (donor) expectations. 

The Why of Work: 7 Questions

As my post at the end of September alluded I have been on a journey reading and processing the book "The Why of Work" By Dave and Wendy Ulrich. The Ulriches and the book have a web site: http://thewhyofwork.com/ . After quickly being captured by some startling research and time contemplating the section titled 'Leaders who focus on Meaning create an abundant response', I am now ready to think on the "Seven Questions that Drive Abundance"

1. What am I known For?  (identity) Research is showing that when we identify and regularly use our signature strengths life becomes more meaningful and satisfying. What makes me happy in the long run? At this juncture, challenge and success at work with the capacity to travel, explore and enjoy the opportunities life presents to me. What do I want to be know for? Someone who has the capacity and the energy to tackle and succeed with projects that are above my current capacity.

2. Where am I going? (motivation and purpose) leaders create purposeful organizations that help employees' personal ambitious match organizational goals.

3. Whom Do I Travel With? (Relationships and Teamwork)

4. How Do I Build a Positive Work Environment? (Effective Work Culture or Setting) 
- Promote good communication
-Development opportunities
- Pleasant physical facilities - This is something that the non profit sector struggles with. When operating on donor generosity it is often challenging to justify spending money on pleasant physical facilities. Things that have been successful and engaging for my volunteers while have little to no cost are things such as having a volunteer come in and decorate for the holidays, building boards that change and rearranging offices. In terms of employee moral, I would argue that its worth the $300 on a nice office chair is more than worth it when it makes your paid staff physically comfortable and will keep them working for you longer.
- Encourage self reflection

5. What Challenges Interest Me? (Personalized contributions)

6. How do I respond to Disposability and Change? (Growth, Learning and Resilience)

7. What delights me? (Civility and Happiness) Look for and rejoice in the different ways people find sweetness in life, going beyond civility to delight. Delight often comes in small packages. Today for example the catnip seed I ordered arrived and I was delighted by the small package =)

The Why of Work: Enrich the world

As my post at the end of September alluded I have been on a journey reading and processing the book "The Why of Work" By Dave and Wendy Ulrich. The Ulriches and the book even have a web site: http://thewhyofwork.com/ . After quickly being captured by some startling research I find myself contemplating the section titled 'Leaders who focus on Meaning create an abundant response'.

President Woodrow Wilson said "You are not here merely to make a living. you are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand"

The Wlriches write that... As humans and employees we engage in a search for meaning. As a leader many see this as a personal affair and that is a loss to not only the company but world.


 ...but perhaps we are too narrowly defining leaders. Leadership need not be confined to an executive suite. Every person in your company, management chain or organization has the capacity to enrich the world, its your role to create that opportunity regardless of where on the management chain you sit. Perhaps if we start to think of ourselves and those we work alongside and those we manage as leaders the above statement that leaders see the search for meaning as a personal affair can be altered where those who are not in the executive suite see their potential for leadership and the benefit to society if we work to create opportunities for those around us to enrich the world.


I am fortunate working in a social service organization that hope and vision not the paycheck is what drives those around me. My volunteers are the fulfillment of this concept and I merely need to ensure that they have the ongoing opportunity to lead projects, programs and each other to fulfill our service mission in the community.

The question I find myself pondering is how do I guide those around me to see their capacity and success in enriching the world. What process or activity do I need to persue to guide them to this realization? Is my guidance really needed? Would someone else be better suited for the role? Is everyone around me aware of their success in enriching the world and I am just looking for a new way to state the obvious?

The Why of Work

The Why of Work by David and Wendy Ulrich.

That question - the Why of Work, is one often easily answered in the non profit sector. Its a calling, a mission, a passion, a heart factor.

As I reflect on the sector and my experience in it all of these hold some truths, but when daily operations, and apathetic employees create poor performance across large portions of the non profit sector the why of work is the ideal question to be exploring.

The Ulrich's did not write the book for the non profit professional, it is aimed at those in upper mid management in a for profit environment, reading and reflecting on it has caused me great insight into ways that the sector struggles and ways that I can move my sphere of influence forward.

The first point that really captured me into the research of this book:
A Saratoga institute study found that 72 percent of employees who quit, leave because they feel they are not being recognized for their contributions or sufficiently respected and coached by their leaders.

- Wow, that is something that is very much in a leaders control. This has direct application to volunteer management and fostering and retaining great non profit employees.

In several of the organizations I have worked in those who had been in functionally the same role within the organization 5 or more years were often apathetic and complacent. In four different organizations I watch, highly talented, mission driven employees leave well before the 5 year mark. These individuals during personal conversations expressed feelings of overworked, taken advantage of, frustration at the lack of recognition and respect they deserved.

My take away from this is that I as a manager need to step up my recognition and coaching. Last year I hand wrote a card to each member of my team and distributed them at the holiday party, thanking them for their service. This year I have already set aside 1.5 hours each week to bring that recognition to the next level, I have set aside a portion of my budget to purchase small appreciation gifts to give with these notes and I plan to include an idea for a new years resolution focused on their development within our organization.

Combine calling with coaching and the potential to retain great members of your non profit workforce will improve.

Volunteer Burn Out

If a fire is left alone and not fed with any new fuel, it will eventually burn itself out. If the fire of your enthusiasm is not being refueled by the satisfaction of your volunteer work, your enthusiasm - just like a fire - will die

The signs we hate to see and the words we hope to never hear are those typed as volunteer burn out.
The best volunteers are usually the ones most prone to burnout. That's because they're so dedicated, they often fail to take mental health breaks or ask for help. And because they're so dedicated, organizations often pile more and more responsibility on them. This is not activity specific, I have seen it happen across every sector I have worked with. I read an interesting study done by an organization that had a suicide help line. While I think most people can easily identify why volunteers on this help line would be prone to burn out, if found that their top 3 reasons for leaving were strikingly similar to those that I see across the volunteer sector.

1. Other demands in the volunteers life took on greater importance.
2. The volunteer did not feel part of a team.
3. Responsibilities and expectations were not clear.

We as volunteer organizations have little control over the number 1 reason, however both 2 and 3 are within our realm of impact.

If you sense a high rate of burn out in your organization start with building a team. Forbes outlines 6 team-building success strategies that not coincidentally address point 3: 

1.       Be Aware of How You Work

As the leader of the team, you must be extremely aware of your leadership style and techniques.   

2.       Get to Know the Rest of the Team

You must make the time to get to know your team and encourage camaraderie.   

3.       Clearly Define Roles & Responsibilities

When you successfully complete step 2, you can then more effectively and clearly define the roles and responsibilities of those on your team.  

4.       Be Proactive with Feedback

 Feedback should be proactive and constant.   Many leaders are prone to wait until a problem occurs before they give feedback.

5.       Acknowledge and Reward

  Take the time to give your teammates the proper accolades they have earned and deserve.   

6.       Always Celebrate Success

 This goes beyond acknowledgment – this is about taking a step-back and reflecting on what you have accomplished and what you have learned throughout the journey.

Volunteering as a Career Builder Toolkit

An amazing resource that I need to keep for latter use!

Volunteering as a Career Builder
Volunteer Center United Way of Central Indiana
3901 N. Meridian Street
Indianapolis, IN 46208
volunteer@uwci.org
317.921.1271

The Volunteering as a Career Builder Toolkit is designed to help those who seek to engage in
volunteering as a means to strategically advance their careers, build skills, and create more
meaningful experiences. This guide is a series of practical tools, exercises and examples that
will help you evaluate, communicate, and seek volunteer opportunities that will help advance
your professional goals. The activities in the toolkit build on each other but may be used
independently as desired. This toolkit has been designed for:

 Career starters – individuals who have recently graduated high school or college,
individuals starting a career for the first time or those who are returning to a career after
a long break
 Career changers – individuals who are seeking to shift or change their careers and need
to develop new skills or competencies to make themselves more marketable
 Recently unemployed – individuals who have lost their jobs and are seeking ways to
stand out from other candidates, maintain existing skills or make connections to new
careers
 Skill builders – individuals who wish to build or enhance professional skills and
competencies through volunteer service for personal or professional benefit
 Volunteer managers – nonprofit staff who manage volunteers and are interested in
assisting them build career skills through volunteering


Find it at: http://www.uwci.org/files/file/volunteerism-as-career-builder-toolkit-for-volunteers.pdf

Ghost Train to the Eastern Star

While exploring Glenwood Springs CO over the summer I picked up Paul Throux's Ghost Train To The Eastern Star. While not the fastest read I have passed close to a month of quiet evenings slowly meandering my way through his adventure. Two definitive things came out of this, 1 - I really want to start to travel again, and this time I want to read prolific writing about each place we stay. 2- I would love the life of a writer, I don't think I have the aptitude to do so successfully but its a romantic notion that I love.

Paul writes many memorable passages that I have captured below more for myself than anyone but I hope they speak to you my random reader and bring you to join Paul on the tracks of the Great Railway Bazaar:

You think of travelers as bold, but our guilty secret is that travel is one of the laziest ways on earth of passing the time.

The festival of Novruz Bayram.

With poverty so obvious and unmissable, the foreigner sometimes bursts into tears, until he or she learns the Indian trick of looking only at the background, where all those new buildings are rising.

As an Indian woman said to me, "what about the poor people in your county?" Well, yes. New Orleans is a vivid example of a place where the poor were hidden or unapproachable. it seemed that until the were flushed out by the flood waters of Hurricane Katrina no one knew the existed, nor knew what do with them.

I have never seen any community in India so hopeless or, in its way, so hermetic in its poverty, so blatant in its look of menace, so sad and unwelcoming, as East St Louis Illinois , the decaying town that lies across the Mississippi from flourishing St. Louis Missouri. Yet I can imagine that many people from St.Louis proper would weep at the sight of Indian poverty. They dare not cross their own river to see the complacent decrepitude and misery on the other bank.

On my trip of twenty-eight thousand miles and hundreds of encounters, I met two people who supported the American President (GWBush): the man in Baku who wanted the United States to invade Iran and Rajendra. No one else.

He never grew up and never stop growing

Solving problems, finding meals, buying new clothes and giver away old ones, getting laundry done, buying tickets, scavenging for cheap hotels, studying maps, being alone but not lonely. Its not about happiness but safety, finding serenity, making discoveries in all this locomotion and an equal serenity when she had a place to roost, like a bird of passage migrating slowly in a sequence of flights.

One of the blessings of such poverty was the absence of traffic. Just a few cars, many motorbikes and scooters, lots of bicycles and that relic of the old Burma, the bicycle rickshaw or pedi cab.

The former Ponhea Yat High School, in a respectable residential area of Phnom Penh, had been converted to a prison - a natural conversion, since large schools of classrooms are designed for confinement.

The traveler's conceit is that barbarism is something singular and foreign, to be encountered halfway around the world in some pinched and parochial backwater. the traveler journeys to this remote place and it seems to be so: he is offered a glimpse of the worst atrocities that can be served up by a sadistic government. And than, to his shame, he realizes that there identical to ones advocated and diligently applied by this own government. As for the sanctimony of people who seem blind to the face that mass murder is still and annual event, look at Cambodia, Rwanda, Darfur, Tibet, Burma, and elsewhere - the truer shout is not "Never again" but "Again and again"

You know what Churchill said: Stalin found Russia working with wooden plows and left it equipped with nuclear bombs.

Only the old can really see how gracelessly the world is aging and all that we have lost. Politicians are always inferior to there citizens. No one on earth is well governed. Is there hope? Yes. Mos t people I'd met, in chance encounters, were strangers who helped me on my way. And we lucky ghosts can travel wherever we want. The going is still good, because arrivals are departures.