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Month: December 2014

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Small gestures make for big returns

Small Gestures

Christmas is such a two-headed beast for most of us – equal parts stress and joy, a frenetic loop of decorating, shopping, wrapping, and cooking to prep for the big day where hopefully it all comes together and we can finally enjoy each others’ company. There’s so much to do, and it’s madness to try to do it all on your own.

In my experience you can’t make a good Christmas without a good team, which is why it seems to me that Christmas is a lot like volunteer management. The way Christmas works is the way all events work. You plan the day > you recruit your team > you lead and direct them, engage and inspire > you teach them what they need to know so they can do a great job > and finally you thank them.

This last stage – so often forgotten – feeds straight back into the recruitment stage for next time. Thanking volunteers, expressing gratitude and making them feel appreciated is what ensures they will volunteer again. Who wants to volunteer for something that makes them feel invisible?

Simple moments of recognition are crucial to the success of the relationship between the organiser and the team. That’s what Christmas is about – the relationships between friends and family, taking the time to notice each other and be grateful for having those people in our lives. And that’s what the volunteer movement is about too. The research is clear that an overwhelming number of  people who volunteer do so to experience community and connection. This Christmas I’m hoping we will all honour that motivation by expressing our thanks to everyone on our teams. Because ‘thank you’ always feels good, whether you are receiving or giving.

So before you tidy your desk and head off to your family celebrations, how about sending an email to thank the volunteers who helped you in 2014? It’s a small gesture but it goes a long way towards keeping your volunteers happy, so they’ll step up for you again next year. Letting people know you saw their work and that you really valued it – that’s the greatest gift you can give.

We are wishing a smooth and merry Christmas to you and yours.

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Sydney’s powerful spirit

I’ve been debating what to post in the wake of Monday’s events. I’m sure you’re as sobered and shaken by the siege in Sydney’s city centre as I am, and as lost on how to respond. Eventeamwork is now in the process of reorganising the volunteer briefing for Sydney Festival, which had been scheduled for Monday as well as supporting our clients and their volunteers as we prepare for our summer events in the city. These are small things compared to what the hostages and their families, emergency services and everyone caught up in this ordeal went through, and we are all thankful for that as our hearts go out to those more directly affected.

There was, however, something incredible in the wake of this that caught my eye and that I wanted to share with you. It is a grassroots volunteering phenomenon that speaks volumes for the way the instinct to reach out and support others can really kick in during a crisis. Concerned about a racial and cultural backlash, Rachel Jacobs and Twitteruser @sirtessa started a campaign to volunteer to accompany Muslims on public transport. #illridewithyou is not just about sharing the hashtag (and it’s up to 17,000 at the time I’m writing this). All over town people are actually riding buses and trains with the Muslims of Sydney, keeping them safe and making them feel included and welcome and valued. For me, this shows the power of community volunteering and the way something small and quite easy to do – like ride a bus with someone – can make an enormous difference and help us reconnect with one another. It’s a heartening thought as we approach Christmas. I’d like to personally thank all those who step forward to help as volunteers at any time, but especially in this time of crisis. Our city is a better place for it, and we can all be grateful for that.