Rescue Mission Blog

Learning from Other Industries- Non-Profit Leadership

  

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Measuring your progress by comparing against others in your class, division, specific subset is usually a pointless exercise, except for those in the first stages of learning.  

Instead, choose a front-runner in a totally unrelated area and learn from them.

Particularly those areas of the economy and business where there is great unrest, chaos, uncertainty, yet some are still wildly successful.  What are those folks doing? Why are they succeeding against all trends? Who has been growing and expanding the last three years in industries that are shrinking?  Is there any way to take those lessons and apply them to your non-profit?

The challenge many face is that their denomination, association, subset, is growing at a pace that is too slow to keep up with the changes they are facing on a local level. To thrive you'll need to find others to pace yourself against.  

Go out and find great examples, as often we fail to succeed because we are measuring the wrong things or measuring ourselves against the wrong standard.

David Curry

Help Us Tell Our Story - The Power of Words

  

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Those of you around the Rescue Mission will begin to see this logo on posters and suggestion boxes, as we refocus on telling more of the great stories that we are a part of each day.

Words are powerful, allowing us to give life to people through the telling of stories of transformation, service, love and encouragement.  Unfortunately, we too often move from problem to problem, not adequately celebrating the great victories, and even miracles, that we are seeing on a daily basis. 

So Help Us Tell Our Story. Volunteers, team members, clients, students, donors, are encouraged to share a story of an inspiring interaction, a life changed, a life saved, or of a meal served in love.  Tell us something great that happened to you at the Rescue Mission, it will multiply the blessing to others.  Don't let your story die, keep it alive.

David Curry

Building Your Encouragement Muscle

  

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Many people think of encouragement like they think of attraction, either you feel it or you don't. But encouragement isn't an emotion, it's a discipline that you decide to take up, like exercise or reading.

That's good news, because if it were just an emotion that hit you on one day and was gone the next, you couldn't make a decision to encourage and lift others up, but you can.  

Encouragement:

1. Can be practiced. Make a point to lighten the load of others, to point out something great and positive in everyone.

2. Can be scheduled. Decide to encourage the first person you meet each day.  Make a point to schedule calls, notes and the like to those you know need encouragement.

3. Is DAILY. Hebrews 3:13 says "exhort one another every day...", and so it should be.

How do you think of encouragement? Is it something outside of yourself, that you wish others would do to you, but that you never pass onto others? Are you waiting for the mood to encourage to strike you like a flu bug? What are some ways you can make encouragement a part of your every day?

David Curry

Four People Who Need Encouragement

  

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Many times it's difficult to determine who needs encouragement and who doesn't, we put on such a good show of having it all together, all the time.  But the Bible gives us some guidance on this subject in 1Thessalonians 5, when it outlines how we ought to treat each other. 

Encourage the Timid. The Bible says we aren't to prey on those who are weak, discouraged, shy and withholding, but encourage them. do you have anyone in your life who is withdrawn due to being beat down? Encourage them.

Encourage Those You Teach. So often we are prideful and boastful with those we are teaching, after all, we are the teacher and they're the student. But students need encouragement.  Another way to look at it, your kids need encouragement. They're often in the student role with the parents, but they're not there to make you feel better, but to be encouraged to greatness. Encourage those in the student role.

Encourage Leaders. This is a hard one for many, as our culture trains us to tear down leaders, but that's not the biblical world view. Instead, "Honor those who are your leaders". This doesn't just apply to those who are of your political party, but is a wide rule of behavior. Encourage leaders.

Encourage Those Around You. wherever you're at, that's who needs to be encouraged. I believe you are the person God has chosen to love and encourage those in your general vicinity. Go for it.

David Curry

Non-Profits & Environmental Responsibility

  

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Isn't it enough to just do something noble and meaningful as a profession? Must we also be environmentally responsible too?

Stewardship doesn't have categories for application that can be ignored and some accepted. Organizations that tout their good deeds on one hand and knowingly scoff at good stewardship on the other are regularly called out for their inconsistent and hypocritical behavior.  The recent BP disaster in the gulf comes to mind. As such, non-profits should lead the way in environmental stewardship. We have not reached the point where it's becoming possible to be on the cutting edge environmentally, and be saving resources financially at the same time, which maximizes our donors investment.  The more we save, the more we can put into direct services.  We can do good and do right at the same time.

Here at the Rescue Mission we're launching our GO GREEN initiative, which is our most aggressive movement yet to be the best possible steward of resources from an environmental perspective. The excitement has been building, with lots of great folks from our team getting into the spirit and coming up with some fantastic ways we can save environmental resources and save precious financial resources at the same time. 

Here are a few ideas that we're launching today:

Composting: With essentially two restaurants that are open three meals a day, every day of the year, we turn out a huge amount of compostable product. Now we're asking everyone to take part in making sure that we are putting composted product in the landfill, but instead using it to improve our gardens and soil.  In addition, we are selling the remaining food that isn't composted to a local farm to feed to their animals.  This takes a couple extra steps, but it's worth the work to make a difference.

Recycling: While this isn't a new concept, we're setting the goal of cutting our garbage output in half at ALL of our six locations. This means making sure all of our apartments, offices, and bathrooms, kitchens, and workspaces are trained and encouraged to recycle absolutely everything you possibly can.  There's a tremendous amount of training and reinforcement necessary, as we are so used to just tossing product into the garage instead of separating and recycling.  

Video Conferencing: We're all going to use Skype, phone conferencing and our new video conferencing system to do as many of our team meetings and classes as possible, thus cutting down on our usage of gas and our environmental impact. 

Temperature Range: As we've upgraded our facilities over the years we've become used to having the temperature at a steady 70 degrees, but with our new focus on environment responsibility we're setting a goal to save 5% on our use of electricity and natural resources. This goal is achievable if we all re-set our temperature to a range of 68-74 degrees. That's not outside the comfort zone, but will allow for a dead-spot in the system where the equipment isn't running 24/7. It's a great, easy way to be responsible.  As a test I've totally turned off my system in my office except when I needed the temperature adjusted and noticed that I only need it working for a max of 15 minutes, to warm my office at the beginning of the day. And that's between January and May!

Paper Towel Usage: One of our teams pointed out that we spend thousands of dollars each year on paper towels, just at our Downtown Tacoma Campus. By switching over to hand-dryers at our high-usage area we will save financial and environmental resources. A double benefit! In addition, those campuses that still use paper towels in the bathroom will be encouraged to recycle those instead of throwing them away.  

Let's encourage each other in taking the lead in environmental responsibility. We have a stewardship responsibility to our donors, clients and most importantly, to God. The faith-based community shouldn't be absent from the discussion of environment, as we unfortunately have been, but taking the lead in responsible management. 

David Curry

Encourage Others to Greatness

  

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Did you realize encouragement isn't always positive? Most of the time we think of encouragment as a good thing, but often people are encouraging each other to bad attitudes, habits and actions.  This happens in groups too, all of us affirming the other that our petty jealousies and dramas are totally justified.  

It takes a lot of courage to encourage others to greatness.  If you attempt to do so you'll be swimming against the stream.  Do it anyway.  Make a goal to never encourage or affirm someone in their madness.  Instead, build them up in what is good, creative, beautiful, loving.

David Curry

How to Create Your Stop-Doing List

  

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A "Stop-Doing" list is the opposite of a To-do list, which just adds more stuff on your agenda to be accomplished. They're both useful, one to make sure you're accomplishing tasks, the other to make sure you and your organization are not filling your schedules with things that are no longer productive, relevant and helpful.  

When I started as the CEO of the Rescue Mission I picked up a list of responsibilities and tasks that my predecessor had done, and done successfully.  One of the things that was on his agenda was a regular Rescue Mission radio show. This made perfect sense for him, he loved radio, had been and still is a radio talk show host, and has a great voice.  Over the years I'd done plenty of radio interviews and had no problem stepping into the role.  However, as I began to settle into my job I had to determine what things weren't a perfect fit for me, and what things weren't the highest and best use of my time.  Eventually the radio show moved to the top of the Stop-Doing list and I backed out of it.  It added another few hours a months to my schedule that I filled with things that were better suited to me.

As I've helped people go through the process of creating a Stop Doing list, which I written about here, it becomes clear that most people don't have any background in how to go about creating a list of things that they want or need to stop doing.  Short of coming and telling people what to do, which is nearly always a bad idea and should be a last resort for managers, here's a couple of easy steps to help you figure out what are the high-value targets for a Stop-Doing List.

1. Do a Time Log. Once you start looking at how you really spend your time, you will be able to better determine what tasks and big picture strategies are taking up lots of your time, and you never even realized it.  When analyzing your time log, don't just look at miniature tasks, but look at time chunks that are being used up by tasks that are grouped under one project or another.  

2. Know what You're great at. Often times a Stop-Doing list filled with things that need to be done, but could be done better by someone else. Make a list of those things which you are great at, and those things which you would be better off handing to a teammate.

3. What's Most important. the most successful people fill their days with tasks that are most central to their core purpose.  Everything else is cut out.  This makes sense because life is short, and without laser like focus you'll spend your days living someone else's dream and doing their bidding in life.  

If you make these three lists, sit down with a cup of coffee and think it over, you'll find some things to add to your Stop Doing list. Then it's just about sewing up your courage to Stop.

David Curry 

Studying Leadership v. Life of Leadership

  

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"It is one thing to study war, and another to live the life of the warrior" Tenedon of Arcadia, 5th Century Mercenary.

There are some disciplines in which studying the discipline is the same as practicing the discipline in real life.  But most things require you to get into real-world circumstances before you can really understand the full range of experiences. The difference is notable when discussing leadership, which abounds with books, "expert" advice, and a strong seminar circuit which helps people study the art of leadership. There are some strong points to be made for the growth of a leadership culture and I know I've read my fair share of the materials.

Yet there's no substitute for BEING the leader of something. Using your influence to make life better for someone or a group of someones, by organizing, motivating, challenging and rewarding a team.  The problem with BEING a leader however, is that it's not nearly as sexy as STUDYING leadership might suggest. Because of that dissonance many people prefer to stay on the mountaintop, dispensing advice from the latest book, replaying stories of great leaders, and never get into actually cultivating a group or organization.  

Don't do it! Don't be seduced onto the sidelines, lulled into believing that studying something is the same as practicing it.  Instead, use what you're studying, apply what you're learning, so that you can really help others.

Here are a couple of Ideas:

Volunteer: What a great way to get into the game! There are many organizations looking for volunteers to LEAD groups and make an impact on the lives of others.  

Family: Yes, there's leadership in family, and many families need good leaders.  This means setting down principles and values that you believe should be reflected in your family and trying to rally others around those values.  This is complex leadership, with lots of dynamics, so it's a great place to make a difference.

Sports: Much of what I learned about leadership I learned on the soccer field and basketball court.  Get out there and play, but also strive to lead.  The great thing about sports is that leading by example is the only way to gain credibility.  You've got to play harder, practice dilligently, and be skilled to lead others on the playing field. 

What are some other arenas that we can lead and practice our leadership?

David Curry

Non-Profit Leadership: How to Improve Environment for Distance Learning

  

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With the completion of our new Adams Street Family Campus the Rescue Mission has added an additional technical expansion to our Challenge Learning department that is helping us stream our classes live each day between our Downtown Tacoma Campus, Adams St. Family Campus, and Tyler Street Campus.  This technology holds tremendous potential for future expansion and coordination between other Rescue Missions, non-profits and schools as we learn about how to better use this technology to expand services and help keep costs down.

But there are also new challenges with distance learning that need to be addressed, and experimentation that needs to happen.  Some of the challenges include determining the true cost of these technologies (since costs are often embedded line items other than education), and work flow issues (preparation of materials and coordination between sites is more critical when you are using distance learning).  But perhaps the biggest challenge is the way it changes the nature of teaching for the instructors.

In the meetings I've hosted by streaming technology I've noted a few critical things that other instructors may need to consider:

1. Visual distractions.  Things are exaggerated by video and repetitive movements, distracting backgrounds, or people and things moving inside the frame of the screen is much more distracting by video.  Careful thought and consideration needs to be given to this unique visual environment so that no one is distracted by what is happening around you, instead focusing on what you are instructing and presenting.

2.  Ambient Noise. The benefit of this advanced technology is that the camera and microphones are high def, picking up any question or comment from those in the group.  This same technology also tends to amplify the sounds indiscriminately.  Coughing, doors slamming and the like have an amplified affect on video than in real life. Instructors need to consider how to manage the distant classroom by using the mute button on the microphones, and having an assigned facilitator in the classroom to help manage these elements.

3.  Visual Presentations. Most of these modern video conferencing equipment allows you to use a computer to project powerpoint and other presentations.  Learning to interface with these programs will be critical since writing on blackboards and other localized presentation slates is limited in its effectiveness.

For those of you who have done teaching by distance learning, I'm interested in your feedback and additional help in improving the effectiveness of this technology. Any ideas? What are the challenges of being a student in those environments and how can we improve the experience for students?

David Curry

Non-Profit Leaders: Highly-Sensitive Team Members Can Be LifeSavers.

  

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There's at least one on every team, that person who is highly sensitive. The sights, sounds, smells, and environment that everyone else seems not to notice, the highly-sensitive person does. They're the first to notice the tension in the room and when there is a member of the team that just isn't happy.  And for a lot of these same reasons, they are often hard to fit into a team because they're usually the lone voice of dissent on many environmental issues every business and team faces.  

"If it's fine for everyone else, why can't it be good enough for them?!?!", is the outcry you'll sometimes hear when the Highly-senstive person (HSP) let's the team know that there is something not quite right, that something is bothering them.  Often it seems as though they themselves may not know what's wrong, it just doesn't feel right. Never the less, having a Highly Sensitive Person on your team is a life-saver, assisting the leader to know when something is going wrong and when there are misalignments in staffing, environment and attitude.  If leaders know who their HSP's are, and how to best use their gifts and talents, they are an enormous blessing to whatever team they are a part of. (Here's a test to find out if you're a HSP)

Here are just a few ideas for handling HSP's

Embrace the HSP

Non-Profit Leaders, and leaders in general, should embrace the HSP and their gift of sensitivity to environment to help create better outcomes, team dynamics, and a healthier work place.  Just like other gifts and talents, this gift has a tremendous positive side and can be helpful in ferroting out problems that others wouldn't have noticed, so they can be solved and dealt with.  HSP's are the canary in the coal mine for non-profit leaders, they'll tell you when things are wrong long before anyone else will.

Encourage the HSP

Highly sensitive people recognize when they're not embraced, because, well..., they're highly sensitive.  They know that they're opinions are not always welcome and that they're often the only one so they need the encouragement and support of their leader and team.  Just as you would publically encourage other gifts and tasks, do so with the HSP.  

Study the HSP

Many people don't know a lot about Highly Sensitive People so they don't know how to handle them in the workplace.  Elaine Aron has written the definitive book on the subject, The Highly Sensitive Person, and I recommend it to all those who believe they may be a HSP, or who work with one.  

Are you a Highly Sensitive Person? If so, what challenges have you had to overcome from being an HSP? Have you ever worked with an HSP and have anything to add to the list? Let me know.

David Curry

When an Early-Adopter is Married to a Late-Adopter..

  

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In this age of fast moving technology, systems change and economic upheaval, there are always those techies out on the cutting edge trying the newest software, gadgets and seeing if they will be useful for work and life.  They sit each night by the fireplace (projected on their Ipad) reading a kindle while checking their email on their iphone. These people are EARLY-adopters.  

On the other end of the spectrum are those people who are LATE-adopters. They swear they'll never give up paper books, cell phones are a nuisance and they say things like "If anyone wants to get a hold of me, just send it by pony express". In their opinion, they've been proved right time after time, that not following the fads save money and energy.  

Of course, I'm exaggerating ever so slightly. But what is one to do if you are married to, partner with, work for, someone who is at the opposite end of the technology adoption spectrum?  This isn't just a hypothetical question, it's a question that is being battled over in homes and businesses all over America because where you sit on the adoption spectrum dictates where resources, research and change will focus.  Companies are threatened by adopting to the changing environment too slowly, yet there are also plenty of examples of companies that have been crashed along the rock by chasing fads.  While the stakes within the household aren't so dire, the tension from being on opposite ends of the EARLY-Late spectrum is real. 

A FEW TIPS

1. Be Yourself.  If you've a natural curiosity and desire to be on the cutting edge, or conversely want to stick with tried and true, be authentic. If being it's about being Retro or Techie or some other label to please others, don't do it.  

2. Respect The Others Perspective. Late adopters are the largest part of the population, so they'll give you a clue how the biggest portion of your clients are thinking and reacting.  Early Adopters are discovering how things will work and function in the next round, so they'll give you a window into the possibilities.  

3. Know what's critical. In business, being a late adapter to change can be the death knell (see Borders as an example), but not every change is life or death. Pick your battles carefully. There are times when change is critical, and being left behind isn't an option, but not all of change is that monumentious.  Likewise, not every change needs to be fought as the end of civilization by late-adopters. 

4. Have a sense of humor...about YOURSELF. So many times we pick on those that aren't like us, but can't take it ourselves.  No one likes a grump how can't laugh at themselves.  Loosen up early adopters, take it easy late adopters.

5. Be Willing to Recognize When You Are Wrong. While I realize that you can point back to example after example of ways you have been proven right over the years by being a (late/Early) adopter, be open to the idea that maybe this time you could be, just maybe, wrong. 

Have you experienced this tension? What are some of your challenges being partners, working for, or being married to an opposite in the area of technology adoption? Any suggestions to add to my list of potential solutions?

David Curry