This week was our first in the Leadership of Community class. I loved the readings preparing up until the class. Its challenging to even consider what is community and in the midst of diversity how does it exist. Even greater is the question of how this community determines what is common values, common good and how do we get there... or any where...as a community?
This next week our deliverable is a 5-page paper. We are to discuss five things we would change in the world and why? I had an early sneak peek at the syllabus a couple weeks ago when the professor emailed us a copy, and I've been thinking about it off and on. Nothings really coming to me clearly.... I'm thinking about what peeves me... but a paper on how windshield wipers drag across only a semi wet windshield just doesn't make the cut. I also think about my passions...but right now in my development it feels a bit like nailing jello to the wall. I think about terms or themes that have been behind my passions or even reasons for coming back to school... the word that comes to mind is "empowering".
If I think back about my experience in helping to develop Ascend, the Round Rock Chamber's Young Professional Development Program, I love how what's become of it is a program that engages young people to responsibly engage in the community to move it forward and address current challenges, while the result is young people who are empowered to leave their imprint. Each person in the class has such unique talents and passions. In a way, this class helps me to extend beyond myself to the betterment of my, now friends, and feel committed to their success and rejoice with them when they take a step forward in their personal goals.
So this is the result, but if I'm looking for fodder for my paper, what was the kindling that allowed this program to spark?
In starting the class, we revisited our top 5 strengths as identified in our first leadership class some 18 months ago. My strengths are Positivity, Includer, WOO (Winning Others Over), Arranger, and Communication. In class we discussed each other's growth, but the trait that always seems to be a trend in conversation is the Woo'ers. Some people speak of how they like this trait, some wish they had it, or are just thankful for having friends that have it. Some plainly speak of how they can't stand some people with it. No matter the gamut, my friends in the class have labeled me as the class' WOO poster child.
Some Woo'ers give us the reputation of those kids that ran for class council. Postering their name everywhere and making conversation for the illusion of friends. I think many in the class feel uncomfortable when they are put into a position where they are forced to demonstrate this trait. Some feel overwhelmed in the presence of an unleashed woo'er.
The spring of my WOO well really stems from my other tendencies... I'm an includer. I know what its like to walk into a room of people I don't know and see only the backs of people buried in conversations of comfort. Hospitality was a key value for me growing up, and my positivity wants to ensure that when someone in the room does find themselves alone in a room full of people, that they have an encounter that leaves them feeling welcomed, loved, and empowered, even if I'll never see the person again. Plus, its just easier to make it all about someone else. When my being "friendly" is about how I make someone else feel, its alot easier to "WOO".
ALL this to say... when I helped create Ascend- it was because I didn't see a way to engage young people. I saw a community on the verge of succession, with my arranger strength, I wanted to create a system to help cultivate proven talent in future leaders.
So perhaps in identifying the five things I want to change I don't have to throw a dart towards the bulls eye of what draws my greatest impassioned response, but really I should look to my strengths and determine where I can utilize these again to empower my community.
One of the main reasons I went back for my MBA was to strengthen business skills that would empower efficiencies in nonprofits. Perhaps there are 5 things I would like to change in nonprofits or the nonprofit community that I think would enable greater service outcomes.
So here's a stab
1) Nonprofit Advocacy
How do we engage the local business community and citizens to make the "for benefit" sector relevant to them?
2) Nonprofit Education
Nonprofits obviously don't operate under traditional corporate culture. The general public should be engaged in how there are differences, and brought in on the conversation of where these must remain to maintain the social sustainable features, and where their talents may be key to taking their services to a new level.
3) Nonprofit Engagement
How do we make it easier for people to align their passions with the services provided in their community? How do we streamline the pipeline for someone to identify where they want to make an impact and how they can do that in a region?
4) Nonprofit Program Efficiency
Nonprofits have focused so much on "The Ask". How it's packaged, how its presented... Dollars are invested with companies that offer services to help them on the development (financial resources) side With increased financial competition, eventually it won't be the request that can be improved, and nonprofits will have no option but to demonstrate how a donor's dollar really does provide a greater ROI, and that means identifiable outcomes and greater program efficiency.
5) Nonprofit Community
Expanding the traditional views of who is my community and engaging collaboration in new creative ways. Many nonprofits are so inwardly focused, or even focused on a specific geographic region. Their lack of expansion or collaboration increase duplication of services, and an even greater strain on limited financial resources. Nonprofits are going to need to know their own game in an even better light... so that they can expand beyond their basic services to meet emerging needs and know what they can bring to the collaboration table. Just as we each serve as an individual pipeline to meet community needs, we'll need to have the vision of a master plumber to know how we can connect to the greater nonprofit community to serve more with less.
Yeah.. I guess that will get me started...
:)
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