Giving Back
If asked to give your time (without a paycheck attached), many people will provide an excuse as to why they can't. Oh, I'd like to but I'm just too busy at work right now, or I just have too much going on….. Until you give up your time, it's really not possible to understand the growth you will receive as a result.
Think about any group you are a part of; sporting team, professional assoc., or your kids activities. They all require people who give their time, without payment, or the groups become ineffective. You don't get remunerated for your time and so many struggle with the concept of working for free. Most of us in our free time want to watch sport, hang out with kids or family, or just decompress and do nothing.
Some might argue the semantics of the phrase “Giving Back”, i.e. did you derive value in the first place, but most in most cases we are simply giving back. When you join an association, sign your kids up for a sporting team etc, while you pay a small fee to cover some of the basics, the bulk of the value is provided by volunteers who effectively run the group.
The benefits gained from volunteering, like anything in life, is completely up to you. If you sign up for the right reasons and participate to the fullest, the value gained is endless.
1. Volunteering for a cause you believe in provides an opportunity to debate issues, cultural norms or ways of doing business that isn't tied to a paycheck.
2. How to follow and trust leadership. A good deal of our career success will be determined by who we choose to follow and how we manage these relationships. Volunteering in an organization provides an opportunity to evaluate what makes us trust a leader. Are we able to trust the judgement of others or do we get easily frustrated when we aren't in charge. Every interaction we have, no matter how pointless it may seem at the time, is an opportunity to learn about ourselves. Try not to pass it up.
3. Tackling complex issues. The more situations you put yourself in to lead the better you become at developing your capacity to address complex and difficult issues. We take it for granted how organizations are run but it's not until you put your hand up to participate that we realize there is more than meets the eye. We are constantly surprised how complex an organization is once we get in and see the workings. It is this complexity that pushes us to grow.
4. Learning to fail and understanding the longer term objectives. Certainly for traditional nonprofits, many volunteers at the organizational level come in with one notion of what it's going to be like to help run the group, but leave with another. There is a feelgood notion when you first start, but as you get deeper into the processes you realize it's a grind, just like most things. All causes have wins and losses and knowing how to accept disappointment is a key skill you learn while giving back.
5. Learning the importance of taking the perspective of others. Probably one of the most challenging aspects of any human interaction - everyone involved has a unique perspective. No two people will see a situation or issue in exactly the same way. In order to resolve conflict in a constructive manner, so that all parties are satisfied with the outcome, a person must be able to hold all the opposing ideas, positions, and perspectives in mind at the same time and still function effectively. We see and hear only what our perspective allows us to, and our perspective changes with time.
If you, or your family, participate in groups that require volunteers, and you haven't stepped up, then you just need to put yourself out there. When you join, be a contributor.
