Participation Limits

I was thinking the other day what good feelings are generated when volunteers show up to help a project work well. The idea that the volunteers who do show up are engaged in what the group is doing and attempting to accomplish builds my spirit and the others, too. They prove to us that we are fighting the good fight and they agree with us and have joined our efforts.

Gaining understanding from others in our work is a big thing. It means we have succeeded in educating others well enough that they help us do the good work.

But then one night I’m thinking this is temporary. Why? Because people come and go, they are attracted to other projects and good works that might have more power than ours at any given time, and of course they retire, get ill or die.

We call this organizational turnover. And it is a given. It is true for me as well. At some point I will not have as much energy to do the work as I had done earlier. This will likely sap my interest, too, and then the decline as others take on what I used to do. Or maybe not!

I’ve been in the situation where a leader has died or become too ill to carry on their duties. So the rest of us jump in to help, redistribute the workload and carry on. A year later the emergency team is dispirited and exhausted. Time to regroup and distribute the workload again, this time with strategy and future in mind.

Transition time is needed for everyone to become familiar with their tasks and work on with confidence. Some missteps may occur but that is to be expected. The new team will mesh eventually and the tempo will speed up.

While considering these issues an inescapable fact rises up. People do have limits to their involvement in any cause or group. Their interests shift a bit from time to time. Their dedication flags, too, perhaps. And of course time, aging, health and even incapacitation happens.

The job of replacing players in every organization is a must. In non-profit or for profit enterprises this is very true. But so too is it true in volunteer organizations. In these groups the situation is more critical because it is inevitable and we must always prepare for the succession process to be on-going.

Replacing ourselves is the key to this. Looking for people who we feel certain will carry on in our absence, even plan for that absence by training and appointing deputies along the way. Or maybe even replace yourself knowingly while remaining on scene to transition the new person firmly into place. Remain, also, as a team member to share the load and set an example for other team members to step forward.

Not duplicating roles but ‘shadowing roles’ so the next generation of workers and leaders are always in process. They are ready to step into new roles, or to lead, or to perform ad hoc roles that will advance the organization’s work and future. This is a very good model to adopt for most organizations. It is purposeful and consistent with long term mission and vision of the organization.

Yes, there are natural limits to our participation. Perhaps not intended but very real and logical nonetheless. Best we prepare for this.

June 30, 2016