“The worst thing you could do is to bring a volunteer in to your organization and give them nothing to do.” – Doreen-ism
The saying goes: “Negative attention is better than no attention.” This is true with children as it is with adults. People would rather receive negative attention as opposed to no attention at all. Being valued, along with the need to belong and feel included, are basic human needs according to Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory.
When you work with teams of people, are you fulfilling that? Or, do you attract the “negative” out of people because that’s the only way that could get any attention from you? Remember, when people work together with you in either a paid team or a volunteer team, they seek to be a contributing member, not just a “bump on the log.”
When people come together and give of themselves, they give that which is most precious to them – their hearts and mind. Are you the conductor of positive energy or are you the autocratic, negative, “my way of the highway” type of person? Expect the worst from people and that’s just what you’ll get.
For example, imagine that we are sitting at a table face to face, and I ask you to write down your list of goals and dreams for 2007. However, I ask you to hold your breath as you are writing this list down and to not take a breath until I say. How long and how easily do you think you can continue to write down or even think about those goals and dreams? There will come a time when all you can think about is when I will say “take a breath,” and in your mind and heart, there will not even be enough room to think about your goals and dreams.
So, are you feeding your teammates, referral partners, and group members their basic needs? Or, do you expect them to perform without their basic needs? If they don’t have “air,” they will perform like anyone else whose basic needs are not fulfilled. In that same breath, are you fulfilling their basic needs of belonging and value? Do you create community? That is STEP ONE in working together in a collaborative group.
Need more on how to work a group into a team? Call the coach.
Connect with confidence and creativity!
Coach Maria Elena AKA The Champion of Connections
