Carry on: Striking a balance in workplace transition

by Maggie Meyer
follow me on Twitter: @maggie_meyer

One of the most exciting and challenging parts of being a young professional is transitioning from “the newbie” to “the one with experience.” Every transition brings a few growing pains; with a little patience and an open mind, every transition will make you ready for your future in the nonprofit world.

Recently, my job duties have grown immensely as a result of organizational change at work. I will admit, I have not quite figured out where my energies and time are best spent from day to day. However, I have learned a few things that are helping me maintain my sanity while I transition into my new position.

1. Do not fear direct communication.

Your work life is going to change. A LOT. One of the most important things to do is be honest with your colleagues, especially those who are providing your training. Be ready to ask a lot of questions and willing to ask for additional trainings or material. Be open about your ability to do your work. New responsibilities are not an excuse to drop the ball, but your colleagues will appreciate a heads up if things are not going according to plan.

2. Stay flexible.

With transition comes change (duh!). Be ready to learn new job competencies and build methods by trial and error. The plan that you have at the beginning of your work place transition might work, but it might not. Take heart: a failed system does not mean defeat. Note your attempts to organize your workflow. Once you start performing your new work, you will figure out how best to achieve your goals.

3. Learn to say “no.”

You will not be able to do everything that you did before and everything new you take on. Learning to say no is super important (if not incredibly difficult). If you’re transitioning to a more management focused position, it will feel awkward to delegate tasks or avoid micromanaging your colleagues. Take some time to sort out your priorities so you can do a great job on important tasks instead of an OK job on less important ones.

4. Figure out what you need.

Take stock of what works for you to complete your new tasks and take measures to build the right environment for your success. Always account for more time than you think you will need. Having the time to check your work is well worth the effort and can save on some really embarrassing moments in the long run.

5. Ask for evaluation.

Your colleagues are valuable assets in transition. One of the best ways to grow is to hear feedback on your performance from an outside party. Take to heart the evaluations that you receive. You will become a better member of your team and a more prepared professional for future challenges and further transitions.

6. Get a hobby.

Many days you will feel that you are “bad at your job.” It might sound cheesy, but sometimes just knowing that you are good at home improvement or jogging can make all of the difference in your mood at the end of a long day of growing pains.

Each day in a transition will bring new triumph and tribulation. Remember to congratulate yourself for your successes, no matter how small. Always reflect on the bumps along the way to prevent them in the future. Maintain a healthy work-life balance and in very little time, your transition period will fade to a new day-to-day work flow.

How have you managed workplace transition?

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Three ways to connect virtually that won’t result in a headdesk

by Chris Oien
follow me on Twitter: @coien

Let’s talk about the one word guaranteed to send shudders down the spine of many a nonprofit professional: meetings. You’re going to have a lot of them, and after you take that important step of joining a board of directors, you’re going to have more meetings that don’t involve a bunch of people who are coming to the same building for work every day.

Once you start trying to get work done with people across varying schedules and locations, travel time to those meetings starts to add up , and before long, you might find yourself sacrificing productivity through all the driving (or biking!) back and forth. Mitigating this issue is something we are working on internally at YNPN Twin Cities, which is one reason I was glad to see our April Emerging Leaders Network lunch with the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits focused on connecting virtually. Brendon Liner of Nology led this part of the conversation, where I learned about some tools I’m itching to try out sometime.  Here are three of my favorites:

Speek

There are lots of conference call tools out there, but Speek looks like a contender for one of the best. For one thing, it’s free! Speek has also eliminated some of the awkwardness involved in calling in, finding your PIN, and wondering who else is on the call. Instead, the organizer sends you a link, where you can then have Speek call you and see who else is on from the website. There’s also easy drag and drop document sharing, which is sure to come in handy. Check it out at www.speek.com

Join.Me

This one’s for when you need to share your screen to dive deeply into a document, website mockup, or anything else you can show on your computer. Participants enter a code into the website to connect, and can talk by chat or Internet calling once they are. You can share control of your screen with other participants, and send them documents along the way. This one’s free too, though there’s also a Pro version that offers more features. The URL’s the same as the name, join.me.

Jing

Ever tried to explain to someone by chat or phone how to access or use something online? Do you then find yourself banging your head on the wall in frustration over how you just can’t make yourself clearly understood? Jing to the rescue! Use it to record a short screencast that shows someone exactly what to do step by step, and narrate your progress along the way. Another free one as long as your screencasts are five minutes or less. Find it on www.techsmith.com.

Do you have any favorites of your own to share? Let us know!

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Take your dog to work: Why my black Lab is better at my job than me

By: Lindsay Bacher
Follow me on Twitter: @lindsayinMPLS

Somehow in the last few years, I became a dog person. I went from completely indifferent towards dogs to interrupting conversations to say, “Aww, look at that dog! Do you see the dog? She’s so cute.”  I have a 3-year-old black Lab, Samwise Gamgee (I know), and naturally, I want to turn every conversation I have into a conversation about my dog. I present to you: Things My Dog Taught Me About My Professional Life (i.e. Totally Not An Excuse To Post Pictures Of Sam). 

1. If you do something well, do it all the time.

Sam loves to play fetch. He will drop a tennis ball at your feet, wait impatiently until you throw it, realize you’ve only pretended to throw it, wait for you to actually throw it, and then bring it back to start all over again.  It is, by far, his favorite game and he is so, so good at it. If there were a Strengths Finder skill for Sam, it would be Playing Ball. For people who are good at analytics, communications plans, or connecting with donors, embrace that. Instead of being just OK at a bunch of things, think about being great at only a few things. Me? I like writing. This last year I volunteered to write our proposal templates and other fundraising one-pages because it’s one of my strengths.

2. Focus.

Sam has amazing concentration skills. If you are holding a ball, sometimes he freezes and just stares at it. He’s oblivious to the outside world until you throw the ball. I’ve realized trying to do multiple tasks at the same time means I’m not giving any of them the attention they deserve, and collectively, my work suffers. I’m trying to focus more and just do one thing at one time, and not flit from a project to email to the project and then back to email again. Giving projects my undivided attention produces better work, and I end up accomplishing more each day.

3. Play nice.

When playing with other dogs, Sam loves wrestling, and it can get a little rough. There’s lots of teeth and play biting and nipping heels. But if any of his dog-friends yelp and need a break, all the dogs cool off and give each other space. Then five minutes later, they’re playing again. There are limited resources in the nonprofit world, from funding to job positions to program partnerships. Not everyone is going to get that amazing grant. Just remember: We’re all working towards similar goals and want to leave this world just a little shinier than how we found it. Competition often fuels the drive to excel, and maybe even a little collaboration down the road.  Plus, the nonprofit world in this town is smaller than you think - you may be applying for a job with a former adversary some day.

 4. Rest.

I love to run and Sam is my best running partner.  After we get back from a run, he will run around the yard and the house at top speed (runner’s high), and then lie on his giant pillow for several hours. Sam lies around for hours even on days we don’t run (a shocker, I know). This is one dog that knows how to work hard, and then relax. If Sam were you, he’d take some of that PTO and use it. Finish up a big project? Take Friday off. Facing down a busy season? Head out of town before you’re glued to your desk. If you need ideas or a dog to go on vacation with you, Sam’s a big fan of Duluth, playing in a lake, and Vegas.

5. Empathy.

Sam knows when I’m feeling awesome and responds with his usual high energy. I’m not a very emotional person, but when I do feel crappy, he’ll cuddle with me. There’s a reason why therapy dogs are so good at what they do. Through some kind of dog-magic, Sam just gets my feelings and understands. To truly be successful in our work, work that helps and cares for others, that provides essential services, that advocates for education and the environment and any number of other causes, we must empathize with the people we serve. We must communicate that empathy with our supporters, donors and policy-makers. Empathy is what turns good work into great work.

Sam starts each morning energetic and ready to face the day (which usually means a nap, barking at the USPS person, another nap, playing with me, and then an after dinner nap). And while I wish my office had a “take your dog to work” day, I’m just going to have to think like Sam and approach my work with the focus and energy Sam brings every time he chases a ball or chews up one of my shoes.

What have you learned from your pet that applies to your professional life?

Photo used with enthuastic permission of author.

Recognizing leadership: Because we're worth it

By Kelly Rowan
Follow me on Twitter: @kellykay30

Over brunch with some wonderful YNPN members* recently, we had a lively discussion about the importance of taking the time to recognize and celebrate the excellent work and leadership of our peers. This is one of the things I’ve been trying to be more mindful of in all areas of my life.

We could all benefit from being more thoughtful and intentional in taking the time to do this – in ways big and small. We can put a little more effort in hand-written thank you notes, serve as references and write letters of recommendation for our colleagues when they are poised for their next stride forward, or simply show genuine interest in work that is outside of what we usually immerse ourselves in.

Another opportunity for recognizing leadership is right around the corner: nominations for the Nonprofit Leadership Awards are due on May 3rd. While the time and energy required to bring this kind of acknowledgment to our peers can seem daunting, the entire process is worth the investment. Here’s why:

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When people work for little, who pays? Or what nonprofit employees could learn from freelance writers when it comes to compensation

by Lauren Van Schepen
follow me on Twitter: @laur_saurus

Last month, freelance writer Nate Thayer posted the transcript of an interaction he had with an editor at The Atlantic. The editor in question had read a piece Thayer wrote for another publication and asked him to repurpose it for The Atlantic at no cost. When Thayer pushed back, asking for compensation for his professional services, he was denied. As you can imagine, with the changing landscape of print and online journalism, this story took off, garnering over 700 comments on Thayer’s blog and inspiring a number of responses.

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