Connect with us

Professional Development

A Key Strategy to Make Volunteering Meaningful

Published

on

BY: KEISHA JOHNSON

Volunteering in Canada is a way of life that is as ubiquitous as the maple leaf insignia. Not only are engagement opportunities for volunteers everywhere; people from all strata of society are encouraged to give back and get involved. Youth, professionals, retirees, newcomers et al are recruited and encouraged to volunteer daily.

Why?  To help foster the healthy and effective functioning of society.

Volunteers fill gaps where budgets, expertise and other resources critical to a cause or operation may be lacking or meager.

In turn, volunteers gain experience, exposure, a sense of fulfillment, value and contribution among other benefits from giving back. This unpaid exchange strengthens community linkages and keeps progress in motion.

But in certain subcultures, there is an aversion to volunteering that can be counterproductive to thriving in Canadian society.

Anecdotally, we are told that for fear of undermining their value, some people refuse to share their expertise, resources or time pro bono. Others, having been ‘burnt’ in the past, deem volunteering antithetical to their existence. They, therefore, shy away from volunteering to avoid future ‘abuse’. Others rationalize that they can’t afford to volunteer until they first secure an income.

While there may be some legitimacy to the above rationale, volunteering is a significant key to thriving in Canada and to Canada thriving.

The nature of volunteering is that it is an exchange. You are never giving and not receiving.

Implicit to the success of the Canadian model of volunteerism is the expectation of mutual benefit. Irrespective of how altruistic a person may be, they volunteer for a reason. This is human nature. There is an expectation, conscious or subliminal, that they want met.

Equally, the volunteer organization expects that volunteers will honor and fulfill any commitments they make.

Volunteer Canada, the watchdog organization for volunteerism in Canada, in its Pan-Canadian study, Bridging the Gap, identified eleven key motivations that propel Canadians to volunteer. The top five are: contribute to the community, use skills and experience, personally affected by a cause, improve health or sense of well-being and explore strengths.

There are a ton of other reasons why people elect to give of their time and resources to a cause without pay. And asking ‘what’s in it for me’ (WIIFM) you will discover, is a key success strategy for both the volunteer and the organization to a productive and fulfilling relationship.

Let’s look at three criteria WIIFM evaluation clarifies for the volunteer: motivation, goal and time commitment.

  1. Before you take on a volunteer position, be sure to clarify your ‘why’. Establish why are volunteering, why now and what you want to achieve. The answer to that last question is never “nothing”. Even if it’s just to make you feel good about yourself, there must be a genuine motive for volunteering or else you will not be committed and could easily lose interest.
  2. Volunteer Canada indicated from the same Pan-Canadian study on volunteerism that most volunteers approach engagement opportunities with specific personal goals. The idea is that when you have a clear goal you can more readily determine the right fit volunteer opportunities for you as you would with a paid job. The right fit allows you to develop and shine and to add value to the volunteer opportunity. The opportunity, in turn, adds value to you and helps you to flourish.
  3. Thirdly, decide on your time commitment. How much time can you allocate to volunteering and for how long? How does the time allocated to volunteering impact other priorities now and later? Most people gauge your commitment by your time. If you are not committed, others will notice and your risk developing a less than favorable reputation. Reputation today is your brand and your brand is your wealth. Don’t compromise it!

Working through the WIIFM evaluation clarifies several criteria for volunteer engagement that helps to minimize disappointments for the involved parties. Try it before you volunteer.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Professional Development

As a community we lack unity. How are we supposed to rebuild the Black Wall Street?

Published

on

Photo Credit: Christina @ wocintechchat.com

BY DAVID ANDERSON

Do you know what the problem is? We can never stand up as one and unite for change. I am getting really sick and tired of this crab in a bucket mentality. As a community, we have not done enough. We have not built enough. Instead of correcting history, we have chosen the path of repeating it. I mean it is true we cannot hide from who we are but grow and learn from who we were. We cannot be afraid to let our brothers and sisters continue to separate.

As a community, we lack unity. How are we supposed to rebuild the Black Wall Street? How come it has never been remade since the tragic Tulsa race massacre that took place May 31st and June 1st 1921? City officials, to attack Black business owners, and residents gave the people weapons. They destroyed homes in Tulsa Oklahoma. What was once a flourishing community in Tulsa Oklahoma was reduced to nothing but campfire stories. This left a negative impact on the Black community.

Have you ever heard the phrase crabs in a bucket? This is a metaphor for people who either live in the same environment or are after specific goals. What we all get confused about is that there is enough for everyone.

I used to hate the saying “Let’s get this bag,” because it puts one trophy at the top of the pedestal. Humans are so competitive that they would rather sabotage their future as long as they beat you or finish first. This is how you burn bridges that you will have to cross again in life.

Working towards one goal usually is beneficial to each individual or as a collective (team). Every sports team makes it clear what their goals are in the pre-season. This allows coaches and players to develop a relationship that is based on trust and personal development. Each time they step out on the field or court they have their teammates’ best interest at hand. This will create chemistry, which only strengthens relationships and performance. We have to be able to depend on and trust one another. We need to learn from our mistakes and be proactive in correcting them.

As an entrepreneur, you need to be able to build strong relationships and communities. This might not be easy, but it is beneficial for you, family, business and community. As a leader you must have the ability to rally people in your community towards a cause. You have the ability to start a community organization. You possess the skills to make a change in your life, for your family and community. Don’t let opportunities pass you by. We need to learn more about our history, or it will repeat itself. We need to learn from other great cities, villages, and kingdoms.

Continue Reading

Professional Development

How to Boost Your Marketing Agency’s Growth in 2022

Published

on

Want to boost your marketing agency’s growth over the course of the next calendar year? If so, you’ve found the right article. Below, you will find insightful information regarding the current scalability of the advertising sector, as well as comprehensive advice on what you can do to play an active role in this ongoing development.

Here are three things you can do to boost your marketing agency’s growth in 2022:

Home in your niche market
You aren’t going to grow your marketing agency until you showcase your skill, credibility, and reliability. In order to cultivate this type of reputation for yourself, you need to offer a specific service incredibly well. Distracting yourself with unnecessary service ranges will detract from your ability to build this authority, which is why you are advised to home in on a niche market segment. This will entail you providing a narrow yet effecting promotional service until you are capable of taking your agency to the next level.

There are plenty of niche marketing markets for you to tap into, eight of which include:

  1. Digital marketing
  2. Outbound or inbound marketing
  3. Content marketing
  4. Social media marketing
  5. Voice marketing
  6. Email marketing
  7. Influencer marketing
  8. Word-of-mouth marketing

Embrace white label SEO
If you choose to go down the digital marketing route in your expansion endeavor, you should seriously consider embracing white label SEO. This will allow you to expand your web-based advertising initiative without draining your time, effort, money, or resources.

To ensure that you receive a substantial ROI from white label SEO, it’s recommended that you partner up with a reputable reseller such as Click Intelligence Canada. This industry authority will help you to generate a new source of revenue, they will offer SEO solutions tailored around your specific expertise, and they will provide a cost-effective platform for your agency’s growth. Ultimately, this level of assistance will allow you to focus on what truly matters — your company’s ongoing scalability.

Simplify your project management
The way in which you manage your projects will have a profound effect on your marketing agency’s success going forward. In this instance, it’s important that you avoid overcomplicating things at all costs. This will only make life ten times harder for yourself, s it will eat away at both your time and effort. Ultimately, this will decrease the likelihood of you meeting your crucial advertising campaign deadlines.

When attempting to simplify your project management process, your first port of call should be to prioritize your daily tasks by level of importance. This will help you to screen out unimportant tasks and subsequently aid you in your attempt to focus on critical marketing matters.

Are you determined to take your marketing agency to the next level in 2022? If so, be sure to heed the growth and development advice laid out above. Home in on a niche market, embrace white label SEO, and simplify your project management — do all of that, and you’ll be scaling the lofty heights of your niche industry sooner rather than later.

Continue Reading

Professional Development

Ergonomic Home Office- Choosing The Best Furniture Pieces

Published

on

BY ELLA BRAUN

The COVID crisis has brought a sudden transition for the world, particularly in the form of the work from the home switch. The biggest challenge, however, is that most of us are not equipped with a proper working area at home. Like everyone else, you would also want to have a dedicated office space that makes you feel productive. When it comes to creating such a home office, comfort is important. After all, you cannot expect to do your best in the workspace if you are not comfortable enough. If you are planning to create an ergonomic home office, choosing the right furniture pieces matters the most. Here are some tips to pick the best ones.

Assess the available space
Even before you start preparing a wishlist of furniture pieces, assess the available area. Not everyone has a spare room for creating a dedicated office, so space struggles are more real than you think. Measure the area and consider the essential pieces you would want to fit in. You may have to differentiate between needs and wants and skip some things if there isn’t enough room.

Consider the work hours
From the ergonomic perspective, it is important to consider the number of hours you would be working every day. For example, you can give precedence to style if you plan to use the home office for only a few hours in a day. However, comfort is absolutely essential if you have long working hours. You may even consider having a standing work desk apart from the sitting arrangement to prevent the ill-effects of prolonged sitting.

Have a budget to start with
Right now, you may be pressed for cash but a proper workspace is something that you can’t do without. Having a budget before you start shopping is a good idea. You may even look for deals like an IKEA flyer or coupon online to fit the best-branded furniture in your budget. Quality is vital when it comes to ergonomics because good brands go the extra mile to create designs that are easy on the body.

Choose pieces that fit you
If comfort is your top priority while picking furniture for your work area, you need to go the extra mile to find pieces that actually fit your body. Consider proportioned height for your chair and table if you are too tall or too short. Exploring and trying before buying is a great idea. Of course, your office furniture should look great but ease is something that you cannot ignore.

Don’t forget your personal style
Even as you look for pieces that are comfortable, don’t forget your personal style. Also, make sure that it blends with your home decor, particularly when you are creating a workspace in your living room or bedroom. Consider the aesthetic elements such as colour and design. At the same time, invest in durability and quality as well.

Although creating a home office can be easy, you need to be extra sure about ergonomics. After all, an easy space makes you feel more productive and keeps you healthy as well.

Continue Reading

Trending