Spring Has Sprung, Are You Stopping to Smell the Roses?
Spring is beautiful. Spring is fun. Spring is meaningful. But, let’s face it, Spring is also CRAZY.
I don’t know about you, but I am staring at my calendar in disbelief. What is ACTUALLY happening? I write this blog in April, but my calendar is miles ahead of me, staring down the pike into summer. I’m not sure if that’s good, or poor planning on my part, but the point is, we are all “busy” and this time of year there are plenty of things – big, small, important, and fun – to fill up our calendars.
In fact, one of my clients has a BIG event this week, as they break ground on a new building, after years of planning and successful capital campaign fundraising. I have to say that attending groundbreaking and grand opening ceremonies has become one of my favorite perks of the job at M. Gale. Seeing all the planning steps, hard work, passion, and visionary leadership impact the community before us is powerful.
BUT, this exciting milestone has me pondering a question for my nonprofit friends …
Are you taking time to celebrate this spring?
The second quarter of the year is an important one for fundraising programs, oftentimes full of event planning and donor visits. As you check off the to-dos: are you implementing plans, getting through your events, and doing all the friend-raising and networking you can manage? Are you celebrating the impact of this work with your team?
As a consultant, I often find myself reminding clients to pause just for one moment to recognize hard work and give themselves a pat on the back before moving to the next step. The busier you are, the harder it is, but I would argue in times of crazy schedules, the celebrations are even more important.
I’ve walked into several meetings with treats in hand, to enact a congratulatory moment, and guess what? Often, I’m met with looks of confusion, if even for a moment, until the team realizes the success or milestone they just hit. Arguably, it is ingrained in nonprofit professionals to just keep moving. A successful event or donor visit is just expected (it is our job, after all), and therefore not necessarily celebrated the way it should be.
I believe that we MUST pause, however briefly, to look in the rear-view mirror sometimes, to appreciate the impact of our work, otherwise, we just may burn-out in our attempt to keep our foot on the pedal. Don’t let that happen to you or your team. Work hard and stay the course, but take time to celebrate!
As Vice President, Laura is a results-driven leader focused on M. Gale team collaboration and operational goals. With responsibility in all administrative, consulting services and marketing aspects of the company, Laura also manages M. Gale special projects and serves as a consultant to help clients navigate organizational solutions that maintain mission promises.
