Some days it can seem like a grind. Zoom call to Zoom call. Fire to fire. At the end of the day you ask yourself, “What did I even get done today?”. In these days of full out sprint that has turned into a marathon that seems to be stretching into an ultra-extreme event it’s hard to remember the reasons we do this work, so here’s are a few that come to mind for me.
The Network
I can’t thank the amazing people that I’ve met through my work enough. From co-workers to collaborators to folks that continue to inspire me, this work has brought so many bright stars into my life whomI am so much richer for knowing.
Most people in the nonprofit sector aren’t doing this work for the money, they are doing it because they passionately believe in change. I try to take a moment each week to thank someone that has contributed to improving my work in some way. The act of gratitude is both transformational and reflexive. I mean who doesn’t want to get thanked? It feels good to be seen and appreciated. In addition, in expressing thank you, I am also reminded of the rich and diverse group of people that have come into my life.
The Mind Expansion
To really be successful in communications you have to get inside your audience’s head. What do they believe and what do they want? By digging into perspectives that are not my own I get the opportunity to develop empathy and understanding of people with whom I may not have shared worldviews or opinions. This is a gift of this work.
While the temptation to stay inside the bubble will always exist, to do the work well you have to pop out if it- if even for a brief moment. The need to do this can certainly be hard to explain internally. When you are embedded in an organization where everyone believes wholeheartedly that X needs to change it can be hard to articulate that there are a variety of reasons that outside stakeholders and supporters have for their participation in moving X which may or maynot be part of internal culture and messaging. It’s highly likely that your organization’s true believers are motivated to seek belonging for different reasons than those of the staff and board. Getting into those different worldviews expands my mind and my empathy.
The Creativity
During the long days of COVID it is imperative that we keep space sacred to allow for inspiration and creativity. For me this takes the form of not only continuing to explore how others in the field are experimenting and challenging norms, but also actively being creative through my writing, painting, music and other pursuits. The time I spend exercising the creative part of my brain increases my ability to bring creative problem solving, innovation and leadership to my work.
The work itself also requires creativity. In the nonprofit sector for the most part our constraints are time and money. Tackling projects big or small takes innovation, new ideas and embracing the fear of failure head on. Applying creativity in whatever form is needed is how solutions are found, projects move forward and, in some cases, teams get built. While creativity isn’t limited to the nonprofit communications profession, it is certainly part of what keeps me going in the work.
Times are tough, but reminding ourselves of the things that we love about this work can add some more gas in the tank and allow for a renewed appreciation of our network, our imaginations and our creativity.
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