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| Disposable People? Not if you do it right
By Dan Mirgon, CFRE
How many types of people are you responsible for “managing”? Let’s count them up.
1. Staff 2. Volunteers 3. Donors 4. Prospective Donors 5. Other Ministry Leaders in your network 6. Board Members 7. Vendors, Service Providers, Civic Leaders 8. Your Family 9. Yourself
That is quite a list. No wonder we’re all tired. Now for the important question.
How many can you do without? Which group could you dispose of and not hurt your ministry? If you are like me, the answer is – none. Of the people we interact with, each type is needed in order to deliver God’s work through your ministry.
But keeping these various relationships in good working order is hard work. Probably because each “people group” requires different treatment, and there is only so much you can get done in one day.
What happens when someone slips away? Oh, you didn’t mean to undervalue them- it’s just that this got in the way of that, and they had to take a back seat.
If they are donors or potential donors, you may never get them back. That’s why acquisition and donor relationship programs are so important. Staff and Volunteers are just as likely to take the exit if we aren’t intentional about protecting their “heart” and “time.”
To protect against this problem, we need to remember some very good advice. Based on the “Golden Rule” found in Luke 6:31, the following list was presented in the landmark book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People”, by Dale Carnegie all the way back in 1936.
See if these help:
Handling People Don't Criticize, Condemn or Complain Give Honest and sincere Appreciation Arouse an eager want (common interest we all share)
Make People Like You Become genuinely interested in them Smile Remember their name Be a good listener Talk in terms of their interests Make them feel important
Win Them to Your Way of Thinking Avoid Argument Show respect for their opinion Admit when I am wrong Begin in a friendly way Get them saying "yes" immediately Let them do most of the talking Let them feel that the idea is theirs Try to see things from their perspective Be sympathetic to their ideas and desires Appeal to nobler motives Dramatize my ideas Throw down a challenge (the desire to excel)
Be a Leader: Begin with Praise Be indirect when pointing out their mistakes Talk about my mistakes first Ask questions vs. give orders Let them save face Praise the slightest improvement Give them a fine reputation to live up to Use encouragement (fault is easy to fix) Make them happy about your request
Perhaps if we take the time to apply these principles, we can keep more of these relationships strong, and draw them closer to what God is doing.
PS: I’ve printed the list and have it tacked up on my bulletin board next to my phone in the office.
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