A few weeks ago, I attended a meeting of non-profit leaders struggling through a slump in their capital campaign.
They were tired and frustrated. After months and months of hard work, which had resulted in a steady flow of generous support for their project, they had hit a dip. Momentum had slowed, contributions were barely trickling in, volunteer campaigners weren’t returning calls or fulfilling obligations, and the team just felt hopeless. The idea of hitting the “pause button” and evaluating the situation sounded like an overwhelming exercise to them. They wanted someone or something to make things better.
Just about the time I thought it would be best to adjourn the meeting to avoid the group spiraling even deeper into the dip, I noticed a volunteer, who hadn’t said a word yet, energetically typing on his iPad. Based on the overall atmosphere of the meeting, I concluded he had lost interest in the campaign and had shifted his attention to something else.
However, a few minutes after he stopped typing, I heard several simultaneous cell phone pings around the table, indicating an incoming message. I later learned that this particular volunteer had emailed a message to all of us at the meeting, as well as to campaign leaders not in attendance.
Based on conversations and activity levels the next day, the email resonated loudly, clearly and personally with the members of the campaign leadership team. One volunteer responded to all after he read the e-mail saying, “Thanks for this message. It is exactly what I needed to remind me that how I lead is my choice, and my attitude about something is contagious to those around me. I may have to get a copy of the book for encouragement and frequent reminders of that fact.”
Wondering what that email said? Here are a few select excerpts:
“I’m reading a book called The Science of Happiness. I’ve learned that what we think about, say and do are the only things we have complete unquestionable control over.
It is up to us to take control of our thoughts and restore our optimistic attitude. Research shows that positive, happy people have increased health, vitality, mental productivity, and creativity. They get the results they expect.
Negative moods limit people, whereas positive feelings expand options. Happiness brings vitality and that’s what we need to keep our campaign moving forward.”
It is difficult to predict what will help get a team back on track when they hit a rough patch. Since capital campaign leaders are generally highly committed to what they are trying to achieve, reminding them of the vision and refocusing on the plan can often revitalize them.
However, sometimes getting a leadership group back on track in times of struggle is as much about restoring an optimistic attitude as it is about action plans and next steps.
The next time your team is in the dip (and trust me, you will be), don’t be afraid to create an attitude adjustment for your team, so that together you can pull through the dip and achieve your goals.
