Our social media-driven world makes it difficult to avoid feelings of competition. It’s all about more likes, more followers, more reach. You follow someone you admire on Instagram but what started out as a genuine interest in the person turns into wishing your life could be as enjoyable and successful as theirs seems to be. It’s a vicious cycle.
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The Comparison Trap, Part I
I’ve noticed in my life that this isn’t just an issue faced by women. It’s something we all deal with on a pretty regular basis. As leaders and even as volunteers, we often run into thoughts of how we gauge ourselves against others. “Am I good enough?” “Can I do this?” Turn into thoughts of “I will never be as good at this as her.” “He’s such a good leader, I’m nothing like him.”
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How to be a better listener
Conversation is an art form. A delicate dance where each partner moves from speaking to listening, exchanging information and ideas.
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This is Why Good Leaders Tell Stories
Before you start reading, I want to ask you a question. What is the percentage of employees who know what their organization stands for?
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Perception Misconception
A woman was waiting at an airport one night, with several long hours before her flight. She hunted for a book in the airport shops, bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.
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The 3 Types of Change Mindsets
Every once in a while, at Volunteer U, we get the chance to hear from leaders who are making a difference in their industry. This week we have a guest post from Jayne, a music teacher at a Private School, and also a doctoral student studying at Southeastern University. Enjoy Jayne’s perspective on the three […]
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The Ikea Effect
Oh, Ikea. You huge, blue and yellow home of delicious meatballs and adorable, modern furniture. Have you ever put together a piece of furniture from this Swedish megastore? You open the box to find packets of tiny screws, various sized wood, and instructions that look like they were written in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. It’s hours […]
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Greek Myths and Expectation Power
When talking incentives, a lot of leaders teeter between two sides of the management fence: Self-motivation versus Supervisor motivation. Which is more powerful? Are people more inclined to be motivated by their own expectations or that of their leader? Pygmalion (or Rosenthal) Effect – the power of other’s expectations. This theory states that people will […]
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70, Twenty, & 10. How to Train Volunteers Informally.
You may have already heard of the 70:20:10 Model. Originally created by Lombardo, and Eichinger at the Center for Creative Leadership, this 1980s leadership development theory suggests that individuals get 70% of their knowledge from challenging assignments (experience), 20% from developmental relationships, and 10% from formal training/education. If this is true, 90% of our volunteer’s […]
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A Leader’s Guide to Building Trust
Leaders will need to prove themselves trustworthy before workers will feel comfortable enough to allow themselves to be led. The only way to establish trust is through time. The only problem is, time is something that leaders (especially young leaders, with no proven track record) feel they can’t afford. But as anxious as we may […]
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