Leadership Coaching on Nonprofit Participants Part One

As you work through Leadership Coaching on Nonprofit Participants Part One, there may be some of the four practices that don't apply to you as directly as stated. 

Don't let that stop you. Reword the practice to be reflective of your organization and how it relates to the participants you serve. (campers, clients, guest .. however you might refer to those you serve.)

57. Staff understand the standards for participant care

This is Practice 57 of 80

People have entrusted themselves to your care or expertise. Make that care an outstanding experience. People notice a well kept facility, well run program, and high standards of care.

From the first greeting on, every experience should spell quality. Your staff must know how to deliver that quality, day in and day out. You have systems in place to keep it that way.

• How many times during their stay does a participant experience the level of our care?

• How can we increase the quality of each experience?

Why This Practice is Important

Without high standards staff will have no measure to gauge participant satisfaction.  Many quietly vote with their feet, and sooner or later just don’t come back any more. This is a reality.

The Key Concept, Attitude or Action That Drives This Practice

STANDARDS

An Expansive Thought

What value have we traditionally put on daily routine support systems like maintenance, appearance of facilities and equipment, handling arrivals and departures, etc.?

An Action Point

Make a list of the key areas where standards are of the utmost importance in ensuring a quality participant experience and take the time to review and improve each area. Identify the major “moments of truth” where people decide what standard your organization maintains.

58. Participant experience is regularly assessed to improve service

This is Practice 58 of 80

Every element of experience can be broken down into small components for you to examine and improve. Regularly adding value says “we want this year to be your best ever participant experience.” (Even when may be their first and really tough.)

• What would it take to implement a 1% improvement every 30 days to our overall participant experience?

Soon you would have made a 10% improvement in the experience and an exponential improvement in guest satisfaction.

Why This Practice is Important

Happy participants mean free word-of-mouth publicity. Your program will be full, you will be able to serve people over a long period of time, advertising costs will be down and income, or return on investing in people, will be up.

The Key Concept, Attitude or Action That Drives This Practice

ADDING VALUE

An Expansive Thought

Adding value can be uncovered in areas we don’t often think of, like in the attitude of our staff, ensuring that the little things are just as important as the big stuff.

An Action Point

Make a list of each experience a participant would make with your organization.

  Break each experience down into components that can be equated with value-added service.  Now implement new methods of adding value.

59. Requests and complaints are promptly handled

This is Practice 59 of 80

Surprise your participants.

People have come to expect complaints to drag out. Reach the truth quickly and respond fully to it. Surpass what might be expected and earn their respect.

Keep a log of participant complaints and how promptly they were addressed.

• Was the complaint able to be handled by the person who received it?

• How long did the participant have to wait for a solution?

• Would training by role play help staff to handle complaints more quickly and effectively?

Why This Practice is Important

The participant should always feel appreciated and respected.  A responsive and caring attitude will go a long way in fostering this level of good will. Responding says “you matter and we care."

The Key Concept, Attitude or Action That Drives This Practice

RESPONDING

An Expansive Thought

How many layers of “bureaucracy” can you eliminate in your organization in order to take care of a participant now?

An Action Point

Make a list of each experience a participant would make with your organization. What are the possible scenarios that you can recognize that could be potential for participant requests or complaints? 

Add those that you’ve overlooked as you experience them and keep refining your policy of handling requests and complaints.

60. There is openness between the organization and the public

This is Practice 60 of 80

Feeling good about an organization and how you are served will keep you in partnership with them.

Trust builds quality ministries. Openness keeps that trust intact.

Keep people informed. Solicit their input. Value their involvement. Honor their trust. This partnership opens up greater possibilities to serve and be served.

• How can we initiate more conversations with people we serve?

• Who do you think should be doing this?

Why This Practice is Important

Open communication between management, staff, participants, and if they are young, their parents, is vital to the success of your organization.  It should be a positive give-and-take relationship. This is a significant shift in thinking.

The Key Concept, Attitude or Action That Drives This Practice

PARTNERSHIP

An Expansive Thought

What kinds of things could we value from having input on? How could this be more of a long-term “partnership”?

An Action Point

Determine who in your organization should be in charge of implementing effective communication policies and procedures. It should be someone who understands that an attitude of openness and hospitality reaps rewards.

How Have You Used or Adapted Leadership Coaching on Nonprofit Participants Part One?

Leadership Coaching on Nonprofit Participants Part One provides you an opportunity to spend time thinking about several elements that go into the running of a great, respected organization that delivers on what it says it wants to deliver. 

Be sure to expand your work here by going onto Part Two.