Leadership Coaching on Nonprofit Participants Part Two

Leadership Coaching on Nonprofit Participants Part Two has four more practices you can check your organization against. All of them relate to the service you provide to participants. 

Here we cover referrals, records, public confidence and review readiness. As with the other categories, adjust the wording to suit your organization's reality. 

61. Referrals from satisfied participants are a regular occurrence

This is Practice 61 of 80

Word of mouth advertising is the best kind.

Make their experience so good that they can’t wait to tell someone else.

Let them know how they can refer others to you. Make it easy for them to forward your contact information and information about you. Thank them for telling others.

• What do you presently have for participants to pass on to other people?

• What is their motivation to pass your name on?

Why This Practice is Important

Building a positive rapport with the network of people behind your participants can ensure the success of your facility, and is well worth the investment in time and resources.

The Key Concept, Attitude or Action That Drives This Practice

RAPPORT

An Expansive Thought

How can you become 100% more inviting to new people who have been recommended by others, as opposed to just knowing that people are recommending you?

An Action Point

Develop a unique referral program that really says thank you to your campers.

62. Participant records are current

This is Practice 62 of 80

You have developed systems to track participants. Current records support effective planning and responding to needs.

Both you and your participants know where their fee account stands. Medical information is accessed quickly and simply. You know what participants have participated in, in the past and what they enjoy. In other words, you have any records that are critical for reference.

Anything regarding the participant that would be important to your organization is on file, easily obtained and accessible to authorized staff.

• If the computer system went down, was hacked, or you lost power, would you be exposed to risk?

• Do you have paper copies and/or backup of this information?

• Do you collect information that you never use? For what reason?

Why This Practice is Important

Keeping accurate and current participant records can safeguard your facility against potential problems.  It is also a sure way to establish more effective communication and attain a higher level of service.

The Key Concept, Attitude or Action That Drives This Practice

ADMINISTRATION

An Expansive Thought

What one new piece of information about your participants could make a significant impact on the delivery of your service, if you decided to collect it?

An Action Point

Review your records and ensure that you are collecting appropriate information.  Determine if you are missing vital stats that could potentially improve service.

Are you collecting information in an ethical manner? What rights do your participants have that you need to be aware of in this area?

63. The public are confident of the care their loved one will receive

This is Practice 63 of 80

If your organization serves children, the aged, or vulnerable etc, you KNOW your staff. References have been checked. Needed reports have been provided. Interviews have been carried out.

And after all of that has been done, you’ve gone another extra mile in knowing your staff and making sure, as far as is humanly possible, that they are the best possible people you could have in place to take care of the ones whom you serve.

• What can you do to attract the highest calibre of staff?

• What is the biggest assumption you are currently making with staff who apply to work at your location?

• What can you do to address that assumption?

Why This Practice is Important

Retaining the right staff for the job ensures that participants (and parents if they are younger) will feel confident that you have their greatest care in mind. You bear responsibility to provide staff that will honor that confidence.

The Key Concept, Attitude or Action That Drives This Practice

RESPONSIBILITY

An Expansive Thought

How can you retain good staff for the long-term?

An Action Point

Should you implement a staff evaluation program whereby you obtain participant feedback? Take a look back and find out how you chose your last five staff members. What did you base your decisions on?

64. Staff and facilities are ready for the review of unexpected visitors and officials

This is Practice 64 of 80

You are ready for visitors and officials. Your facility is never an embarrassment to show. Your staff is prepared and knows who is on the property. Visitors leave your facility having had a first class experience of the attitudes that make your organization what it is.

• Do you have standards for clean-up on projects and between-session routines, even when no participants are on site?

• Does your Staff know who is a visitor?

• Are you prepared to show a guest anywhere on the property?

Why This Practice is Important

You never know when unexpected visitors or officials will show up.  It is important to be prepared at all times and put your best foot forward.  First impressions are sometimes the only chance you get, and can develop into long lasting relationships.

The Key Concept, Attitude or Action That Drives This Practice

READINESS

An Expansive Thought

Imagine the person looking at your operation for the first time. They are so impressed that it results in four generations of future participants.

An Action Point

Treat that next guest exceptionally. What systems can be put in place to ensure that guests are never seen (or treated) as an interruption?

This is the end of Leadership Coaching on Nonprofit Participants Part Two.

To review Part One again, click here.

How Are You Applying Leadership Coaching on Nonprofit Participants Part Two, to Your Organization?

Leadership Coaching on Nonprofit Participants Part Two, along with Part One have allowed you to examine how you relate to your participants from a number of angles. 

What insights have you gained? What have you initiated in response to your work? What will you still do? 

Taking action to improve will reap rewards.