The Hole in My Dream.
As I prepare my position to run autonomously without me next week, it stirs me to think what First Choice would be like with autonomous systems in place.
In a dream state, it would look something like this:
Clients would be specifically clear about services needed and schedule their appointments accordingly so.
Centers would be filled with multiple volunteers for all open hours of the day.
Staff could focus on program improvements and team development.
Grants would automatically renew, and new grants would need only two details: Org name and dollar amount needed (BIG dreams from this girl).
Event participants would multiply as prior attendees invited ALL their friends.
Event sponsors would multiply as prior sponsors make First Choice so appealing ALL their contacts would sponsor too!
Monthly donations would automatically increase as well as subscribers to our newsletters, and community team members.
Though much of that is really a dream and none especially realistic, there is a hole in that entire picture. And it's a BIG GAPING hole.
Relationships are not autonomous.
And everything we do at First Choice revolves around relationships.
We build relationships through warm, welcoming, and calm phone calls with frantic men and women needing a moment of clarity in crisis. We commune with God and thank Him for the volunteers He's brought to sustain us in this season. The Holy Spirit guides the Staff Team in areas of time management and which forms of team development are appropriate. Reaching out to new funders within the community builds strength between orgs, and opportunities for the future in other ways than monetary means. Events take a team effort to kick off, and though we would like to depend specifically on prior participants, we also need to continue to build relationships with surrounding community to expand awareness, and strengthen our mission. More funding, means more relationships, and we have to seek members of the donor team, asking for bigger yeses and additional leads, promoting and celebrating our mission.
We are all about relationship and face time with clients, team members, and above all God.
Our organization will never become one autonomous system which can run on a specific formula. Simply, because relationships will never be formula driven.
So in my autonomous dream state of us literally swimming in funding, more team members to count, and streamlined services, I think I'll stick with where we're at.
100% relationship, 100% love.
Interested in joining our community team? Give us a call at 715-345-0280 to learn how you can be involved with First Choice.
