“Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires”
“Be All That You Can Be”
You have probably heard these said slogans and they stick with us because they speak to something deep within each of us. Yes, they are clever marketing copy but they can also help us identify something in us that desires to get involved, do something, make a difference in the world.
Involvement is not an easy task. Especially if it’s in a volunteer capacity. Some might argue that volunteers don’t get paid and so we shouldn’t expect much from them. If that is true, what do you say about the paid employees who aren’t involved?
To get people involved you must help them belong to something greater than themselves. Other than narcissists, people all want to belong to something. So remember the first step in getting people involved is to create something worth belonging to.
The next step is to give them ownership. There is nothing that can replace this when people know it’s theirs and therefore in their own best interest they get involved.
The last and probably most important thing to do is to stop telling people what to do. If they belong to the team and if they have ownership of the mission, they will find 10 better ways to do it than you could think of.
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