“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” – Romans 12:2
A few weeks ago, during the weekly marketing huddle that Michelle LaRue established to allow me to be connected to the critical work of her team, Jyot Sandhu shared that Michelle Beach’s blog post got more views than my weekly message. I think Jyot was worried he might have dented my ego, but I was definitely more intrigued by the information he was sharing and how it might improve our Y. In her post, Michelle was extremely vulnerable and her authenticity captured our team’s, as well as our community’s, attention. As we have learned from our member impact stories, the more real and heartfelt the message, the greater the degree of audience engagement. In an effort to capitalize on what we learned from Michelle’s message, Jyot suggested we invite our staff to share their story as a new segment to the weekly newsletter. Hannah Martinson and Brenda Wilks were the first two to participate. Their messages about how it has felt to work during this tumultuous time have been very powerful. Though it has not been easy to navigate the challenges the pandemic has presented them, it was inspiring to read about their commitment to the work they do in the Y. We have a great team dedicated to serving others; hearing from you draws us even closer and strengthens our team.
A Key To Building Teams - Communication
I recently read an article on the importance of internal communication in this new work environment, highlighting the fact that it is not just the impact on the customer that has been disrupted, but also on the employees who have had to adapt just as quickly. The author identifies the need for companies to emphasize the importance of communication to keep employees engaged and aligned. Jyot has done a great job compiling critical information that keeps everyone on our team informed, but he has also worked hard to make the newsletter more engaging so it will draw greater interest from our team. The newsletter is an important tool to strengthen our Y and our commitment to moving as One Y. It is essential that our entire team has immediate access to the same information.
Creating New Strategies For Recruitment
In addition to the importance of communication and alignment within an organization, the author shared how the rapid and widespread sharing of information best positions companies to be able to adapt to this current disruption. Last week, we had 125 positions needing to be filled in our Y. This is a problem many companies are facing, and it is a serious threat to our operations. Our team has been heroic, though, facing the immediate challenge of operating with fewer staff and continuing to deliver services to our members. We also understand we will need to adapt to new strategies to recruit employees into our organization. One of our strategies is to hire a talent acquisition director to put a greater focus on recruitment. We have learned it is no longer enough just to place an open position announcement on a job site. A few years ago, Alyssa Dunivan created a video that highlighted stories of various staff in our Y, spotlighting how fulfilling it is to work for our Y. It told a powerful story and was an innovative approach to attracting potential employees to our Y. Alyssa has done a tremendous job in her tenure in our organization, strengthening the experience for us all. She is a true servant leader, who will be deeply missed. Thank you for your service, Alyssa; you made us a better Y.
Last week, I had a great time presenting the prizes to the winners of the YMCA360 scavenger hunt. It was fun to promote our commitment to this new platform, but it was even more fun interacting with these great staff. Meghan Hein, a swim instructor at the Haselwood Family Y, Sam Ironside, a member engagement staff at the Association Office, Sandy Hall, aquatics staff at the Tom Taylor Y, and Elena Echeberria, a staff member at the University Y Student Center were all totally engaging in the process to help us promote YMCA360.
In addition to working at the University Y, Elena is a student at the University of Washington Tacoma. (There are a number of students attending University, who also work at the University Y.) As Michael Marquez likes to point out, having students working at the University Y creates a welcoming environment for the greater student body to be invited into the facility. Michael and Elena are going to be part of a bigger effort to work with the University to help develop a strategy to attract future employees for the Y. It is another example of how our Y is adapting to the new landscape we are facing.
Finding New Ways To Engage With Our Members
A couple of weeks ago, a group of staff met at the Mel Korum Sports Park along with BCRA architects to assess what a possible investment into the sports park might create for our Y. We have seen that our members are more comfortable exercising outside, and if we can capitalize on an existing covered structure and potentially create a template for future structures, it may prove to be a vital piece to enhancing our business model. As the group was gathered in the sports park, I watched each individual engage in the conversation, contributing and building on each other’s ideas. I walked away excited about the idea of the sports park, but more excited about the contributions from Loren Johnson, Ed Bressette, Kyle Eggenberger, and Brian Flattum. They were leaning in hard, looking for possibilities, and working together to make our Y great. I have seen this a lot within our Y. I have been in meetings where I have witnessed our teamwork in a new way, adapting to this new landscape, and advancing our Y forward. More than anything else, I remain encouraged about what lies ahead because of the collective talent and commitment from all of you. You make the difference. Thank you.
#StayStrong #StayWithUs