“But the greatest among you shall be your servant.” – Matthew 23:11
Most times when I am working in the Association Office, I cannot help wanting to overhear a member of the engagement center team (Bev Ragsdale, Michael Sloan, Kat Reis, Nikki Amundsen, Terry Hall, Carrie Moura, Makayla Lim, Michelle Beach, and Tara Bywater) on the phone. It always makes me smile because I get to witness their patience and heart to serve each member, even if it is the one-hundredth member asking the same questions: “Is my account being charged,” or “Am I on hold?” Pre-COVID, Bruce Caudill (Vice President and Chief Information Officer) once gave me a stat that showed each member of the engagement center team averaged 52 minutes of every hour on the phone over the course of the day. This past week, I saw Michael Sloan and before I could even open my mouth, he said, “Yes, members are still activating their accounts” knowing I always ask that question. (Thank you, Michael; I know I am a little over the top, but I do appreciate all you and the team are doing, and for putting up with me.)
As much as I monitor the membership numbers, I am always amazed to learn how many other staff are also paying attention. It is not unusual for me to announce the number I received from the previous day’s report, only to have Brian Flattum (Vice President and Chief Operating Officer) or Tara Bywater (Association Member Engagement and Operations Director) share the most current update (as of Friday, we were at 15,658 units). To me, it is a reminder of the level of buy-in we are getting from every single member of our team. Everyone is acutely aware of what is at stake and is doing everything possible to improve the standing of our Y. It is incredibly inspiring how dedicated our team is. On a daily basis, Tara Harkness (Executive Director, YMCA Child Care) will text or email me the latest number of families enrolled in the early learning center (we have 67 children as of last Friday). Anytime someone in our Y secures a contribution or we receive a grant, I hear from Carol Kowalski (Director of Planned Giving) or Toby Roberts (Director of Philanthropy), or Scotty Jackson, Diane Jackson, Harold Shea, Steve Triller, Tara Bywater … well, actually, anyone and everyone. In our Staying Connected call last Friday, Toby reported we have raised $180,000 to date for our annual campaign, with nearly 33% coming from our staff team. Toby added how powerful the staff response has been, especially when you consider most of you were on furlough and did not received a paycheck for many months. Time and time again, I am reminded where the strength of our Y lies – it is always from the heart, and it is always shown by the commitment each of you display on a daily basis. As Brian will say, we are “that Y,” pushing forward through the muck, all because of your awe-inspiring grit and determination.
I realize I often highlight the numbers of people we are serving and the dollars associated with those numbers, but it is a reminder of what has transpired over the past 10 months and how far we have to go. Over the past several weeks, the leadership cabinet has been working on establishing goals for our association. In recent years, we put a lot of emphasis on performance goals in an effort set targets to continue to move our association forward. They have also been a means to institute an objective standard to measure individual achievement; accountability does have important intrinsic value. There was, however, flaws in our performance matrix and it created many questions around the application of a common objective standard for all staff. The cabinet is digging in to devise a new matrix, recognizing the opportunity to capitalize on the extraordinary work performance from our entire team. In one meeting, Jose Gorospe (Senior Executive Director, Morgan Family YMCA) spoke about rewarding staff for their resilience, hard work, and ability to cope with such uncertainty and change. Shannon Costanti (Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer) is helping to lead this important discussion and is preparing us for a dedicated time so each staff will receive a session with their supervisor to acknowledge their work in 2020, as well as discuss expectations for 2021. As Toko Thompson (Vice President and Chief Financial Officer) shared with our board of directors at January’s meeting, the financial projections for 2021 are a guesstimate and, as a result, we will be reassessing these projections on a quarterly basis. Our current projections are tracking slightly above the estimate we made in early January, but reaching February’s guesstimate may not be possible, especially given the state guidelines we are operating under and the uneasiness that exists in our community.
I have been very encouraged with the discussions about how we will measure our work. There is consensus among the cabinet to acknowledge the tremendous work everyone is doing. I feel it is the best I have ever seen our organization work as one team. Everyone recognizes there are only common goals, and what we do together is the only thing that matters. We celebrate things that are happening in every area of our Y as if everyone had accomplished it. In fact, this way of work may be our greatest achievement as an association, and it will be critical for us to capture that in our goals for the current year and into the future.
As many of our team do, Tara Bywater will send me stories that capture the impact and heart of our Y, particularly during this difficult period. I think Tara has a sixth sense about when I need a message most, because last week she sent me two she had received from members. Here is an excerpt from one of them:
“I just wanted to share, I know how hard the Y has been working – working to adapt to the new day, supporting the needs and serving the community. I wanted you to know, it’s not unnoticed."
“In these last many months, I’ve found myself a bit lost. Lost in the world, my community and I guess within myself. I’m lonely, I’m tired and I’m saddened by what I see and feel."
“As I have the opportunity to come back to the Y, I’m hopeful. Hopeful to find my way back. To connect with others, feel confident in my skin, and find a way to do my part to be a positive part of our community. Thank you for working that hard to give me that gift.”
A few weeks ago, I watched a TED Talk about the importance of storytelling in creating a culture for an organization “to capture the heart of the work of your organization, both for participants and employees.” Michelle LaRue (Director of Strategic Engagement and Marketing) and her team work hard to make the stories a prominent part of our key messages. While being in the throes of this devastating health crisis, it has never been more critical to highlight the value and impact you are having in people’s lives. I may follow the numbers to track our performance, but hearing from our members and staff is what I value most of all. I hear from someone every day, informing me how much they appreciate the fact that the Y is open and how grateful they are for each one of you. They do notice your devotion and dedication, and they are deeply grateful for all you are doing – as am I. Thank you, servant warriors, you are the heroes of our Y and our community.
#StayStrong #StayWithUs