This past October I learned that I need to calm the heck down and lower my expectations from people volunteering to do a job.
I volunteer a lot and know what it means to give of your time with no pay, no pay off, no thanks, no rewards. I understand that someone volunteering their time is just that, a volunteer. They have no obligation to do the job the way you want them to do it or to even complete the job. You just pray and hope that they will get the job done.
That being said, I still expect a heck of a lot from people who volunteer.
Take this past month, for example.
We signed Harry up for Cub Scouts this summer. Communication from our den leader has been spotty and at times frustrating. I’m sure he thinks I’m some crazed mom with nothing better to do than text and email him questions about when we’re going to meet, when the heck we’re going to get our handbook, what the instructions for the camp out are, when our next meeting is, how often we’re going to meet and various sundry questions about meetings. Looking back, I was probably too intense with my questions about Scouts. In my defense, this is our first ever Cub Scouts experience and I felt like we were walking into this blind.
Harry and I attended our first camp out with our group a few weeks ago. Going into something without a lot of information and not knowing another soul (other than your six year old), is a little unsettling but I put my big girl camping panties on and forged ahead.
That evening I made an effort to know our den leader a little better over hamburgers and hotdogs. It turns out he is as clueless about Scouts as I am. He signed up thinking it would be a similar experince and time commitment to coaching t-ball. Boy was he wrong and seems like he is in a bit over his head. He is learning the ropes, bumbling along, trying to figure everything out, just like me.
So, I have decided to cut him some slack. He seems like a pretty laid back guy and not used to a strict schedule or answering emails from demanding moms wanting to know all the things. Since our camp out I have not sent one text or email despite the fact I still don’t know when our next meeting is.
I hope that in letting him off the hook, someone in the future will let me off the hook when I slack off on my volunteer duties.
Cassie
Oh that is hard! We all have different personality types. Sometimes we get so stuck in ours that we forget other people don’t think the same way. I am a controller, my husband is an analyzer. There are some who are supporters and others who are promoters. Controllers are typically on top of all the details, analyzers thing about everything before doing (not necessarily details), supports want to make sure everyone else has what they need, and promoters want to have fun! All so different!