DOING THE BEST THEY CAN

Stepping Up

Antoin started volunteering for KidsFest the year his daughter started kindergarten.? In the three years since, which included his son’s schooling start, he was always willing to help out wherever he was needed.? This included assisting in running the games, patiently waiting for children to decide how to “spend” their remaining five prize coupons, and helping to set up and take down all the accoutrements involved in the annual midwinter carnival.? He even trued his hand at face painting.? Many of the other volunteers were participants on the KidsFest team for over 10 years, as their multiple children progressed through the elementary school.? A more experienced helper advised Antoin that the more veteran volunteers each took ownership of a game, which they expected to oversee year after year.? He was cautioned not even to think of suggesting he could lead one of those games. ?The politics of KidsFest was readily apparent.

Until that February, when the longtime supervisor of the bean bag toss suddenly became ill the day before KidsFest.? A desperate-sounding KidsFest Chair called Antoin the morning of KidsFest, asking if he would run that game, intimating that several others had already turned her down, he was not her first choice.? She also emphasized that the assignment would be for this year only.? Antoin appreciated that the strength of KidsFest was the multiyear commitment of the parents, with volunteers and a template in place to not having to completely re-invent and re-staff the event each year.? He happily agreed, joking that cornhole was one of his fortés in college at tailgate parties.? The reference was lost on the Chair, but Antoin felt her understated relief and gratitude were genuine.

At a playdate a few weeks later, the parent of one his son’s classmates took him aside to share with him how the Kidsfest Planning Committee had raved about Antoin’s efforts when they met to do a post-event evaluation.? Evidently, he had almost doubled the number of children playing that game, even causing a bit of a traffic jam in the long queue that had formed.? Until then Antoin had no inkling of how well he had done (or the disruption he created).? It was a lot of fun, the kids enjoyed it, both his children were proud of him in front of their classmates, and that was all the praise he needed. ?Antoin also knew that this was a one time promotion, and that their two children might already be in middle school before he could graduate, too, to being a game runner.

?

The Planning Committee Chair

The phone call from the Chair a month later started out with a belated thank you for his stepping up at the last minute and performing so well.? She did not mention those accolades shared by the playmate’s parent, and Antoin was beginning to feel underwhelmed again by the recognition until she asked him to join the KidsFest Planning Committee.? He again accepted.? Over his three year experience, he had thought of ways that the planning and execution could be improved, without disturbing the treasured hierarchy.? He would apply some of the experience he had from managing three UPS Stores.? The first meeting to kickoff planning for the next KidsFest would be in September, and he entered the date, time and place on his calendar app.? Meanwhile, she would email him the roster of the Planning Committee and a tentative schedule of meetings.

Three days before that first meeting, a person walked into the UPS Store that Antoin recognized as someone who was the parent of students at his children’s school and on the Planning Committee.? Antoin greeted her warmly and noted he was looking forward to the committee meeting in a few days.? Then he noticed she was not carrying a package as most of his customers did.? That was when she informed Antoin that she was there to talk to him about the Planning Committee.? In his cramped office she related that over the summer the Chair’s husband had been transferred by his company to another state, something the Chair had been fearing for several months.? This suggested to Antoin some background to the awkward phone call he had with the Chair in the spring.? Anyway, the event desperately needed a new chair.? Everyone else was already overcommitted, he had done such a great job in running that game, and could he possibly be willing to step up again?? After he agreed, Antoin wondered who had been asked already and who would have been asked next.

He had intended to be early to that first meeting on Monday evening.? However, one of Antoin’s employees had decided to extend his stay at the Shore another day, so Antoin had to fill in until closing.? Ordinarily, taking a day off with no notice and no prior approval would be grounds for termination, or at least a warning.? The employee was a good a worker except for these occasional sudden absences.? But finding a better replacement would be nearly impossible, so Antoin could do nothing more than again explain his expectations about working as scheduled, and how taking a sudden day off, even without pay, hurt the required level of service at the store.? Antoin still arrived a few minutes before the meeting, and was greeted by thankful handshakes and back pats and what may have been some tentative applause.

As he surveyed the assembling committee, Antoin recognized nearly everyone there from working with them at the past KidsFest events.? He knew little else about them other than they were all parents of children at the school.? More importantly, they were all volunteers.? No one was being paid or hoping to be promoted by doing an exceptional job.? As far as Antoin knew then, no one was on the committee under pressure, although he later learned that some had been strongly persuaded by either a close friend on the committee or by a spouse.? As he rose to call the meeting to order, he silently affirmed his belief that these were all good and well-meaning people, anxious to help as best they could.? When he explained during his opening remarks his methodology of tracking actions items (what, by when, by whom), he was greeted by several appreciative nods.? This was going to be great!

?

Beliefs Affirmed

Indeed, many said later this was one of the best KidsFests that they experienced.? They credited the planning process that was started in September and followed through with meeting agendas and reports plus regular action item updates.? Antoin’s wife appeared to enjoy the many congratulations she received on behalf of her husband’s success.? His children also seemed for once not embarrassed by the attention they received because of their father’s involvement.? At the post-event meeting, Antoin again heard praises and endorsement for the same process the next year.

He had not decided yet whether he would lead the effort again.? Put nicely, this had been a learning experience for Antoin.? His beginning belief of the good intentions of his committee members was frequently tested by repeated occurrences of actions not completed on time.? This started with RSVPs to the emailed meeting invitations:? less than half answered, some said they were coming and didn’t, others who did not respond were present.? Antoin was careful to be sure that each person who accepted responsibility for an action was given the opportunity to set its completion date.? That’s how he managed his staff at the stores.? Antoin would even offer some committee members an extra week from what they promised when he thought they might be “making a commitment beyond ableness.”

Still, action completion dates were regularly missed, usually with no warning.? The balloons that were to be purchased 3 weeks in advance of KidsFest were not in the storage room when he checked that week, but ultimately, they arrived at the event in the same colors as the cover of Taylor Swift’s latest album.? There were also last minute member call offs, occasionally when something suddenly beckoned that was more interesting than a committee meeting.? He did not react to these discourtesies personally as reflections of how the committee members felt about him.? This was just not the behavior Antoin had expected that first meeting.

As he further considered whether he wanted to continue as Chair, he began to recall that in most cases those missed due dates and missed meetings had a reasonable explanation.? When the chair of the food committee failed to arrive at a Planning Committee meeting where the agenda was focused on her group’s work, he found out later she had been in an auto accident.? She was unhurt although not so for her car.? Letting hm know she would be unexpectedly absent was not foremost on her mind in the minutes following the collision.? Others had sudden family or work needs and did not have the backup Antoin had with his wife or employees.? While many actions were not completed on time and assignments at KidsFest had to be shuffled, everything ultimately happened fairly closely as planned, and certainly successfully based on the positive feedback from all.

He resolved that when the first person hesitantly reached out to him to inquire if he’d be willing to be Chair again, Antoin would enthusiastically agree.? These were all conscientious people who wanted to be supportive of each other and deliver a great KidsFest for all their children.? They would not always do what they said they would do, despite best intentions, but it would all get done.? The key, he now realized, is to never let his volunteers feel badly for missing a meeting or action item.? He must always lead with his gratitude for the generosity of their time commitment and shared goals.? This is not to say that when his son moved on to Middle School, Antoin was unhappy to relinquish the role of Chair.