I recently made the shift from full-time development director to fundraising consultant, and I couldn’t be happier. Besides the flexible schedule, what I most appreciate is the ability to absorb new information and think more deeply.
The day-to-day life of a development director is one of constant interruptions and a schedule that is not your own. You try to read a blog and your phone rings. You open that book about a new trend in fundraising and a board member stops by your desk with a great idea she wants you to start working on immediately. You join a webinar and your boss asks when the gala invitation is going in the mail.
Constant interruptions, pressure, and a very full workload make it very hard to complete a thought, much less absorb new information.
If you are lucky, the culture of your organization is to respect boundaries and understand that not all requests are urgent. You are trusted to come back to someone with answers within a reasonable time frame.
But in most cases, there is an expectation that you will drop what you are doing and attend to someone else’s priorities. This, by definition, means you are not prioritizing your own development as a professional fundraiser.
So what can do to improve this situation?
Think through all of the areas in your job description and how satisfied you are with your performance in each. Give yourself a score of 1-10. If grant writing only scored a 6, what would it take to make it a 7 or 8? What would a 10 look like for you?
Once you’ve identified the areas where you want to improve and come up with some ideas for how you might increase your knowledge, think through the costs. There are many self-paced online courses you can take. Conferences and workshops are offered through professional associations and local universities. Books and blogs are a great resource as well.
Your best professional growth will come when you prioritize the skills you want to build, then determine how you would go about building them, how much it will cost, and how much time it will take.
When you approach your boss about sharing the expense, put the request in the context of how this will benefit the organization. You are more likely to get approval if the request comes as part of a well thought out plan to enhance your performance (and longevity) in your current position.
The more you learn, the more engaged, effective, and inspired you will be. But you have to make the time.
The day-to-day life of a development director is one of constant interruptions and a schedule that is not your own. You try to read a blog and your phone rings. You open that book about a new trend in fundraising and a board member stops by your desk with a great idea she wants you to start working on immediately. You join a webinar and your boss asks when the gala invitation is going in the mail.
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| Photo by CollegeDegrees360 on Flickr |
If you are lucky, the culture of your organization is to respect boundaries and understand that not all requests are urgent. You are trusted to come back to someone with answers within a reasonable time frame.
But in most cases, there is an expectation that you will drop what you are doing and attend to someone else’s priorities. This, by definition, means you are not prioritizing your own development as a professional fundraiser.
So what can do to improve this situation?
- Learn about basic time management strategies. A great resource for maximizing your time and increasing productivity is Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy.
- They say that information leaves your short term memory within 20 seconds. When you finish a webinar, set aside 5 minutes to journal about what you’ve heard. Choose 1 or 2 things that want to implement right away. What would they look like at your organization, and what impact could they have?
- Block off time in your calendar for learning. Set aside an hour each week to read that book that you purchased months ago and haven’t opened yet. Tackle it one chapter a week. If you have a door, close it. Catch up on your favorite blogs that are sitting in your inbox waiting to energize and inspire you.
- Join a professional association and, more importantly, attend their meetings. You will not only increase your knowledge, you will also make vital connections with people who understand what you’re going through and can support you along the way.
- Make a point to get out of the office and meet in person with development colleagues. Attend a workshop, invite a peer to coffee. People outside your organization can not only give you great ideas from their experience but can also serve as a reality check when things get overwhelming.
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| Photo courtesy of bplans.com |
Once you’ve identified the areas where you want to improve and come up with some ideas for how you might increase your knowledge, think through the costs. There are many self-paced online courses you can take. Conferences and workshops are offered through professional associations and local universities. Books and blogs are a great resource as well.
Your best professional growth will come when you prioritize the skills you want to build, then determine how you would go about building them, how much it will cost, and how much time it will take.
When you approach your boss about sharing the expense, put the request in the context of how this will benefit the organization. You are more likely to get approval if the request comes as part of a well thought out plan to enhance your performance (and longevity) in your current position.
The more you learn, the more engaged, effective, and inspired you will be. But you have to make the time.
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