Comments on: Tips for reducing your commitment to unwanted obligations

By: Elizabeth Kaylene

Elizabeth Kaylene — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:26:15 +0000

I’m that person who has a hard time saying no! I constantly end up taking on too much and am always left feeling burnt out. Having an exit strategy is good… now if only I could practice saying no!

By: Heather

Heather — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:54:30 +0000

Great post! I like the idea of planning your exit from a committee or other volunteer position! I would add, keep your paperwork and materials organized from the outset knowing you will be handing it over to a replacement. Send copies to others as a backup or make sure others know where the information is located in the event you can’t provide it. I was involved with a group who had a key committee person become gravely ill and we never did recover any of the documentation and we lost time trying recreate it.

By: Kel

Kel — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:40:04 +0000

Great article! #4 really hit home – from the other side. I appreciated knowing the person wasn’t going to make the deadline & why and while I’ll do my best to reach my deadline if I don’t I won’t be annoyed with the person who held me up as they had a valid reason and told me. Instead of leaving me floundering in the dark.

Also cookies/thank you cards are always appreciated!

By: Jess@minimalistmum

Jess@minimalistmum — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:30:05 +0000

Recently I’ve taken on two voluntary responsibilities and I don’t know yet whether they will be too much! I’m hoping it’s better to contribute at a level I can than leave the job totally undone.

With organisations I really value for my family, it’s very hard not to step up. I know the people who do contribute work extremely hard to keep the clubs going and the majority of members don’t do anything extra. I don’t want to be like that…

And yet, of course, I am trading off family time and money-earning capability.

By: usedcardboardboxes

usedcardboardboxes — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:22:53 +0000

Simply saying “no” can go a long way. Often, when I’m asked to join in a project, I tend to say “no” before any “yes”. Some people have a hard time saying “no” and confuse honesty with politeness. The thing to remember is that when you say “yes” and you know that you really don’t want to say “yes” then you are not doing yourself nor the other people any favors. It is not considerate to agree and then back out, especially when you knew you really didn’t want to in the first place. Saying “no” is sometimes the nicest thing you can do.

By: chacha1

chacha1 — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:05:07 +0000

I’ve worked with a nonprofit off and on for the past decade and can attest that having an exit strategy is key. Many times, people have an urge to help but can’t imagine what their contribution might be: they need explicit descriptions of the tasks required and, often, directions as well. You have to a) identify and b) train your replacements.

Our organization has failed over and over to accomplish much because the people willing to step up as leaders are not able (or willing) to delegate any work. Then they get burned out and quit, leaving another group to start over from scratch. It’s very inefficient.

By: Erin Doland

Erin Doland — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:49:04 +0000

@Sassy — Research shows that people like to be appreciated for their work, especially work they’re not being paid to do. The gift doesn’t have to be expensive, but a “thank you” card or a consumable item is always kind. When I’m chairing a committee, I regularly send out messages of encouragement, bring snacks to committee meetings, and do small things to show my team I appreciate their volunteer work. I do this at work, too, but a little less often since my team gets paid — usually just for the big stuff, but sometimes even for the boring, laborious, daily stuff. I’ve found I’m a lot less likely to get burned by others when they know I respect and appreciate the work they’re doing. (I’m not suggesting you’re not doing that … just speaking from my personal experience.)

I agree wholeheartedly about giving notice!

By: Sassy

Sassy — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:25:09 +0000

I have been the committee chair and have to say that receiving a small gift from someone resigning would freak me out. I would be thinking “does this mean I should be giving my committee members gifts?” and “what didn’t s/he get done if s/he’s trying to bribe me as they leave?”

The key to getting off a committee gracefully in my book is to give plenty of notice and do it well before any deadline you might have to miss. And above all: do NOT lie about what you have accomplished. (Yes, I was burned in my last major project by a woman who lied about what she had accomplished and consequently left us in the lurch).