Our values represent the personal and professional traits that our Experteers exhibit when in the field. Following these will make you more impactful, and help you be more successful in the long-run.
Learn more and become a certified Experteer take our Certificate Course on Experteering Principles & Skills-Based Volunteering Best-Practices.__
Cultural sensitivity is the pillar to working in a different context, whether it is working with people from a different background, or physically working in a different city or a different country. When you are working in a different context, it is important to remember that your work isn’t only about your understanding of the subject matter, it’s also about the people that you are working with.
Your work will not be successful unless you stop and listen to their desires, needs, and existing knowledge and expertise. Here are some tips:
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When working in a different context, you need to be open to new ideas and new experiences. To do that, you must be humble and understand you can learn and grow from everyone around you. Being humble is important in every context, especially when volunteering with people from different organizations and backgrounds.
Start with a better understanding of yourself, namely:
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Effective communication is one of the pillars of success in all aspects of life. That success can be in school, within a sports competition, while building a new business, and especially while volunteering with social impact organizations. The more you learn how to adapt your communication to those around you, the more successful you will be in your endeavours.
In all your interactions, be mindful of cross-cultural differences (explained below) AND the 4C's of communication:
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Learning quickly will enable you to grasp the industry you are volunteering in, the stakeholders that are critical to long-term impact, and then the nuances of the organization you are supporting.
Before starting, do your homework on the organization, industry, and individuals you are working with, by:
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When volunteering your skills, it is necessary to remember that you will not work on this project forever. Your work will come to an end, and the work that you do should be created and implemented with an action plan to handoff the project to a full-time counterpart at the organization you are supporting. This way, the work will continue after you are gone, and your social impact will last.
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Social enterprises are often working at complex intersections with many important stakeholders. To make an impact, it's important that you understand the stakeholders that exist and the value and relationships that your enterprise has with each.
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Oftentimes, social impact organizations are part of networks with complicated power structures. This is especially true for nonprofits that are beholden to donors, foundations, governmental grants, or corporate giving campaigns.
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Oftentimes, people do not make rational decisions. This is true for you, the team you will work with, and the beneficiaries you are serving. Understanding that sometimes people really do act out of emotions (fear, joy, pain, depletion), and not out of rational thinking is key to designing more effective solutions, services, and programs.
"What gets measured, gets managed"
Goals provide all stakeholders a clear compass. Too often, social impact organizations and volunteers work on projects for the sake of completing the project and lose sight of the important goals at hand. Setting the right goals will help you plan a more impactful project.
Take the time to understand:
As a volunteer, you will have more work to do than can be done in the time you are able to commit. It's important to be mindful of your work in such a way that you can maximize your efforts for the sake of creating impact. One of the best tools that exist to help your organization -- and you -- ensure that your efforts are contributing to a longer-term vision is what's called a Theory of Change (explained in the video on this page).
One of our favorites quotes at MovingWorlds is from Lao Tzu:
Go to the people. Live with them. Learn from them. Love them. Start with what they know. Build with what they have. But with the best leaders, when the work is done, the task accomplished, the people will say 'We have done this ourselves'.
The goal of an Experteer is not to be the savior, champion, hero, or leader -- it is to be an enabler.
Success!