Wisdom for my cult, no. 86
From time to time it's helpful to recruit friends and family to help you in your projects, like home renovation or moving. Some tips:
1. Treat their time as golden. They likely have other things they need to be doing or that would be more fun to do, so any time they have to spend standing around waiting for you to need them is wasted. Have a plan prepared before they arrive, have materials on hand, have everything set up so that they can pitch in as soon as they show up.
2. Have everything done already for which you don't need them. This builds on #1, above. During a move, try to have all the small stuff boxed up already, so they can help you quickly and efficiently move the furniture and load the boxes. Try to avoid sticking them with work you could have done earlier. (With moving this can be especially tricky as people may be unsure of how you want stuff boxed, which items need to go right away, etc.)
3. Let them work at their pace. They're volunteers, so be quick to take hints about when they may be ready for a break. Ideally, this time should be both fun and productive--nothing ruins the mood faster than an overzealous taskmaster.
4. Don't ask them to do something with which they're uncomfortable. One of the best ways of doing this is to lay out a series of options. You should take on the task no one else wants.
5. Be grateful.
6. If at all possible, find some way of thanking your volunteers. Pizza and beer are fairly traditional for moving. My little brother took everyone out for a nice barbq lunch after he had help moving. If so inclined, thank you notes or emails are welcome. Some people have been known to give small gifts. Just remember to make some effort, even if only a token, to demonstrate that you are thankful for their help.
7. Return the favor. It's stunning how quickly a crowd of good friends can disappear when someone needs help moving or painting. Be the person who stands up and happily volunteers to help. (You can even be this person before you've asked for a favor yourself.)
1. Treat their time as golden. They likely have other things they need to be doing or that would be more fun to do, so any time they have to spend standing around waiting for you to need them is wasted. Have a plan prepared before they arrive, have materials on hand, have everything set up so that they can pitch in as soon as they show up.
2. Have everything done already for which you don't need them. This builds on #1, above. During a move, try to have all the small stuff boxed up already, so they can help you quickly and efficiently move the furniture and load the boxes. Try to avoid sticking them with work you could have done earlier. (With moving this can be especially tricky as people may be unsure of how you want stuff boxed, which items need to go right away, etc.)
3. Let them work at their pace. They're volunteers, so be quick to take hints about when they may be ready for a break. Ideally, this time should be both fun and productive--nothing ruins the mood faster than an overzealous taskmaster.
4. Don't ask them to do something with which they're uncomfortable. One of the best ways of doing this is to lay out a series of options. You should take on the task no one else wants.
5. Be grateful.
6. If at all possible, find some way of thanking your volunteers. Pizza and beer are fairly traditional for moving. My little brother took everyone out for a nice barbq lunch after he had help moving. If so inclined, thank you notes or emails are welcome. Some people have been known to give small gifts. Just remember to make some effort, even if only a token, to demonstrate that you are thankful for their help.
7. Return the favor. It's stunning how quickly a crowd of good friends can disappear when someone needs help moving or painting. Be the person who stands up and happily volunteers to help. (You can even be this person before you've asked for a favor yourself.)
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