end the game of telephone in your biz 🚿
Today, I’m sharing a personal story (big surprise, huh?) that highlights the incredible impact of systems and processes on my favorite grassroots organization - The Sunnyside Shower Project! 🌞🚿
The Sunnyside Shower Project is a non-profit in Portland that provides showers and support to our houseless neighbors. It's a place where connections are made, supplies are given, and resources are shared to help those who want to exit houselessness. It's run out of a church three days a week and it's powered 100% by passionate volunteers from the neighborhood.. 🙌💫
When I first started volunteering at the showers program, our training process was a bit like a wild game of telephone.
Each new volunteer learned the ropes from whoever else happened to be on duty that day. You can guess what happened next - everyone had their own unique way of doing things.
I remember how nervous I was during my first several shifts when I had no idea what was going on. I had to ask a toooon of questions to other volunteers.
And heaven forbid the person volunteering with me was ALSO new! That led to my frantically texting the few people I had contact info for while they were at work.
And worse than bugging volunteers at work, I hated that I didn’t have answers for any questions our houseless clients had.
“How do I refill my laundry card you gave me last week?”
“Where are the nearby free lunches?”
“Did y’all get any new blankets in?”
After several months I finally got the hang of things, but I never felt like I quite knew the extent of what was expected of me and I could never quite remember everything.
I knew there was a whole series of tasks that needed to set things up and close things down, but I wasn’t quite sure what they ALL were.
And it made me think - I’m pretty outgoing and proactive. Some of our volunteers might be more shy! Walking into a new space and having no idea what is going on while trying to chat with several strangers was probably a nightmare for them and was affecting our volunteer retention.
My systems mind immediately started buzzing. I patiently worked my way into the hearts of the folks running the place until I could nonchalantly suggest some systems 😍
My first opportunity came during a meeting I had with three of the program leaders. During our meeting, we realized we each had our own version of how things should be done.
There were a lot of
“Wait, I thought we had a strict 20-minute shower policy?”
“No, folks get 30 minutes!”
“Oh, I’ve been telling folks they have only 15 minutes!!”
This was my chance to offer to write the first edition of the Sunnyside Shower Project OPERATIONS MANUAL (filled with SOPs on how to run the showers!!!!!!)
(and they said yes, B-T-W!)
Now, whenever a new volunteer joins the Sunnyside Shower Project, they receive an email with the Operations Manual. It's like their personal guidebook to understanding the ins and outs of our operations. No more confusion, no more guesswork. Just pure, streamlined efficiency! 💌👏
We went old school too. There's a printed version of the manual, living comfortably in a binder at the church. It's like our trusty sidekick, always there when we need it.
New volunteers now plug into the program seamlessly. Even substitute volunteers who only work occasionally can quickly catch up. The Operations Manual has become our secret sauce for consistency and shared understanding. 🤝💪
And the best part? With everyone on the same page, our incredible volunteers can focus on what really matters—connecting with our houseless clients, providing resources, and offering a compassionate ear when times get tough. Everything is focused on our shared vision of creating a safe space where everyone feels valued and supported. 🤗❤️
When you hire me to design and build your Dream Team systems, you’ll walk away with systems that hire, onboard, train and support your team - so team members can jump in and work towards the vision of your business.
New team members will immediately have access to the knowledge they need to get started ( instead of learning on the go)
Current team members will all be on the same page, giving every client the same exceptional experience
Everyone on your team (including you!) will feel confident knowing no steps are being forgotten, and nothing is falling through the cracks
Apply today to get on my calendar for next month. Implementing clear procedures and guidelines transforms chaos into harmony. So your work is done as well as you’d do it, every time. ✨✨
