Professional Development
Why I'm Taking a Year to Volunteer
Life experiences make up the structure of a person. Choosing to give time and effort takes dedication and sweat equity. Some may choose to give donations over their time. This all depends on what each individual is willing to commit and how dedicated they are to engulfing themselves into the effort.
Estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that only 24.9% of Americans are engaged in volunteering within their communities, a slow downward trajectory from only five years ago. Statistics aside, volunteering is about not showing that an individual cares, but rather getting personally involved with issues that are deeply ingrained to what is believed to be contributing to societal problems.
As a person who is working on his masters in intelligence management, becoming a public servant is only a small part of what is entailed. Keeping the United States secure from foreign and domestic threats is vital to my career goals, however, this cannot be taken for granted. There are American values which need to be protected, including the right of children to learn and become the country's future.
AmeriCorps VISTA offers a unique set of organizational goals to help serve the nation and improve the standing of poverty within it. Education is power. Each child must be given an opportunity to learn, explore their own potentials, and contribute to their own way to the nation. Exploring avenues for children in poverty and low-income households to explore the sciences will the strengthen resolve of educators, parents, and communities.
The goal of academia will still continue, albeit at a slightly slower pace. It is important to concentrate on the goals of the organization that is the assignment from 2017 to 2018. The courses will always be there, other opportunities may not be. Learning and assisting at all levels of society is pivotal to understanding what exactly the mission and objectives of the intelligence community means to the average person. It reminds us who is being protected and given a chance to thrive.
Putting names and faces to children who need assistance and opportunity will always be a standpoint to take away upon entering the intelligence and national security apparatus. Allowing safe environments free from threats is vital to making the United States as strong as it can be.
Agile Methods Aren't Just for Startups
The very definition of agile is the ability to move quickly, make changes, and adapt as needed to changing circumstances. Agile is a frequented term in the development of software and startups, but these principles can also be used to improve the quality and outcomes of life. More importantly, it is the incremental improvement of processes and procedures to ensure these desired goals.
Like any good product or business plan, its best to start out with goals. These can be career, life, financial, etc. Don’t be too broad when brainstorming. Making concise steps in a to-do list, creating a mind map or decision tree are all excellent methods in putting out there what it is you want to accomplish.
The best-seller, Startup Weekend, talks about how to take a concept of a product and bring it to fruition. Iteration, adaptability, and replicability are all important when it comes to scale. A major principle of agile states that its best to fail quickly, pick up the pieces, and move on to change tactics, however, don’t take too much time as the world moves quickly and any strategy could be undermined by competition.
In one’s life goals, competition can be seen as others who want the same career, time, technological changes, or economic fundamentals. While each situation is different, the ability to adapt is paramount in making this strategy work. Do not be afraid to fail, be open minded, and most important; brainstorm ideas & changes through networking.
Iterating on changes can be achieved by crowdsourcing, beta testing, and focus groups. While this is true for business or concepts, it can still be done on an individual level. Using social networks like Linkedin, or Workplace for Facebook are great methods for putting ideas out there for subjection, and receiving quick feedback to see if the right route is being taken. If not, then pivot.
Fine tuning any strategy to achieve career or personal goals is by no means a simple task. It must take a lot of strategizing and stretching outside of comfort zones to know what will work. Achievable tasks, the ability to fail quickly, and an open mind are the most important considerations when using agile principles in everyday life.
One Year at a Non-Profit
Volunteering has always been a part of my personal ethos. I'm reminded of my time as an AmeriCorps VISTA at Engaging Creative Minds, which I spent a year from 2017 until 2018. I wrote this post some years ago, but it is an experience that I hope that all younger folks will take advantage of.
In creating my plans long ago, the thought never came into my mind about actively working for an educational non-profit for a year through the AmeriCorps VISTA program. One year has passed and I have fulfilled my experience and dedication to this organization. The background I possess has ramifications far beyond non-profits, but also learned quite a bit about this different type of structure along the way.
My mind works as a project manager; processing ways to try new methods and procedures quicker, failing faster, yet creating a bread trail that paves the way for others not to make the same mistakes. Learning and failing is okay, if it’s never been tried. With a Six Sigma eye, every moment of productivity moves through my brain on a filter. Planning two or three steps out to measure potential outcomes is paramount in any organizational success. Non-profits are no different.
Agile Atmosphere. Often many are working on long-term projects, operations, finance, and outreach. Non-profits have quick turnover, yet a dedicated base of volunteers, funding mechanisms, and grants. Financial and non-financial players demand the organization be open, especially to those most inclined to visualize success. Documentation is a key salient point for enduring successes. Moving quickly through what does not work allows for successful pivoting through multiple strategies.
Experimentation. Reaching towards the next internal goal is vital to expanding organizational reach to the community and to funders. How to get there takes more creativity than personnel may be used to. Not being afraid to try and fail still plagues the mindset in for-profit or government organizations. With non-profits, this thinking must be a way of life; as if organizational survival depends on it, because it does.
Scrum. In smaller organizations, there may be one or two figure heads in a department, and that is all. Departments often depend on one another to see through a strategy to its full implementation. Creating strategies and cross-functional teams, or pairing individuals, to move through plans is the only way to ensure cohesiveness. After the formulation and implementation phases, all must be brought in to be briefed on what’s next. This eliminates duplication of tasks, efforts, and allows for more frequent but quicker meetings regarding potential roadblocks.
This unique experience allowed important insights into how the multibillion-dollar non-profit sector works. The larger takeaway is that all organizational behavior only slightly differs between government agencies and the for-profit sectors. The missions and goals are the same, however only the stakeholders differ. We all serve a vast yet similar set of stakeholders throughout our lives.