Raise Your Standards

Happy New Year! As promised, 2016 brings with it a pivot in the direction of this blog where we will be exploring the positive thoughts and actions of others in how they raise their standards and in doing so inspire those around them to do the same. While I have been blessed to serve others in a diverse set of contexts, it is with great humility, excitement and admiration that I share with you a snapshot of how the positive thoughts of others are sparking positive action locally and across the globe.

This month I sat down with my good friend and former manager Andrea McFaddin. As a veteran leader at a prominent higher education consulting company she is familiar with a busy schedule managing client expectations and employees in an effort to serve thousands of students across the country to persist, graduate and ultimately succeed in life. Despite her competing priorities Andrea has carved out time to volunteer with the Partnership for a Hunger Free Oregon (PHFO) where she currently serves as a chair for the organization’s volunteer leadership program.   

Describing why people should serve, Andrea mentioned “I feel everyone has something to contribute, whether it is time, money, or some other type of resource. When I see people who may have fewer resources than me (time, money, etc.) who still give, it makes me realize I can stretch and give more of myself. It makes you reflect on the necessities in your life and think how you can give back”. Digging more into the question of why she chooses to serve at PHFO Andrea is open in discussing her personal connection to the cause. Looking back at her childhood she realized her own family suffered from the effects of food insecurity and began noticing how common it is in our communities; this sparked her to act. What impressed me the most about my time interviewing Andrea was the reoccurring theme she brought up of including the hands on element of serving in what she does. Whether it be serving a meal at the Transitions Project in downtown Portland, or being patient and understanding with an elderly man using his SNAP card for the first time at a Safeway, the personal connection is critical in her call to serve. She put it best by saying “you need the hands on piece to remind you of who you are serving…it keeps the reason in sight of why you are doing it in the first place”.

During a time of New Year’s resolutions many of us have created goals and plans for 2016, which may include ways we want to give back, or be more involved in our communities. I encourage you to borrow the wisdom I gained in this interview when looking at your own goals and intentions for 2016. What is your personal connection to a cause? Are you including a hands on aspect to your service experience?

Raise Your Standards, 

Miles

 Fun Questions

• How would you say you have raised your standards in your life?
  • “I have grown by learning how to manage a group of volunteers versus a group of employees. It is very different yet as a leader you still have objectives to meet. It has given me a chance to really show my commitment to a cause for the long term. As you know, in volunteer organizations volunteer participation can waver and deadlines can be “soft”…it is a good experience in keeping high standards personally and doing your best with what you have control over.”
     
•  What do you want to be when you grow up?
  • “I’m not sure. I want to see what opportunities present themselves and take the path based on the opportunity in front of me. This has worked out for me in the past. I believe in taking risks, being open and following what my gut says; let the chips fall where they will.”

• What is your response when you hear “New Year’s Resolution”
  • “I don’t really make resolutions, but I do make intentions. My intention this year is to be present, whether it is with others, or with myself. I do believe in making goals and think they should be in someone’s ability to control. For instance, instead of saying “I want to lose 10 pounds”, it may be more effective to say “I will run 10 miles a week and/or follow a certain diet” and the result will be losing weight. It is important to be mindful of our intentions and check-in on them regularly.”

Curious to know more about the Partnership for a Hunger Free Oregon? Check them out here and keep your calendars open for their annual Gala event on May 12^th, 2016.