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YACC performance reviews: Thoughts on learning
Despite the joking that goes on in the office, no one up and quit after our most recent set of internal performance evaluations. Good news! And it IS truly good news as I believe we have one of the best teams a growing charity could ask for. I guess that's why we stick around! That, and of course the immense sense of pride and satisfaction that comes with helping others and feeling like you're truly making a difference.
This is why I wanted to write a blog on my experience around this year's annual review process. I've now been a part of this wonderful project for two and a half years, so preparation for this round of performance reviews brought forth not only thoughts about the last year, but also more broad thoughts about the organization as a whole and what role I've had to play in it since I've been here.
A lot has happened! When I arrived, I was number four in the family. We are now a fulltime office of six, plus one parttime support employee. Two of us have moved on to new positions, four brand new people have joined the cause, and I feel we are settling into ourselves more and more each day. That's not to say that every day isn't also an opportunity for growth and learning! We are constantly thinking and re-thinking ideas, changing strategies, and adding new initiatives, all to improve upon our value as a support organization and ultimately to provide the best possible experience for our survivor family, which, sadly, is also growing every day.
My personal experience with my own review this time around was unique. Somehow I was looking at the questions differently that I had in previous reviews. I was answering them differently, too. You know how you typically have a pretty set list of what you know you're good at and what you know you need to work on? Well, mine changed for the first time. Not drastically, but enough for me to ask myself why. And I think the explanation is as simple as to say that I'm learning! Which is perhaps an obvious and expected result, but refreshing nonetheless. I have always taken pride in the fact that I seek out personal growth wherever I can, and this being my first long-term job after university, it's nice to know my brain is still being challenged. Just in a different way. A good way. A way that puts less emphasis on getting that 98 per cent on a test, and more emphasis on a bigger, much more selfless goal.
I've also been given a different title and additional tasks over the last number of months. For better or for worse, I soak up responsibility and try to challenge myself, so I have experienced some personal fulfillment in this as well.
The method which YACC uses to conduct its performance reviews is very peer-oriented and non-threatening. We are matched up individually with either Geoff, the Executive Director, or Lesley, the Managing Director, and we actually review one another. In this case, I answered the same questions for Lesley as I did for myself. This is good communication practice and a perfect opportunity for sharing! I do feel that performance reviews should be about being aware of your environment, and those working with you inside of it, and then adapting to these things to better benefit the team. Of course it is necessary and valuable to discuss and improve upon individual tasks and qualities, but the bigger picture should always be a shared goal as well.
I am proud to work for YACC and want to do right by the organization and all my fabulous co-workers who put just as much of themselves into their respective positions. It feels good to do good.
Thanks YACC for another great year, for the two and half that I've been here, and for whatever lies ahead because I'm sure whatever that is, it will be purposeful and rewarding. Let's do it!
Posted on Nov 27, 2009 - 06:00 AM
Hunting for the perfect spot!
Our 2009 season of events just finished and it was a wonderful experience for me. Organizing the Retreats and the Survivor Conference was as much a learning experience as a growing one. I am starting the new season with motivation, a little more confidence, and lots of excitement.
We are already in preparation for all the 2010 programs and the first step to getting there is finding the perfect space to hold all of our amazing events. For those of you who have attended a YACC retreat or a conference in the past, you know that finding the right place is not easy. We have so many things to consider; the location, the proximity to services, the menu options, space available, activities on site, and of course the budget. We have had wonderful experiences in the past on different location, but because we are getting bigger and also expending our programs (we now have two retreats a year and the Survivor Conference was doubled this year! It will be even bigger next year!), we need to explore new options.
While searching for the perfect spot, I see many that possess a lot of what we are looking for in appearance, but there is so much more behind the choice we make. One major criteria is the customer service we get from the establishment. We hope for every Retreat and Conference we will feel safe and cozy, even when getting bigger. I believe that cozy feeling starts with the owner(s) of the place. If they are open, flexible and sensitive to the work we do and to our needs, anything can happen!
My energy will go towards finding our little paradise wherever we hold our events. We know angels will already be attending, just need to find the right spot to maximize the experience. Any suggestions?
Posted on Nov 25, 2009 - 07:23 PM
Transparency: 2008-09 Annual Report
Transparency is not a public relations message or warm-fuzzy descriptor we add to outgoing communications. It is one of our core values, which, as an organization, we take very seriously. Our commitment to transparency is solid and, at times, a little obsessive, which I personally enjoy.
The primary reason transparency is essential in our organization is simple: accountability. We believe that our donors and stakeholders have the right to know exactly where the money goes, which is why we produce a high quality, relevant and transparent Annual Report.
How do you know where the money goes?
YACC differentiates itself from many other charities, especially the large government based charitable foundations whose commitment to transparency is inconsistent and totally unacceptable, but I digress.
The financial statements provided by many charitable organizations tell one layer of truth. To use a YACC example, from our statements you will see that we had another incredible Shave for the Brave in 2009 raising over $192,000. You will also see we incurred ~$171,000 in expenses related to employee compensation (salaries, benefits, employment costs) in that fiscal year.
What you will not find from our financial statements alone is how that $171,000 was actually spent, how it was allocated (Did we spend half the year on vacation? Did our office crew spend three months discussing reruns of The Office? Does Karine, for example, spend 100 per cent of her time on program development and delivery just because her title as Program Director suggests it?)
My answer's a resounding "No"to all. No to excessive vacation time, no to excessive discussions on The Office (with the exception of lunchtime conversations), and no to the appropriateness of allocating all of Karine's compensation to program development and delivery. That would misrepresent the truth.
How do we allocate our annual expenditures? The same way accountants and lawyers bill their clients; we track our time, and allocate it to a specific activity. This allows us to see the actual cost of delivering an event/program.
For example, from our financial statements, you will see expenditures for Retreat Yourself 2008 were $32,195. However, when you take into account the human resource costs required to plan and deliver that initiative, just over $7,900, you will see a more accurate event cost of ~$40,000.
We use this method to calculate costs, including human resource time, for all major activities. These numbers allows us to build the most essential layer of transparency: the pie chart which allows us to report on the percentage of our expenses that were related to programs, fund development, and operations.
You should know that, up to this point, there is no requirement for charities to create and publish such a pie chart and, of course, no regulated guidelines for them to create their chart either. In the absence of an accepted process, I created one for YACC.
Our commitment to transparency is a core value. I encourage you to ask any questions when reviewing our Annual Report. In case you can't tell, I love to talk about this stuff, and would be keen to delve into any other area of our transparency commitment.
I hope you will take some time to review our latest (and excellent) Annual Report, there is some truly remarkable information within it.
Always...
Live life. Love life.
Geoff
Posted on Nov 23, 2009 - 06:40 PM
Photoshoot
We’re Young Adult Cancer Canada. You may have guessed from that last word we’re national but our only office is on the far east, in St. John’s. In my other day job, I take photos. So many many months ago, I trucked my lights into the YACC office, and we grabbed some shots. Most just for the Office Team page, but also to show you all that we’re real people. Even if we rarely meet in person.
Our fearless leader, Geoff, in hockey gear & wig.
Lesley Morrissey, newly renamed.
YACC’s only francophone employee, Karine.
Emily: fund developer extraordinaire.
Beth seems to be a little bit too interested in spreadsheets…
I’m apparently a little too interested in a coat rack…
YACC’s most recent hire, Janine.
We still don’t really have a ‘family’ portrait- maybe we’ll get one at Christmas this year. There’s also some Touch Yourself themed shots on my hard drive but they’ll have to wait for another day.
Posted on Nov 20, 2009 - 11:37 AM
Terrific preteens Shave for the Brave
"Well, he did it! And he feels really good about it!"
These are the words of 12-year old Alex Cosentino's mother, Lucy Crisetig-Cosentino, right off the top of her email to me yesterday. The day before, her son and his good friend, Jordan Cordeiro, also 12, had both shaved their heads in support of Young Adult Cancer Canada (YACC) and we couldn't be more proud! We are honoured that they chose to donate the funds they raised to our organization in our mission to support young adults with cancer.
The boys showed tremendous motivation and enthusiasm before the event. After proudly wearing his I'm Shaving for the Brave! button around school for a few days, Alex even drummed up some interest among his peers which is how Jordan became involved. Then, both boys shaved this past Monday (November 16) in their hometown of Meadowvale, ON, with the help of Jennifer Hawkins, owner of Hands on Hair.
Alex decided to Shave for the Brave because he wanted to help young people living with and surviving cancer. He also wanted the event to be a tribute to his grandfather, who passed away from cancer.
We were excited to learn that some local media covered the event. Both The Mississauga News and Snap North Mississauga were in attendance. Read their articles here: Teens Shave Their Heads for Cancer and Shave for the Brave.
Finally, CONGRATULATIONS and THANKS are in order for both boys as their own initiative allowed them to raise $900+ for the cause! One small child even donated a generous $10 from her piggy bank!
Alex and Jordan are an inspiration to us and others. Additional thanks to Alex's mom, Lucy, as well as Jennifer at Hands on Hair. You helped these two wonderful boys to achieve their goal and your support of YACC is truly appreciated.
Posted on Nov 19, 2009 - 06:17 PM
Five ways I make telecommuting work
Most of the time I spend working for Young Adult Cancer Canada, I’m not in the office on Kenmount Road, the second story of a former McDonald’s. Rather, I’m at home, or at a coffee shop, or, well, anywhere me and my laptop are.
And: I can’t imagine working any other way. It makes me feel better about my work, and, on the whole, allows me to do better work. But, there’s a few things I’ve learned along the way that I need to do to focus my work.
1. Silence is loud
I’ve always worked with music in the background- studied too! And, I love my indie-rock: the Decemberists, Elbow, Arcade Fire all have been played many a time from my iTunes. But, I can’t help but be distracted by a riff from one of my favourite tunes. So, of late, I’ve taken to playing internet radio stations that play classical music. But only when I’m working- so, I’ve trained my brain to associate it with work. And, the instrumental notes are enough to end the silence, but not so much to take me out of the zone.
2. Multitasking is imaginary
I like to think that I can juggle a half dozen tasks at once with ease, but the truth is, I can’t. So, I’ve taken to focusing on one thing at a time. Doing it well, and moving on to the next task. This is a lesson I’ve apparently had to learn again and again, but, hopefully, today is the day that I won’t get lost in a mess of windows on my mac.
3. Easy is great
I have the terrible habit of working on the item on my todo list that has: a) the furthest deadline from today, b) the most conceptual, and c) the most ambitious. It comes at the expense of the item that really should be done by tomorrow, for the quick question I should spend three minutes to reply to in my inbox.
4. Productivity in blocks
I’ve taken to (trying) to schedule meetings together. Ideally then two days a week are filled with nothing but meetings, and the rest is focused on nothing more than getting things done. Any task requires a few hours to finish- designing a webpage, squashing a bug in a script. And they always have warm up time: looking through what you’ve already done to find what you’ve already done, getting fully up to speed.
5. Paper is crumply
Nothing feels better than crumpling a sheet of paper, and tossing it through the air to a waiting recycle bin. The photo up top shows the remains of the latest round of revisions for the forthcoming YACC annual report…
Posted on Nov 13, 2009 - 05:16 PM