Those of you familiar with our work know how fond we are of Seth Godin’s “The Dip.” His concept of the dip – the place where all the energy and excitement of our exciting new project or campaign starts to fade – is relevant in all sorts of endeavors, including:
- When we are out of ideas for a new way to communicate our case
- When we procrastinate on completion of that grant request because our passion for sharing this project has waned
- When we find our minds focused elsewhere rather than on the potential donor sitting across the table from us at lunch
How do we get through these professional dips?
My recommendation is to make a PLAN for how to get through it.
This week a large group of YMCA professionals and volunteers will be traveling to Detroit, Michigan for the annual NAYDO conference experience. I would challenge those of you headed there to contemplate some of those dips you are currently dealing with, or can see on your horizon.
- Use your conference time to have coffee with a colleague and seek out conversations that help undergird and test your ideas.
- Visit with vendors who have ideas and solutions that may have helped others that they are willing to share with you.
- Maybe take some uninterrupted time to talk and strategize with your own local staff and volunteers that may be accompanying you and examine some changes to the strategy that may help you find a way out of the dip
For our friends from other non-profits, schools and churches reading this, the same questions still apply. Is there a conference that may provide the same sharing opportunities for you? Are there staff and volunteers within your organization who would be willing to discuss the current situation you are facing and work with you to dig out of the trench? And finally, do you need an outside consultant to offer you a different view?
One of the strong premises in Godin’s work is that there are some times that the dip is a signal to stop doing something. Use your conversations to assess that question and if quit is not the answer, “lean into the dip” and find some help to move you forward.
