If your mom was like my mom she spent a lot of time and effort teaching me not to ask for things. It's rude. Wait until you are offered. Say no the first time and then if someone really insists you can finally take what is offered the second or third time.
My mom offers a lot. Second, third, fourth time. She is good at insisting. You can politely refuse my mom a couple of times and still go home very happily with a cookie in each hand. But not everyone is like my mom, and I suspect there are some very polite, very hungry, thirsty people out there waiting to be offered what they need.
I think there is certainly a grain of truth to my mom's philosophy. No one likes to be around someone who is constantly asking for things. And it does seem somehow more genteel to demurely refuse and then be talked into taking things. But wouldn't it be easier if we all just politely asked for what we needed?
In non-profits the best way to get money is to ask for it. And the best way to get jobs done is to ask for help. Because we have such a small staff I need a lot of help and that means volunteers.
A few years back I learned the very important lesson of asking committee members to divide up all the wonderful ideas that get generated during their meetings and to actually commit to doing them. Previously most of those wonderful ideas got added to the list of staff responsibilities.
For years, I've dreamed of an additional staff person on the days when I'm alone in the office. I've been politely waiting for someone to offer their services and guess what - it never happened. Last week I finally asked. I asked about 20 people that I know love the Historical Society and might be willing to help and guess what - I got one! A wonderful, professional retired woman is going to come in and be my right hand man every Monday. Alleluiah!
I could still use someone on Tuesday and Thursday - and I'm going to keep asking.
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