What You Receive When You Give

Lonnie Pacelli is an Accenture/Microsoft veteran with four decades of learnings under his belt. He frequently writes and speaks on leadership, project management, work/life balance, and disability inclusion. Reach him at [email protected] and see more at ProjectManagementAdvisor.com.

  Career Development   Leadership  

My very first experience as a volunteer was when I worked in my then 2-year-old daughter’s Sunday school class. It was a simple job, well-suited to me. I kept them safe while acting like a 2-year-old myself. It was a lot of fun and filled a huge need.

Through the years, my volunteer experiences continued, including serving on director boards, running special projects, and coaching executives. Many of my experiences were fulfilling and beneficial, while others just weren’t a good fit.

I learned that while the non-profits benefited from my volunteer service, I also benefited. It’s not only what I put into the volunteer jobs, it’s what I took away. To that end, I’d like to focus on what you as a PM can give in your service as a volunteer—as well as what you receive as a result.

What you give:

• You're helping a non-profit put more into their cause – Non-profits typically run very lean. Volunteering your time provides an extra set of hands to get something accomplished that may not have gotten done otherwise.
• You're helping to grow skills within the non-profit – Projects are plentiful in non-profits. Bringing your project management expertise to the non-profit can help their employees grow their own project management skills and be more effective at managing scope, schedule, and budget. I’ve found that …

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