Staying in the Present

Thoughts from Grant Coach, MaryEllen Bergh, on staying in the present:
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift; that is why they call it the present.” Eleanor Roosevelt.

I have been told quite frequently that the universe continues to put things in front of us until we master them. Being in the present moment is clearly something that I have to work on as that concept is quite often put in my path. I might find myself waking up in the middle of the night thinking “I should have done this…I should have done that…” on a grant that was just submitted (worrying about something that is past!) or plop myself right into the future about a recent proposal with a “What if the committee takes too long in review and we have to maintain the timeline?”…”What if we bid too high?...or too low?” (worrying about something that hasn’t even happened yet!). When I catch myself wandering off with these thoughts, I take a few deep breaths and acknowledge that the present is perfect and express gratitude for the opportunity to write that grant or submit that proposal.

Being present protects us from being completely consumed by worry. It’s hard to worry when you are looking at all the amazing things surrounding you in the right here and the right now (key word: amazing). When we are fully present we may find a new discovery or a novel way to describe a concept – one that may have been hidden by past or future thoughts. In the present we can get some clarity around our work because we have the freedom to focus…and we get to choose. There is no choice in the past or the future.

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Some Thoughts from the Coach on Setting Your Intent

Here are some thoughts from the Grant Coach, MaryEllen Bergh, on setting your intent to help you get things done:

Prioritizing tasks and setting your intent based on priority can help you remain focused on completing your project.

It always amazes me how unfocused I can be – overwhelmed by the amount of things I want to accomplish…immediately. Making lists and checking things off is one of my ways of dealing with tasks; however, instead of looking at what I have accomplished, I seem to look at what I didn’t get done.

When I take the time to breathe, I can access my inner coach and ask myself, “What do I really need to complete today?” Then I get clear about what I want, I set my intention for the day (I intend to write at least 1 section of this application…I intend to read 1 chapter of, “Thinking Write”…I intend to be fully present with my grandchildren today). Keeping this intention with me, I find it easy to remain focused on my priority for the day.

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Grant Writer or Grant Valet?

There are two types of clients I write grants for. There are clients who are so busy that they don’t have the time for one more thing so I am treated like a valet; and then, there are clients who are so busy they don’t have time for one more thing, but they make time to partner with me to develop an excellent narrative product.

Organizations hire external grant writers for a number of reasons such as, they don’t have the internal expertise to write grants or they can’t afford to add a grant writing position to their payroll.  The number one reason I find that organizations hire external writers is their desire for success.

We write grants all the time and when you have a talent to do something, and you do it a lot over time, you tend to get pretty good at it.  So our staff writers have developed their talents over time and through a lot of perseverance, education, reflection, and just plain mule-headed determination.

But my point here isn’t that we’re good –we are very good – the point is we’re also dependent on our clients to commit some real time and intellectual capacity to the exercise of writing a grant.The most recent case-in-point is a local non-profit organization (the Center) who we helped to write a large grant for some new programs.The grant was successfully funded and I attribute part of our success to the staff at this excellent community-based organization.

I did the writing, but a number of the Center’s staff provided feedback and crucial information throughout the process.They didn’t treat me like a Grant Valet; they didn’t simply toss me the keys and tell me to go off and write the grant for them.

My experience is that the “grant valet” attitude often results in an inferior grant so when you employ a grant writer, be ready to do some work. At a minimum, be prepared to do the following things during the grant process:

• Identify a clear program you want to fund that aligns with your mission.

• Be prepared to read drafts and give meaningful content feedback (not simply edits).

• Ask your accounting staff to help prepare a realistic budget.

• Keep the process flowing smoothly by returning emails and phone calls promptly.

I commend the staff at the Center highly for their work.  It’s reflective of a functional organization that not only delivers excellent programs but is looking to the future for new opportunities and has ownership of those opportunities before they’re realized.

Signing a grant writing contract and thinking that you’re going to hand off all the work like the car keys to a valet is a huge mistake.  Plan to commit some cerebral time during the process in order to ensure that your organization is accurately represented in the narrative.  You’ll end up with a grant that you can fully implement and one that is much more likely to achieve its objectives.

(This post was written by CRR Non-Profit Consultant, Derek Link.)

Try a Change of Perspective

When faced with writer's block or any challenge that gets us stuck, our certified coach, MaryEllen Bergh, always has some suggestions for getting un-stuck. One of her suggestions focuses on changing perspective. Here's what she has to say:

Sometimes all you need is a fresh perspective. Try these 3 things to see things with new eyes:

1) Change your routines. It will very quickly open you to new perspectives. This can be as simple as changing the hand with which you hold your telephone or getting up on the opposite side of the bed.

2) Change your scenery. Take a few minutes to clean off your desk or bring in some fresh flowers.

3) Visualize yourself in someone else’s shoes. Step into the character of a mentor or someone you admire and see things for a moment through their eyes.

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Nonverbal Communication Makes the Difference!

Some thoughts on communication from our certified coach, MaryEllen Bergh:

Good communication skills can help you in both your personal and professional life. While verbal and written communication skills are important, research has shown that nonverbal behaviors make up a large percentage of our daily interpersonal communication.

According to Albert Mehrabian’s research, 7% of what we communicate to others is the result of the words we say or the context of the communication; 38% of our communication to others is a result of verbal behavior which includes tone of voice, timbre, tempo and volume; 55% of our communication to others is a result of our nonverbal communication – our body posture, breathing, eye contact, facial expressions, and movement. The value of Mehrabian research relates to communications where emotional content is significant, and the need to understand it properly is high. This is often applicable in management and business, where motivation and attitude have a crucial effect on outcomes.

Try these three ways to improve communication:

1) Be aware of non verbal signals.Pay attention to body movements, gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice. These signals send important information not carried in the words said.
2) Pay attention if the words and nonverbal behaviors do not match. Research has shown that when words fail to match up with nonverbal signals, people tend to ignore what has been said and focus on nonverbal expressions of moods, thoughts, and emotions. For example, someone might tell you they are happy while frowning and staring at the ground. You are not likely to believe what was said!
3) Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification if you are confused by the words and signals.

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