Are you a bad volunteer? | Angela Blake | TEDxArlington Heights

Quick Overview

Angela Blake argues that receiving a bad gift or being told you are a bad volunteer is not inherently bad; rather, the negative outcome stems from an ego-centric approach to volunteering, which she calls 'ego-auditing,' where volunteers focus on their own performance and feelings rather than the mission and needs of those they serve.

Key Points: Volunteers often respond to negative feedback (like receiving a bad gift) with gratitude, but the real issue is ego involvement, which makes receiving criticism difficult. Blake identifies four types of volunteers who interfere with mission-centered work: the Expert, the Party Crasher, the Vet, and the Bleeding Heart. Ego-centric volunteers, like the 'Party Crasher' and the 'Bleeding Heart,' prioritize their own feelings and expertise, leading to staff feeling disrespected and hindering mission accomplishment. The 'Expert' volunteer believes their skills guarantee success, while the 'Vet' fears change and resists new procedures, both leading to staff friction and resentment. Blake proposes shifting from ego-centered volunteering to 'mission-centered volunteering' by asking critical questions about how one shows up. The core of mission-centered volunteering is realizing that the work itself, not the volunteer's ego, is the gift, and the goal is to serve the community's needs, not just feel good about oneself.

Context: Angela Blake delivers a TEDx talk at TEDxArlington Heights centered on the theme "Under the Surface: Dig Deep to Disrupt the Norm." She uses her experience working with diverse populations, including displaced youth, people with disabilities, the unhoused, and nursing home residents over 15 years, to introduce the concept of 'ego-auditing' in volunteering and contrasts it with 'mission-centered volunteering.'

Detailed Analysis

Angela Blake challenges the common assumption that receiving a bad gift or negative feedback in a volunteer setting is the main problem; instead, she argues the issue lies in the volunteer's ego involvement, which she terms 'ego-auditing.' She outlines four types of problematic volunteers: the Expert, the Party Crasher, the Vet, and the Bleeding Heart. The Expert relies on their expertise, making them resistant to new procedures; the Party Crasher is energized by the environment but doesn't focus on the mission; the Vet resists change due to long tenure; and the Bleeding Heart is driven by emotion, leading to staff feeling disregarded. Blake proposes an 'Ego Audit'—a two-task method to examine how one shows up for service. Task one is asking questions about one's presence, and task two is asking what impact was made versus what impact was intended. The ultimate goal is to shift from ego-centered volunteering to mission-centered volunteering, where the work itself is the gift, ensuring that staff are not burned out or undermined by volunteers who prioritize their own need to 'help' over the actual needs of the community being served.