I have been a part of volunteer organizations for most of my adult life. Even among the best and most well-meaning people working for wonderful causes, little things can cause friction or reduce efficiency. Here are just a few things that would help smooth out some of the bumps in the road (many could be applied to the workplace, school, church, etc.):

1) Respect deadlines. I could say so much here, but I will leave it at that.

2) If there is something you’d like to discuss at a meeting, let the person in charge know ahead of time. He or she has likely planned out the meeting giving the things that need to be covered adequate time as well as the speaker for the evening (if any) and respecting the time for all involved so the meeting doesn’t run late. Having an unexpected discussion come up, especially a long and/or controversial one can throw a wrench into the whole meeting. It’s not that he or she doesn’t want to hear about or discuss the issue, but when it is known ahead of time it can be planned for accordingly — plus pertinent facts and details can be gathered.

3) Avoid constantly thinking, “Well, if I were in charge, I’d do it this way….” Any person who takes any kind of job is going to have their own preferences and style. Sometimes a good, thoughtful suggestion saves the day and is much appreciated, and no leader is opposed to helpful suggestions, but sometimes, for various reasons, some things need to be done a certain way even though there may be any number of other ways it could be done.

4) My pastor often says that when there are problems, take them to those who are part of the problem or part of the solution and no one else. A lot of bad feelings towards others are stirred up when we’re “venting.” Christians need to be especially cautious with this: one of the things the Lord says He hates are those who “sow discord among brethren.” (Proverbs 6:16-19).

5) Whether in a large building or a casual setting, when it is time to start and someone steps up to begin, respect that and don’t make them have to call for attention.

6) Be helpful but don’t overstep. If someone else is in charge of an area or event and you see a little something that needs attention (a piece of paper where it shouldn’t be or something that got a little messy during an event), by all means pitch in and take care of it. But don’t rearrange or otherwise overdo.

7) Don’t regard company or group or church property as your own. Sometimes various groups will let individual members use or “check out” certain items, but others don’t. Don’t take pens or staplers or chairs or whatever, with the attitude that “Well, I paid my dues (or taxes or offerings), I have a right to this.”

8) Put things back where they belong. This is a principle that would simplify so many things in life, but especially in a church, office, group setting, it makes things run smoother if each individual returns items (stapler, vacuum cleaner, VCR, whatever) where they belong as soon as possible so the next person doesn’t go to the designated place for the item only to find it missing (you don’t like it when that happens to you, do you? 🙂 )

9) Respect the property, dates, etc. of other groups within a group. As any group gets bigger, there will be some conflicts, especially with dates for events and use of certain rooms. Most churches ands schools (and I would guess larger offices) have some method of signing up for certain dates and certain parts of the facility. Sometimes there just is no one best date for an event without overlapping some other event, but try not to conflict (not only with the actual date but with the time needed to set up beforehand and clean up afterward). Same with “property.” If something is designated for one group, don’t think to yourself, “Well, no one is using it now….” Don’t use it without asking.

10) Work together with other sub-groups rather than seeing each other as competition. Don’t forget your common purposes and goals within the larger context of the organization you are all a part of. One example: if there is a regular conflict between your sub-group and another over dates for events a certain time of year, instead of having the mentality of “beating” the other group to reserve the date, talk with the head of the other subgroup to see if there is a way to work things out for the best of both.

11) Take responsibility to keep yourself informed by whatever means the group employs (memos, church bulletins, bulletin board in the break room, etc.). I have seen people get so frustrated or upset because they didn’t know the date of an event or the supplies needed or whom to contact, when all of that information had been sent out weeks before.

12) Avoid the “that’s not my job” mentality. Again, remember the larger purpose of the entire group. If a piece of paper is on the floor, don’t think, “We pay people to clean that up” or “Another committee is dealing with that.” Take a moment to pick it up and throw it away.

13) Don’t assume.

You can check out other Thursday Thirteen entries here.