I’ve always loved all you can eat buffets. First off, who doesn’t like walking up to long rows of steaming hot food, chilled salads, and desserts of all kinds knowing you can have as much as you want of whatever you want?! And even better, if you like something, you can have more. If you don’t, you don’t have to take any more. No commitment required.
This last week at NDSU, we had our Involvement Expo. Organizations filled a street with tables showcasing their groups. As you walk by, it’s not mashed potatoes or apple pie like you find at a buffet calling your name, it’s cut-throat recruiters fighting for your attention and time. Some had plinko boards while others had candy, pens, or t-shirts. All in an effort to draw people in so they could “seal the deal.” Not surprisingly, only a small percentage of people who walked by the booths signed up to receive more information and even less will commit.
Talking with FFA members this summer at conferences, I heard a pretty common concern among chapter leaders: member recruitment, retention, and engagement. They have a hard time recruiting as many new members as they’d like, finding members to fill office positions, or even getting current members to sign up for events. It’s one of those things everyone thinks is just a problem in their chapter and nowhere else (I did too), but it’s not. And it’s not just a concern in Minnesota FFA. It happens in churches, community groups, collegiate organizations, and in people’s social lives and relationships. People fear commitment.
Now, I’m not saying that everyone who signed up to receive more information at the NDSU Involvement Expo should commit to that club. It’s possible many people who received information will decide the club doesn’t offer what they want and won’t commit. Great! However, that begs the question, why will so many people not commit when a club/organization/activity/relationship seems perfect for them?
I’ve found a few common themes.
1. They don’t know your (fill in the blank club/organization/activity/relationship) IS perfect for them YET.
2. They have FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out.
3. They fear failure.
If you’re a recruiter, these three things can stop you from finding people to commit, or you can reflect on these themes to help you know why people will tell you no before they can get the excuses out of their mouths!
Category 1: I don’t think this is for me. These individuals are usually pretty easy to identify. If this is the case, you’re in luck! You can help people discover the reasons why they can benefit from whatever it is you are offering whether it be through advertising, promotional products, or meaningful conversations. You can showcase the successes of your group and tell people how they can personally benefit from being a part of it. If you were at a SLCCL, think back on the activity where each table had to recruit potential students. The key is to find what they care about first and then help them find their place.
Category 2: I am too busy. People who fall into group two can come from all walks of life. They can be the “high achievers” who are involved in a lot of things, have high grades, and are highly sought after. They might say no because they’re just too busy. Remember, saying yes to you means they should say no to someone else (you might want to refer back to step one and try to get them to commit to your organization over whatever they are currently committing to). They could also be people who might not have plans but want to wait before committing in case a better offer comes around.
Category 3: I don’t want to fail. Fear of failure is probably the hardest to pick up on because they probably won’t actually say those exact words. Someone might say they’re “not smart enough,” “it would never work out,” or “I could never do that.” Notice that they don’t usually say “I can’t currently do….” They see the CAN’T as a long-term barrier instead of seeing their ability to learn and grow. Most organizations, and especially FFA, focus on taking people from where they are to somewhere they once thought was impossible.
If you’re not recruiting or looking for people to commit to you or your organization (and even if you are), I think it’s valuable to take some time to look at what we commit to and why we do or don’t commit to things. Our personal understanding could help us or help others. We only have so many hours, minutes, and seconds of our lives, and unfortunately, life isn’t a buffet. For everything we say yes to, we say no to many other things. In most cases, some commitment is required! As this school year starts, take time to discover where you fit best, know that you’ll miss out on other things that aren’t a fit for you, and put your fears aside.
You’ll be amazed at what can happen!
Stationed by the emblem of Washington,
Adam Kroll
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