Fundraising Leadership

In this episode, Margaret and David delve into handling rejection and embracing new perspectives.

No one likes getting a no. Not during a fundraising ask. Not during a potential sale. And not from a request to a family member.

Sometimes, after getting a run of no’s, we feel like we should be due for a yes. But that’s not how probabilities work. So, when the yes doesn’t happen, we can feel really disappointed and defeated.

Margaret shares a recent struggle with business development and how she got a bit demoralized when it felt like she was “collecting no’s.”

So, how is one supposed to feel better?

How Perspectives Work

We often can’t control other people’s responses. We often are at the mercy of situations.

But what we can control is how we choose to experience the circumstance. This is what we mean by choosing a perspective.

A perspective is a way of seeing things. Sometimes, we get stuck in a perspective, but a different outlook would serve us much better.

Exploring alternative perspectives is a valuable tool in coaching.

Leadership Vs. Sports Coaching

David and Margaret talk about how leadership coaching differs from sports coaching.

When we coach clients, sometimes we let clients sit in their current perspective before guiding them towards a new one. That’s in contrast to unskillful sports coaching techniques, where a coach tells the team how to feel.

They stressed the importance of empowering clients to choose their perspectives as a source of control.

A Sample Coaching Session on Perspectives

David offers Margaret some coaching on perspectives.

Margaret shared that sometimes when she collects a lot of no’s in a row, she starts standing in the perspective of Eeyore, the depressed donkey from Winnie the Pooh.

David coached her in reframing her thinking pattern from feeling defeated to focusing on hope and possibility. Margaret found solace in returning to yoga as a positive influence on her outlook. After months of being prevented from practicing by injuries, it felt to her like a turn-around moment.

Trust, belief, and hope emerged as central themes of Margaret’s new outlook, symbolized by waves on the ocean. She expressed her commitment to continuing and enhancing her business endeavors.

She likened trust to surfing, knowing waves will come and go — just like the yeses and the no’s. But holding onto the perspective of being atop an optimistic wave underlined the essence of shifting perspectives in coaching interactions.

Need some help finding a new perspective? We can help. Please reach out to one of us.

The post Ep 142: Handling Rejection and Embracing New Perspectives appeared first on Fundraising Leadership .