As you may know, I’m an advocate for finding out 3 words that people use to describe you or your organisation. It allows you to assess whether they’re consistent with your marketing and whether you want to do something to change the perception. It also allows you to understand how integrated you are with your organisation. Sometimes some separation is needed and useful. I recently heard Geraldine Cox speak about her life, work and being “mum” to 400 children in Cambodia at Sunrise Children’s Villages. Currently Geraldine needs to raise $80,000 each month to care for over 200 children in her two existing centres. She will be opening a 3rd centre for a further 200 children with HIV. There were great insights and lessons, one story in particular I wanted to share.
Geraldine Cox’s 3 words:
Geraldine was told that after watching an interview on TV about her, someone described her distastefully as loud, pushy and aggressive.
“What do you mean – they are my attributes” was Geraldine’s response.
In the constant and relentless world of Not for Profit and fundraising, Geraldine believes that she would not have been successful in caring for so many children over the years without standing out from the crowd. Let’s look at those words a little more closely.
- loud so she is heard in such a competitive environment.
- pushy so people support her goals and objectives through direct financial investment and organising individual fundraising events.
- aggressive in pursuit of the needs of the children of Cambodia, restoring their hearts, and protecting them.
In this instance, these words don’t distract, detract or create negativity. These words enhance Geraldine’s amazing story and align with her personality and brand, making her real, memorable, engaging and a success. They are a strength and very much part of Geraldine’s story, and the stories of survival of all the children who are fortunate to live at Sunrise.
