What I learned about gratitude from volunteering in a festival

There is a saying that behind every achievement there is a good team. Sometimes you see something almost impossible being pulled off and you know that it takes a lot of courage, vision, experience and a good share of luck, but all of that is nothing without a great team. This year I was lucky to participate in such team and create something great. This is what I learned about vision, leadership, purpose and gratitude along the way.

Thanks for this summer

This was a great summer. The weather was magnificent and the many festivals too. Way too many to even know about all of them not to mention going. I managed to participate in 4 very different ones. While all of them were great, Komēta was special because I volunteered as a runner there.

Volunteering is encouraged in many festivals I go to, but usually I find excuses like busyness, tiredness or thirst for party to just consume them. Komēta would be no different if couple of days before the event a last minute volunteering option wouldn’t fall in my inbox. And I went for it.

Komēta is special

It is organised by people I know well, I like its ethos, I love the place where it happens. But the most interesting part I found out from the organisers – It shouldn’t exist. Its budget is tiny, ambitions are great and it just doesn’t make sense that you can organise an event of that level with that budget.

You know where I am going with this. It is all about the people behind it. A team of people working selflessly for a greater cause. They prepare for half a year, take vacations in their day jobs to prepare and don’t sleep before, during and after the event. This is how humans reach the big things – in spite of obstacles.

What is the role of gratitude?

1. Vision – it is quite clear for them what DJs, bands and artists they want to invite. What vibe they want to create and what people to attract.
2. Leadership – I saw the main organisers crying from what they saw becoming of their vision. Crying and saying that despite all of circumstances there is no other way – next year they will try to rally people again and create an even better event.
3. Purpose, reason, cause – call it whatever you want. But it’s not for a profit. It can’t be. People will work tirelessly if you show them a greater cause they can achieve.
4. Gratitude – the part that made me write this article. So many genuine thank yous and good jobs just propel you. Despite the fact that it’s the middle of the night, you are missing a great party and washing probably the 375th beer glass. It doesn’t matter. Because you are part of a team that needs you and are grateful for it.

Gratitude spoken and written

I was the lowest level of volunteer there is – a runner. A person who is asked to do whatever is needed or replace anyone missing. Just a cog in a big organisation. I didn’t get to know or even see a half of the team in person, but when I did, I would thank them and they would thank me. Rest of the time it was WhatsApp all the way because it just makes sense in such high speed and stress situation. But even then it was a Thanks before and a Great job after each assignment. And it works.

Sounds familiar doesn’t it? If your organisation is larger than 10 people, chances are you will not see everyone on a regular basis and a majority of communication will be in chat, e-mail, CRM, Jira etc. But the same rules apply – if everyone has a common vision, great leadership, great purpose and lots of gratitude – the show goes on.

This is why we made Good Job, Pal! We can’t provide you with vision, but we can help making company values and purpose stronger, leadership to be better through better decision making and above all – attitude of gratitude to flourish to provide that extra energy for everyone to do their best.