At first it sounded like horribly jaded advice: “Beware of helpful people.”
Being an optimist, I dismissed the statement. But years later, I realized that there might be some truth to it.
Think back to a time when you were lost and needed directions. You asked someone who was nearby to put you on the right path. That person is super excited to help you, even though he or she doesn’t necessarily know the right way to send you. After a while, you end up more lost and reluctant to ask anyone else for help.
The recession has brought a lot of challenges to the nonprofit world. Sometimes volunteers will magically appear with promises to contribute large sums of time and money. Everyone is excited but the deal may come with some strings attached. Down the road, you realize these conditions are taking your nonprofit away from its overall mission and could end up costing the agency money.
A lot of businesses are facing challenges and are struggling to stay open. As if by magic, a consultant may appear with a possible solution to all the problems. While this person has a magic formula, somehow he or she isn’t booked solid with clients. How convenient.
Later, you realize that the consultant couldn’t deliver the success that was promised. And by giving this person a level of control over your organization, things may have gotten worse.
In all of these examples, the helpful person isn’t evil but he or she may not be as helpful as you first thought.
What do all three scenarios have in common? You were desperate to find a quick fix and were blinded by that desire. Maybe you skimped a bit on checking out the helpful person because you wanted everything promised to be true.
“Beware of helpful people,” now sounds like some good advice. Or am I wrong?
