Over the last month, I’ve had the opportunity to speak to quite a few new TIP volunteers who had just completed TIP training. I always get around to asking them what they thought of the TIP training and what they think of our organization. I think new volunteers’ unique and fresh perspectives on our organization can be very valuable to TIP leaders.

Although I always receive varied responses to my questioning, there does seem to be a common theme about what new volunteers appreciate about the TIP Training Academy and about the TIP organization. New volunteers express a deep appreciation for the serious, focused and professional way we conduct business and carry out our mission. They say things like: “TIP takes this so seriously;” “The training has no B.S.;” “Everything is so professional.”

Rather than being new information these remarks are an affirmation of what we have all committed ourselves to — to maintain high standards in everything we do whether it be conducting training academies, responding to TIP calls, conducting continuing education meetings or leading TIP volunteers. For years, TIP leaders have agreed that an essential part of the TIP Way is our commitment to maintaining high standards.

However, I think we need to continually remind ourselves of the importance of high standards. I believe as time goes on there is a natural “gravitational pull” to lower these standards. The service we provide — 24/7/365 immediate response — is difficult to provide. There is a temptation to lower our expectations of volunteers and to “cut corners” because “I need to run a program, after all!” I understand this reality. But, nevertheless, lowering our standards is not a solution to the challenges of running a TIP Program. Letting a volunteer continue to volunteer without attending continuing education meetings, for example,  may be a temporary solution to “filling the schedule,” but over the long run it erodes the essence of TIP. The excellent volunteers we need to operate our programs will stay with us only if we are “serious,” “professional” and maintain our high standards.

Certainly, we need a sense of humor to do the work we do, and we can’t take ourselves too seriously. But we need to continue to carry out our mission of helping people in crisis in the most serious, focused, professional and “No B.S.” way.