Sabrin Chowdhury, Founder of Out Against Abuse, discusses group dynamics and staying open to new ideas

My Blog Post: How I have grown into an effective manager while launching my venture in the NYWSE Incubator program.

I first started Out Against Abuse, an online “hotline” for domestic violence victims and educational resource center in the South Asian community (www.outagainstabuse.org), as a blog to start openly discussing this problem.  However, soon I started receiving emails and online comments from victims themselves who either asked for help or started sharing their stories. It was then that I realized there was an immense need for an online resource to allow victims to ask questions anonymously and access a wide array of resources.  I soon started forming a board of directors and looking for any resources that would make it easier to establish a strong and efficient nonprofit organization.  Before the Incubator Program, I had so many different tasks and goals, including fundraising goals, contacting different organizations to establish partnerships, brainstorming event ideas, etc…and would constantly feel overwhelmed. But it wasn’t until recently that I realized that this was probably because I hadn’t done a good job of outsourcing or even taking advantage of outside help. 

Throughout both my professional and academic career, I have had to work with numerous groups and have been on many teams.  In those scenarios, divvying up responsibilities and outlining tasks systematically was quite easy. However, when you are working with your own organization, sometimes it is hard to let go! 

My experience through the Incubator Program has definitely shown me what a difference it makes when you do let go and allow others to help you grow your organization. I think it is very important to establish a level of trust with your team. Often some of the group tasks and discussions include proprietary information, so it’s important to feel safe and secure that all information will remain confidential. It is also important to maintain a level of trust because for many entrepreneurs and nonprofit directors, their non profit is their dream, their “baby,” and sometimes it’s hard to let others fully engage in development of your organization. However, in my experience I have found that once you are comfortable with your team, that help is immeasurable! Without the guidance that I have received from my mentor and the tremendous help that Shubha, my apprentice, has provided, Out Against Abuse would not have grown or developed as much as it has so far. 

My advice to any entrepreneur or starting organization is to make sure you first get fully comfortable with your team and learn about them and how they like to work. Some people like to have distinct deadlines, while others feel more comfortable with general guidelines. Once you have established relationships and identified each other’s work habits and styles, it makes it so easy and even fun to work together to develop ideas and grow your organization. It’s also important to be open to suggestions and new ways to approach your goals. For instance, I hadn’t considered using a video in my campus education programs until I received the suggestion from one of my team members. I would also say don’t be scared to get help from more people! If you are able to relay your passion for your organization, the people working with you will come to treat your organization as their own “baby” as well. 

Comments

[Dr.Mrs.Sushma Joiya]

Entrepreneurship is an art to be taught to enthusiastic ladies for bringing them out of
meaningless absuses which they exchange with each other to gain nothing but to destroy their energy. We try to use this tremendous energy for
productive income generating results by motivating them for entrepreneurship.We are successful, because a competative atmosphere is being developed as to prove herself as to who is the best woman entrepreneur.This is what we aim for.
Dr.Mrs.Sushma Joiya
[email protected]

[Dr.Mrs.Sushma Joiya]

This is Dr.Mrs.Sushma joiya, National President
Integrated Congress of Women Entrepreneurs, working for the development of female society through entrepreneurship. I have seen your article about group dynamics, we in India are following the same pattern by organising Self Help Groups( Motivation is done for group dynamics). These Self Help Groups besides learning Health and hygiene also gain knowledge of socio-economic development through entrepreneurship.Through the group dynamics they work together for entrepreneurial activities and the goods manufactured by them is sold by our organisation to make the financially sound and self dependent. Side by side we are organsing seminars and symposiums on Gender Violence to make them aware of the rules and regulations
of survival with pride. Any how on behalf of Integrated Congress of Women Entrepreneurs, you derserve congratulations for your endevour.
Dr.Mrs.Sushma joiya
[email protected]