The Toy Giveaway That Exploded… and What Saved It This rec center wasn’t known for big special events. No huge festivals. No massive giveaways. Just normal programming. Then we decided to run a Christmas Toy Giveaway. And not just repeat last year. Level it up. We secured 50% more toys than the previous year. We added more activities to actually engage the community, not just stand in line. We redesigned the whole setup. Our old system was built for 150 kids. Now we had 300. On the whiteboard, it looked tight. In real life, it started falling apart at the exact moment it mattered most. When it was time to pass out toys, we had: All toys staged inside the building A line outside Kids walking up to the door to get a toy Then the human element kicked in: Parents started pushing. People complained about the toys they were getting. Tension went up. Patience went down. And all that pressure funneled onto one person: my coordinator. He’s hearing complaints. He’s watching what feels like a slow line. He’s overwhelmed, and instead of slowing down, he speeds up. Without telling anyone, he decides, “I’ll fix it.” He opens a second section and starts handing out toys from there. Predictably, once people see this: They run toward the new section. Pushing. Shoving. Multiple participants get knocked around and injured. We lose track of who has gotten toys. We run out for certain age groups. This is the nightmare scenario: We tried to do more good… and we accidentally created more chaos. And I was pissed. Like, genuinely heated. His one quick, solo decision just nuked the system we built to keep people safe. In that moment, I had two options: Blow up on him and prove I’m the boss. Lead with listening and actually fix the problem. I took a breath. Pulled him aside. No audience. “Hey, you look frustrated. It looks like you decided to take matters into your own hands. Walk me through your reasoning.” He tells me: “The line wasn’t moving.” “Parents were coming at me.”

💬 Reflection: Where are people stuck because of outdated systems, unclear roles, or a lack of tools? How much energy, confidence, and creativity would return to your team if you fixed one barrier? Pick one process to simplify this month and share in the comments what change you’ll make.