volunteerplaintalk

Category: Uncategorized

  • Finding One Another is Our Future

    We, leaders of volunteers (#LoVols) have shared experiences, shared hopes, shared challenges and a shared future. We are a family, a team, a brother/sisterhood. We are a LoVols kindred. When one of us succeeds, all of us succeed and all volunteerism succeeds.

    Forging alliances, finding one another, speaking with shared voices (we don’t have to agree on everything) strengthens us and our volunteers. Recently, Marina Paraskevaidi, Volunteer Manager at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich wrote to me and wanted to share her thoughts with all of you in a LoVols kindred moment. Marina hails from Greece, has lived in Italy where she served as a volunteer coordinator with the NGO Service Civil International and since moving to the UK, she works as the Volunteer Manager at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, overseeing the overall strategic direction of the Volunteering Programme.

    Each one of us can share our challenges, successes, questions, frustrations, and hopes with one another because we get each other and guess what? We support each other, want to see each other succeed, and we all are working towards the same thing: Elevating volunteerism. Here is Marina’s message:

    When joining the Old Royal Naval College a little less than a year ago, I could never have imagined our site being closed same time this year due to an unpredictable pandemic that would keep us all at home (like a sci-fi post-apocalyptic movie). But amidst the uncertainty, our communities stay strong.

    The past two weeks have been a rollercoaster of reactions and emotions for all staff and volunteers. First, the uncertainty kicked in when the news spread about COVID-19 cases rising across Europe, while we were still on a let’s-pretend-it’s-all-normal mode on site, planning volunteer-led private tours, organising group reciprocal visits to other museums, conducting volunteer recruitment interviews and preparing upcoming induction training sessions.  Then, following the announced set of restrictions, the situation escalated so quickly, and we had to make swift changes to our everyday lives. A regular day in the beginning of March now feels a distant past. We had to take the decision to close our site to the public, while still processing the prospect of many of us having to isolate for weeks, even months, thinking especially of our volunteers who are in the most vulnerable groups.

    Ten days later, our new home-based routine is the norm and it looks like we are adapting to new virtual ways to keep in touch and support each other in the best way we know: sharing the love. 

    From volunteers asking about their peers’ wellbeing and sending personal warm wishes, to our staff mobilising team efforts to produce resources that can be accessible remotely; from our CEO’s reassuring message, to people going beyond and above to show solidarity and help each other while working remotely with limited resources. 

    It’s the same warm welcoming feeling that sparkles around in the Visitors Centre when volunteers put on their best smile to greet our visitors, it’s this shared love for what we do and who we are that drives solidarity among our communities.

    A lot of things remain uncertain and yet to be figured out: how do we keep in touch with those not online? How do we ensure we look after our staff and volunteer’s mental health? How can we be creative using virtual technology to communicate, offer online learning opportunities and organise local initiatives? How can we continue sharing our history and engage the public while closed? Can we think outside the box and create remote volunteering opportunities?

    The most difficult times might be yet to come, but I have always been a strong believer in the power of communities (and that’s also why I have chosen to work with volunteers): through the challenges we will learn, pave new paths and come out stronger on the other side. 

    Spread the love, Marina

    Thank you Marina for reaching out to all of us. We appreciate your courage, your conviction and your connection. I appreciate your LoVols kindred spirit.

    Spread love, knowledge, support, a shoulder to cry on, a tip on recruitment, a success story, a cautionary tale, an innovative project with each other. Find one another and use this time to build momentum. Volunteers are counting on us.

    It’s not easy, building a movement, but we are in this together.

    -Meridian

  • What We Do Know

    Uncertainty sucks big time, but guess what? We, volunteer managers deal in uncertainty all the time. Think about it. Everyday we wonder…

    • Will anyone who attends my speech at the local Classic Car Collector’s Guild on Saturday actually sign up to volunteer? Will one or two attendees fall asleep in the back and snore so loudly I have to shout over the noise?
    • Can I trust that Magda in event planning will communicate the revised meet-up spot to the volunteers and not forget again? Will I get a frantic call from a volunteer asking where he should be while I’m at my son’s violin recital and then I get shame-shushed by snarky Heather who always sits behind me?
    • Will volunteer Trevor stop bringing his herbal supplements to clients’ homes or do I have to have another conversation with him? Will he ever stop trying to sell his energy pills to everyone? (huh, maybe that’s why I’m so jittery...)
    • Will I come in to work this morning and find a volunteer has once again written a letter to the editor of the local paper, calling out the lack of volunteer department budget? (after I’ve patiently explained that going to the press ensures WE WILL NEVER GET THE MONEY NOW!)
    • Will the A/V equipment break in the middle of my presentation to the chamber of commerce and then I’m stuck drawing a graph on volunteer impact from memory on a chalkboard? (and I hastily draw a graph that resembles male body parts) 
    • Will I have to carpool volunteers to the luncheon because finance did not pay for the bus and driver I reserved? (and we arrive late because volunteers have to stop to use the restroom along the way)
    • Will the printing company get this year’s appreciation theme correct and not print 400 balloons saying, “Volunteers have no heart.”

    We, volunteer managers routinely operate in an uncertain world so we’re already positioned to navigate these times.  But wait. Not everything is uncertain so let’s look at what we do know.

    • People want to help: If anything tell us that volunteerism is alive and well, this pandemic proves it. From neighbors helping neighbors to social media groups that mobilize participants to 750,000 people signing up in the UK for the NHS, people are still volunteering. The spirit of volunteering is alive. 
    • We know there will be an end: There’s always an end. Sure, there will be a new normal with new challenges so this is the time to start strategically planning for the new normal in a way that benefits you, your volunteers, and your volunteer initiative. How do you envision yourself coming out of this? Better equipped to speak up and mold your volunteer program for this new normal? 
    • Change is an opportunity. No one is more adaptable than a volunteer manager. We can come out of this with the adaptations that fit the modern volunteer. Change can be an opportunity, so let’s make it work for us.

    • Priorities rise to the top: What does that look like for you? Communicating with volunteers, serving clients or revamping archaic systems? Challenging circumstances have a way of exposing flaws and outdated methods while highlighting the greatness of the things working well. Now is the time to sort through and document what is working, what is not working and why, so that moving forward, you have supporting information that will back-up your plans moving forward. 

    • We are in this together. Yep, we are, because we, volunteer managers have a common purpose. Let’s take this time to find each other, band together and further our goals. Volunteer organizations are forced to stream their volunteer award events. These are the events we can all support by virtually attending or commenting on in a show of solidarity. 

    We are no strangers to uncertainty and the same strength, courage and resolve we employ everyday will see us through these times. We will come out of this stronger, more resilient and more determined to see volunteerism and our volunteers elevated. 

    We will come out of this more connected to one another, more supportive of one another, and more able to speak as unified voices. One thing we can do to create a swell of united support is to stream more. Let’s use this time to record, stream, and create videos showing volunteer impact so we can build an audience that sees the work firsthand. Let’s not relegate volunteer awards to a nice lunch at a moderately priced hotel, seen only by attendees. Let’s share volunteer value and impact with the world. Let’s go big and take our message to everyone. 

    Because our message is crucial.

    Of this, we are certain.

    -Meridian 

  • Keeping in Touch With Volunteers

    We are in new territory and for many organizations, volunteers are temporarily staying home. What can a volunteer manager do to keep volunteers engaged when we can’t sit down with them, hug them, hear their stories or laugh with them?

    Right now, we can supplement our daily spontaneity with strategy. First, we need to plan the approach. Where do your volunteers see/hear/read/absorb information from you or your organization? Common ways are:

    • emails
    • phone calls
    • website
    • social media
    • meetings

    Next, determine strategies for each information pipeline. Schedule communications (weekly, daily, bi-weekly) so volunteers look for regular updates from you. And, giving yourself a deadline helps keep you on track. Prepare your scheduled messages.

    For those volunteers who only get information through phone or meetings, create a phone tree of volunteers to pass along information and also to encourage those volunteers to choose a tech method in which to stay informed. Not all will, but this is an opportune time to start funneling volunteers into more central avenues of communication such as your website. This is a time to create a new normal in which volunteers expect to learn, be informed, find educational offerings, meeting schedules, inspirational stories etc. from the tech site(s) you find most advantageous. (for example, you would like all volunteers to follow your Facebook page or you would like all volunteers to check your volunteer portal)

    A few ideas for scheduled communications are:

    • provide helpful information on your website. Volunteers trust us, so be the site they go to for correct and factual information-if you give volunteers information, be sure to include the source, don’t re-word the information, quote accurately, don’t opinion-ate on facts.
    • set up a new hashtag for your volunteers specifically during this time ( example: #SpringhillVolsCov19 ) and share what your org and you, as their LoVols are doing during this time. (include your website address to funnel volunteers towards a central spot)
    • post testimonials from past clients, volunteers, etc to celebrate volunteer impact and for inspiration to keep engagement alive.
    • set up Facebook live events to speak directly to your volunteers. You are their anchor and seeing you is reassuring.
    • this is a great time to share the history of your organization. Share old photos, stories of how the mission was created, and the early struggles. If possible, interview your org’s pioneers; those who were there when it began. Connecting your volunteers to the birth of your mission strengthens their engagement.
    • issue a challenge-read a book, exercise, learn a skill. A challenge illustrates that you care about their well-being (which you do) and makes this time about them.
    • ask volunteers to email their favorite volunteering memory and share those memories with the volunteer team. You can also re-purpose the stories to use later as testimonials for recruitment and training purposes.
    • create a quiz. Quizzes are entertaining and can serve an educational purpose at the same time. Add a bit of humor to your multiple choices by making one answer funny.
    • survey your volunteers. What have you always wanted to know? Create a survey with multiple questions to help you plan forward.
    • ask volunteers to share their tips for surviving a shelter in place order and post those tips.
    • Netflix party with your volunteers (through Google Chrome). Pick a comedy, or classic or feel-good movie and watch together with volunteers. You can even chat during the movie.

    This is a stressful time filled with chaos. Strategically planned communication with volunteers helps decrease our stress while continuing their engagement. The immediate future may be uncertain, but one thing has not changed. Volunteers appreciate information and connecting and we, volunteer managers are excellent at keeping our volunteers engaged.

    Uncertainty is less stressful when a plan is in place. Plan your communications and use this time to invest in volunteers, funnel them into a centralized information hub and gather opinions and stories from them to be used now and later.

    Be well. Be safe.

    -Meridian

  • Volunteer Plain Talk special episode, a chat with Rob Jackson about the virus crisis

    In this special episode of Volunteer Plain Talk Podcast, (recorded Monday March 23) Rob Jackson of Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd. located in the UK, and Meridian chat about coping, challenges and opportunities in uncertain times. Rob offers his thoughts and advice including: (also available on Stitcher, Apple, Spotify)

    • “There’s a moment here,” for thought leadership
    • Connecting and venting vs. isolation
    • Readying our profession for what’s next
    • Miss Piggy’s quote
    • The abundance of information volunteer managers will have to share
    • Harnessing the community spirit and is this like an alien invasion movie?
    • Finding comfort
    • The good that can come from tough times
    • Resources-we are not alone

    You can connect with Rob by emailing him at rob@robjacksonconsulting.com or by visiting his website: Please sign up for Rob’s blog, it’s essential reading: http://www.robjacksonconsulting.com/ He is also available on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robjackson74/ and on twitter at https://twitter.com/RobJConsulting

    Resource-rich websites for Leaders of Volunteers:

    If I missed any resources, please let me know so I can include them and please subscribe to these websites as they are rich in all sorts of resources for volunteer managers.

    Huge thank you to Rob Jackson for jumping on this podcast at short notice. You are amazing, knowledgeable, infectiously funny, dedicated and forward-thinking. Sometimes, I just have to think, “What would Rob do?” 🙂

    Be safe, be well, stay connected.

    -Meridian

  • We are Human, too

    Pandemic. It’s a worrisome time and we, leaders of volunteers worry. A lot. Like mother hens, we cluck about, gathering masses under our protective wings. “I got you,” we murmur, pulling everyone close.

    We worry about the frail volunteers who are determined to keep volunteering but may become infected with the virus. We worry about the volunteers who stay home and are missing that one, bright, social spot in their lives as they hunker down, alone. We worry about the clients we serve and how they are deprived of that perfect moment, when our skilled volunteer makes a connection, soul on soul.

    We worry we aren’t doing enough, or we’re overlooking a volunteer who needs us. We worry that things will never be the same again, and our volunteers will leave over new regulations. We worry that volunteers may experience a new normal and be reluctant to work directly with clients. We worry that no one will come to the next training class. (although I always worried about that, anyway)

    I’m not going to say, “stop worrying.” Worrying is human. It’s the tough part of being a caring, sentient being. It’s part of a volunteer manager’s drive to be effective.

    But I will offer this: Your worry means you care. Your worry means you are determined to make this world a better place, one volunteer, one client, one program, one training, one speech on volunteer value, one long night of blowing up balloons, one showing up at a volunteer’s swearing in as a new citizen at a time.

    You believe in possibilities. You believe in light. You believe in neighbors stepping up to help neighbors. You believe in people wanting to help. You might even believe that some good will come out of this and volunteering will increase. You are optimistic.

    You’re the very essence of what being human is about. So be human and care about the world. We, volunteer managers are resilient. We adapt, we adjust, we pivot, we overcome. We are always moving, and altering our direction to keep going forward. Our worries are often a map to finding the way. We’ll be all right.

    Believe in your abilities and take care of yourself. We need you.

    -Meridian

  • You Can Water Plastic Flowers, But They Won’t Grow

    In a volunteer manager’s chaotic day, volunteer impact is difficult to plan, hard to complete and often impossible to execute. We laughingly describe our chaos in phrases like, “herding cats,” “wearing many hats,” and “controlled chaos.” But, the inability to move ourselves and our volunteers forward due to chaos is no laughing matter.

    I’d like to add another phrase to the lexicon: “Watering plastic flowers,” which means time spent on futile activities. But wait, futile is a strong word; it means “pointless,” or “incapable of producing results.”

    So, let’s eliminate the word futile, because there’s always hope right? As volunteer managers, we hold hope in our hands: Hope for that volunteer who is hurting and wants to help, but keeps canceling. Hope that our impassioned speech about volunteer value changes minds. Hope that today we will fill a role no volunteer wants to do.

    Instead, let’s look at ROI-return on investment. When our time investment does not produce enough results to continue, this doesn’t mean we must stop reaching out to that volunteer who never shows up; it means we have to weigh how much time we spend doing it.

    And remember, for every minute we spend on something with little ROI, we miss spending that minute on something with a large ROI that has impact and moves us in the direction we want to go.

    What steps can we take to determine where we should invest our time?

    • Volunteer ads: Analyze ads’ effectiveness and spend more time on effective ads. Relegate lesser producing ads to your office volunteers to manage. (and if you don’t have a team of volunteers helping you in every aspect of your job description, what the heck are you waiting for?)
    • Volunteers who are unreliable: Set a tolerance number-I will contact a volunteer X number of times and after no response, I will send them a letter/email/message thanking them, inviting them to contact us when ready.
    • Conflict challenges: If a challenging volunteer repeats egregious behaviors, craft a policy on expectations and stick to it. Make sure every volunteer is given a copy, reads and signs the copy and is aware of your policies and the final dismissal step.
    • Educating staff on the many aspects of volunteerism: Start with one important point and repeat, repeat, repeat; then build on that one concept. Too many concepts dilutes the ability to absorb it all.
    • Staff who improperly manage a volunteer’s time: Move the volunteer to a department that effectively engages volunteers. Make no apologies for moving volunteers to departments or positions that meet the volunteer’s needs.
    • Report, speak and substantiate the why: Want change? Infuse the why (specifics) into everything you say and do. For example, “We have an opportunity to partner with a local florist whose employees want to volunteer and potentially donate flowers, fund-raise for us and help advocate for our services. This will lead to other business partnerships so I need support from multiple departments.” Or, “I moved volunteer Tess to finance because her skills were underutilized in client records.”
    • Close your open door: Set aside planning time and remove yourself from distractions. With any repeated behavior, people will grow accustomed to “oh, yeah, Julie’s out right now. It’s planning time. She’ll be back in an hour.”

    Overloaded volunteer managers have no time for weak ROI. Under our careful cultivation, we need flowers that bloom and grow into effective volunteer engagement and impact.

    So, watch out for plastic flowers; they may look colorful, but water them all you want and they still won’t grow.

    Instead, water the flowers blooming with impact and watch your garden grow into a lush volunteer initiative.

    -Meridian

  • VPT Podcast Episode 6: An Interview with Bo Goliber from Fingerpaint

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/605416/episodes/2913055

    Episode 6

    Bo Goliber, who heads up philanthropy at Fingerpaint, a health and wellness marketing agency, shares the keys to a successful relationship between nonprofits and corporate partners. Bo assures us that corporate partners do not want to overwhelm volunteer agencies, but instead, are looking for long-term relationships built on honesty. Bo says, “don’t be afraid,” when companies reach out for a volunteering opportunity. Authentic partnerships can yield other benefits.

     Fingerpaint was named 2019 Agency of the Year by Med Ad News, and in 2018, it won the Heart Award from Med Ad News for its commitment to philanthropy and social causes. Additionally, it has been on Inc. Magazine’s list of the 5,000 Fastest-Growing Companies for the past seven years. Founder Ed Mitzen was honored as 2016’s Industry Person of the Year by Med Ad News.

    Please view recent articles on Fingerpaint’s philanthropy and culture:

    Why volunteering is essential to employee engagement: https://www.benefitnews.com/news/why-volunteering-is-essential-to-employee-engagement

    Job titles: https://www.hrtechnologist.com/articles/culture/eliminating-job-titles-examples-benefits/

    Leap of kindness: https://www.saratogatodaynewspaper.com/today-in-saratoga/business/item/11215-notes-from-the-chamber-of-commerce-leap-of-kindness-day-has-global-teach-in-2020

    Philanthropy: https://wnyt.com/news/saratoga-springs-making-free-coats-available-around-the-clock-in-front-of-fingerpaint-on-broadway/5235121/

    Follow Fingerpaint on Twitter and Instragram: @fingerpainters

    Thank you Bo, for taking the time to share your wisdom and experience with us.

    -Meridian

  • What do volunteers want? f/u.

    “Wait. you caught me off-balance.”

    What? You thought I meant… No, f/u=follow up. Like sending volunteer managers to leadership training, it’s sadly nonexistent these days.

    Lately, as a volunteer, I’ve experienced a rash of major lack of follow/up. Most of the time, follow/up applies to a new idea or project, but it can include things like getting answers on an assignment .

    Truth is, I’m guilty of it too. But when you experience it from a volunteer perspective, it is a motivation killer. No follow/up is like saying to a volunteer, “this is not important or worth my time. YOU are not important or worth my time.”

    When I was confronted by volunteers for not following up, I would feel off-balance and I’d use the excuses, “I’m working on it,” or “I haven’t gotten an answer yet,” (when I hadn’t even asked) or “I was just about to call you.” I’ve strung people along, put them on hold, shelved them, or ran the other way when I saw them coming; all because the follow/up wasn’t there. (But I was trying, so that made me a good person, right?)

    Why do we do this to our volunteers and to ourselves?

    • we have the best of intentions- but the road to the volunteer apocalypse is paved with good intentions
    • we can’t say no-which creates a loop in which we never get anything done
    • we are caught off guard-and we have no comeback prepared
    • we live in a visionary world-but we have no visionary strategy
    • we think we must prop up all volunteers-so we feed a need in some that may not align with our mission work
    • we are “nice” people-but we mistakenly equate nice with doormat

    The bottom line is this: if we can’t follow/up, we have no business engaging in the first place. What are some ways to prevent the volunteer f/u syndrome?

    • Make priorities known: It’s ok to say, “that is an interesting idea. Right now, our priority is to fill these volunteer roles. Can you help us do that first?”
    • Share the responsibility for f/u with the person: “I’m swamped with this event coming up. Will you remind me after the event?”
    • Be honest: “I might forget because we are in the middle of a recruitment campaign and I don’t want you to think I’m just giving you lip service, so can we revisit this at a later date?”
    • Weed out the serious from the non-serious: “That is an interesting concept. We have a volunteer task force that meets monthly and one of their objectives is to choose and implement a new idea. Would you come to the next meeting and make a pitch?”
    • Define the f/u: “What do you need from me? I will put it on my calendar and get back with you on the 20th of next month after I speak with the finance director.”
    • Don’t sugarcoat the no: “I’ve spoken to our CEO and at this time, she is unable to allocate the resources to your idea. It is not because the idea isn’t a good one, but because we are about to implement a new initiative and it’s all hands on deck right now. Try again after we’re successful.”
    • Don’t own the work: “I would like to help with that, but we are in the middle of volunteer appreciation planning. Can you work up a proposal with specifics and examples and get it to me? Without a fleshed-out proposal, I can’t get an audience to hear your idea.”

    I’ll not lie. I’m disappointed in my recent experiences with f/u even though I understand the why because I’ve been there and had those good intentions. But, still, lack of f/u kills motivation.

    So, let’s not make volunteer f/u an actual….F…. well, you know what I mean.

    -Meridian

  • Please volunteer for us, you caring person :-)

    You’re gonna love it!

    Picture a potential volunteer skimming through volunteer ads, and they come upon yours. Are they intrigued? Do they shout “Golly gee, this is fabulous,” and run for the phone, desperate for the wonderful opportunity? Or do they keep looking?

    According to research, the science of naming brands is more than descriptive words. Clever word coinage, rhymes that fall off your tongue and words that sound like the actual word (think fizz) all play into choosing a name.

    What if we rename common volunteer-wanted ad titles, using these techniques? But wait, let’s add a dose of job realism, shall we? For example, instead of:

    Office volunteer wanted:  Let’s use (and include a tagline)…

    • Mundane-Loving Myrtle; Boredom is the new black
    • Stays-In-The-Cubicle Carmen; see no evil, hear no evil, report no evil
    • Filing-Fool Fiend: keep your head and your hopes down

    Marketing/Fundraising Volunteer wanted: 

    • Shake-Em-Down Shirley; we’re all about the money, er the mission
    • Beggar Bonnie; sucking up to the donors so we don’t have to
    • Stay-In-Your-Lane Larry; we’re the experts here, silly, not you

    Events Volunteer wanted: 

    • Pack-Mule Pete; Hee-haw, following your dreams is so yesterday
    • No-Instructions-Needed Nell; Confusion is the spice of life
    • Stand-And-Wait Stanley; it’s just like being in line at Disney World except there’s no fun ride at the end

    General Volunteer Help wanted:

    • Obedient Ozzie; cause we don’t want no backtalk or new ideas
    • No-Personal-Life Latasha; stay by your phone, we might need something
    • Squeaky-Clean Shaquille; we can’t afford background checks

    While ad titles like Front desk volunteer, Office volunteer and the soul-sucking Dracula of all ad titles, Data Entry Volunteer may describe the positions, they lack the meaning that volunteers crave.

    Other outdated ad titles such as “Caring Volunteer,” or “Friendly Visitor,” feel like they were written with a chisel on stone. Recruitment ads forgotten on social media sites gather more dust than the speech I wrote in case I’m voted employee of the year.

    Or how about these dusty goodies: Bring Your Smile! Hold a Hand. They’re as effective as an ad for a VCR.

    Volunteer ads are passive recruitment which means they work for us while we are out talking to civic groups or sitting at community fairs or having lunch. Spending time and energy on writing these ads and regularly refreshing them is one of the most effective things we can do.

    Picture a student, late at night, phone in hand, swiping through ads that will fulfill their desire to be a change maker. Or a senior, recently widowed, searching in the still morning for something that will add meaning to a bruised soul. Or a working parent, sneaking a peek at ads while helping with homework, looking to spend some me time helping others. What speaks to them?

    Dive deep and find the meaning in your volunteer roles and convey that to potential volunteers. Try:

    • ask existing volunteers to help write ads
    • include quotes or testimonials from volunteers, staff, clients that get to the essence of why this job is important
    • use what I call the 3-way method: describe the job, describe what it means to clients/org and describe what benefits volunteers will reap
    • experiment with funny ads, pop-culture reference ads, or mimic current events
    • create a targeted volunteer profile and write for that person
    • write a question into your volunteer application that asks, “how did you find us,” and include a choice for ads, asking-“which one spoke to you and why?” Evaluate the feedback

    You work hard to recruit volunteers. Volunteer recruitment ads should work as hard as you.

    -Meridian

    This is an update from an old, old, old, dusty post: Caring Volunteers Wanted, Well duh.

  • #LoVols, Our Secret Sauce

    “…it’s so temptingly good!”

    We, volunteer managers have this rare overview of mission operations because our volunteers are involved in many/all departments and services. We know things other staff don’t know. We know Darcy secretly eats pudding at her desk which is why she always needs to swap out her keyboard. We know Lucas watches ninja videos on YouTube while claiming to do research. We know it was Kelly who jealously sabotaged Degan’s report because Degan got to go to that conference in New York.

    But, we also see how siloed everyone is and how much work is disjointed: For example – marketing sends a rep to schmooze a group of potential donors at a civics meeting. A month later, the CEO asks the education coordinator to “teach” a class at this same group. Meanwhile, you have this detail-loving volunteer and you realize they could help marketing and education efficiently merge their efforts.

    The same holds true for endless organizational meetings about a new project that is left simmering because staff is too overworked to get it going. Meanwhile, you know some amazing volunteers who could run with this idea and implement it.

    All throughout your organization, you see where volunteers can add tremendous value. You know what that makes you? (No, not a busy-body). A Visionary. Yep, it does, so let’s own it.

    We have a unique opportunity to offer volunteer value, although speaking up with authority can be downright terrifying. But remember, what is obvious to you is most likely not obvious to everyone else.

    We see where volunteer involvement can tie things together and how collaboration increases effective efficiency (or efficient effectiveness). We can show volunteer value in ways administration hasn’t thought of, but how should we offer?

    The ineffective way of pointing out volunteer help: (Negative Observation = Need Help)

    • Our volunteer heard a presentation given by Marcus at one of her club meetings and she said Marcus mumbled through the whole thing and nobody at her club could hear him so why don’t we use volunteers instead? We’ve got some real chatty volunteers!
    • Our volunteer overheard Gwen in marketing say she is delaying sending Skip the new marketing plan because she’s mad he won the employee of the month award but we have volunteers who are not petty like that so let’s put them in charge of the plan.
    • A volunteer said Jazmine in finance is afraid she’ll lose her job because she is having trouble learning the software, so hey, let’s give her some student volunteers because they all have computer skills.

    We don’t need to share negative tidbits. The visionary approach is to offer the impact of volunteer involvement and remove the objections to it. This is where the secret sauce comes in: It enhances your proposal with volunteer qualifications and the delicious work you have done to develop wonderful people into effective volunteers.

    Think of it this way: Would you feel confident if a staff member said to you, “I see you look stressed and I have someone to help you manage volunteers. They’re really nice.” No, you wouldn’t feel confident, you’d feel anxious. Why? Because negativity breeds anxiety and besides, nice isn’t a qualification. Neither is smart or honest or fun-these are attributes.

    Qualifications are the specific skills that are suitable to the job. (think office skills, public speaking). It’s imperative to ask questions to find what qualifications staff value in volunteers (able to work quietly, self-starter).

    We must offer volunteer help packaged with the volunteer’s qualifications and the background work we’ve done with each volunteer. Our volunteers are a package deal, not some random nice person off the street. We’ve invested time and knowledge in our volunteers and that investment will help open the silo walls.

    The secret sauce way to present developed volunteer help: (Positive observation + volunteer qualifications + secret sauce = win/win)

    • Volunteer Terrence, who is thoroughly vetted (secret sauce–vetting), has volunteered for five years in several roles (qualification), including working directly with our clients. He has been instrumental in bringing in 3 new donation streams (qualification) and through numerous training sessions (secret sauce–training), is versed in mission verbiage. Under my and marketing director Gwen’s watchful eyes (secret sauce-looping), Terrence can double the number of presentations given and he is ready to pilot a volunteer presentation program.
    • Volunteer Mizrah has been thoroughly vetted (secret sauce-vetting) and briefed (secret sauce-training) on the role in finance. He understands the importance of team and boundaries (a qualification you learned is important to Jazmine by talking with her) and will take the burden off Jazmine so she can focus on other important tasks. I will monitor their working relationship closely (the secret sauce – your leadership in looping, mediating and adjusting) so Jazmine is confident with the help.

    The #LoVols’ secret sauce is the work we do in the back of the organizational kitchen, mixing volunteer ingredients, stirring the pot frequently, tasting and adjusting so wonderful people are developed into effective volunteers: See The VOL E TEAM (vetting, orienting, looping, effectively communicating, training, educating, adjusting and mediating).

    We have a vision for our volunteer initiatives. Our volunteers are qualified. We have the secret sauce for their success. Let’s not keep our sauce so secret anymore.

    -Meridian