volunteerplaintalk

Tag: explaining volunteer management

  • I’m Not Nice. Not Really.

    Photo by Dziana Hasanbekava on Pexels.com

    There’s a long-term epidemic plaguing our profession: It’s the idea that Leaders of Volunteers are nice. Like fluffy, sweet as birthday-cake-fudge nice. Like dismissible, non-serious, inconsequential nice.

    Been reading this great post (Abandoning Niceness in Volunteer Engagement) from Sue Carter Kahl and recalling Rob Jackson’s rousing keynote address, “Stop Being So Bloody Nice” at volunteer engagement conferences.

    My “bio” says I was hired for a volunteer management position because I was nice. That is true because niceness was the requirement back in the day. But, what is “nice” anyway?

    Nice: (adj.) pleasing, agreeable

    You know what? I chuckle inside when people tell me I’m nice cause I hide my evil side fairly well. I’m not that gooey, everything is awesome nice. Nope, not at all. Bet you’re not, either. So, why do folks think that? Well, here are the attributes I believe most volunteer managers (VM) have that are consistently confused with niceness.

    Shrewdness: (astute judgement). VMs calculate how to interact with volunteers in the best way to coach and mentor that volunteer so that the volunteer has a meaningful experience and in return, the organization benefits. That doesn’t mean lip-service, it means real work. What looks like niceness is actually a customized form of coaching.

    Caring: (showing compassion). Every VM cares about the volunteers, personally and professionally. Caring takes work to understand the volunteer as a complex human being. It is way beyond and more meaningful than merely asking “how are you” while tuning out the answer. It is investing in the volunteer as a person which is the foundation for engagement.

    Reasonable: (logical). VMs see the bigger picture and can pivot to attain bigger goals. That doesn’t mean agreeing with poor ideas or signing onto flawed requests. It means seeking common ground, working to make sure solutions fit for everyone, taking into consideration the various goals in play. Making sure everybody is happy is nice. Assuring everyone’s goals are met takes skill.

    Flexible: (adaptable). VMs adapt all day long. Not because they “go along to get along” but because they realize give and take is part of volunteer management fluidity and the agile volunteer manager accomplishes more. Flexibility keeps everyone engaged and satisfied that their needs and concerns are heard. The agile volunteer manager then can “bank” the good will they’ve created by adapting to meet staff and volunteer needs. Then, in the future, VMs withdraw some of that goodwill to meet new goals. (yup, we bank that good will and make frequent withdrawals-which makes us incredibly forward thinking)

    Curious: (Inquisitive). VMs want to know things, about volunteers, about staff, about the world. Why? Because VMs stitch information together into a garment that fits a challenge. So, when a VM interviews a volunteer for two hours, or listens to staff gripe about their workload, that’s information gathering for a purpose, not a nice chat or a good gossip session to get out of other duties.

    Effective: (producing results). VMs understand the multiplication principle and how an hour of seemingly meaningless time can equal many hours of productive time. That means listening for an hour to a volunteer chat about personal things will exponentially multiply. Because the end result is, that volunteer, who the VM carved out an extra hour for, ends up working 100 hours, or takes last minute assignments, or recruits 3 outstanding volunteers, or donates money to the cause. Niceness is sitting and listening to a conversation just because. Effective listening begets a positive result.

    Why not nice?

    I was always calculating in my head. Is that manipulative? Maybe. But, see niceness is bland. It produces very little. It’s pleasant and isn’t that why nonprofits tolerate us in the first place? Because they want us to be blandly pliable, aka docile, manageable. They want to order up volunteers but not have to deal with our objections or suggestions or innovations. That’s why volunteer initiatives were created, right? So that there would be a supply of people who happily did whatever was asked while the nice volunteer coordinator made sure the supply never ran out.

    This is 2021, soon to be 2022. We’re going through a freakin’ pandemic for goodness sakes. What “worked” in 1990 no longer works. Volunteer managers must stop allowing the notion that we are nice. No. Not nice. Not pleasant, not cheery, not sweet, not friendly, not genial, and especially not obliging, cheerful, amiable or agreeable. No, we are professionals with goals and proven methods of achieving those goals.

    So, the next time someone tells you you’re nice, smile sweetly and say, “Nope, I’m not nice. I’m effective.”

    -Meridian

    woah, I sort of wrote about this back in 2011- Are we too nice?

  • What do #LoVols do all day?

    What do #LoVols do all day?

    Do #LoVols chat up potential volunteers, make a few phone calls and then go home to binge watch Mind Hunter while eating Cheetos and petting the rescue cat? What do we do all day, exactly?

    We say things like, “I do a bit of everything,” or “I’m a jack of all trades,” or “depends upon the hour, ha ha,” which gives the impression that we are not in control and have no direction. Here’s the thing though: We are in total control and every portion of our day is devoted to engaging volunteers and creating volunteer impact. It’s time we show the world we are proactive, not reactive. Let’s gather all of our people skills under one term, “volunteer engagement skills” and stop downplaying our role. We’re a Jack of the volunteer engagement trade which consists of all kinds of skills, each one working towards a single purpose: creating an effective volunteer experience and team.

    We wear volunteer engagement and impact gear. Our skill set is people- saturated. What looks breezy is calculated. What looks effortless is deliberate. What looks casual is strategic.

    We may appear to be socializing but we are establishing a welcoming and meaningful atmosphere through the hard work of making it look effortless so volunteers are engaged and add value. There is method to our madness as we strategically create a team of effective volunteers through each people-saturated element:

    • vetting
    • on-boarding and/or orienting
    • looping
    • efficiently and effectively communicating
    • training to position
    • educating
    • adjusting or agile thinking
    • mediating
    • structuring

    let’s look at each element and why it is crucial to volunteer impact:

    • vetting: includes background checks, reference checks, one on one interviews, sit-downs and all other “getting to know a volunteer” tactics.
    • Why is this important? Volunteer engagement professionals (LoVols) weed out potential harmful volunteers and redirect volunteers to a fit that works for all stakeholders ensuring clients and staff work with competent people that do no harm and produce results.
    • onboarding and/or orienting: includes introduction and immersion into the mission. Whether by formal or informal methods, the LoVols connects the new volunteer to the work. Orientation is the emotional glue that binds a volunteer to the organization.
    • Why is this important? Volunteer engagement professionals ensure each volunteer understands organizational purpose and intent and is in sync with mission goals and objectives, thus equipping a volunteer with the necessary emotional connection to embrace the mission.
    • looping: includes checking in and checking back with clients, staff and the volunteer in a continuous loop to ensure satisfaction by all stakeholders.
    • Why is this important? Feedback is key to volunteer, staff and client satisfaction. Continual feedback and adjustments create impactful, working relationships, and prevent missteps, misunderstandings and potential disasters. Unlike employees, volunteers work less time without pay so looping is crucial to volunteer success.
    • efficiently and effectively communicating: includes emails, chats, phone calls, meetings and all other methods providing information to volunteers.
    • Why is this important? LoVols balance inspiration and expectations to ensure volunteers understand expectations and organizational direction while reaping the positive benefits of volunteering.
    • training to position: this includes on the job training for the volunteer role. Unlike onboarding or orientation to mission, this training is specific to job requirements. Whether the LoVols trains personally or has been instrumental in guiding staff to train new volunteers, training to position ensures volunteers are equipped to function within their roles and produce results.
    • Why is this important? Volunteers free staff to accomplish their objectives. Essential training equips volunteers with the confidence to fulfill their roles and allow staff the additional time to accomplish their objectives which becomes a dual benefit.
    • educating: this includes newsletters, seminars, workshops, email blasts and other methods to inform volunteers not only about organizational news, but about topics relevant to volunteers’ lives.
    • Why is this important? Education is high on employee and volunteer lists of desirable perks. Continually educating volunteers equips the volunteer team with correct and current organizational information, especially since volunteers are WOMM (word-of-mouth marketing) ambassadors to the community. Educational offerings speaks volumes about the commitment to the volunteers’ positions within an organization and to their well-being.
    • adjusting or agile thinking: this includes reevaluating volunteer involvement or placement, utilizing innovative methods of retention, matching volunteers to roles, flexible adjustments and any other method to address individual volunteer needs.
    • Why is this important? LoVols balance organizational needs with volunteer needs to create a symbiotic relationship that adds value and furthers mission goals.
    • mediating: this includes intervening when necessary, balancing the advocating for volunteer rights while promoting organizational needs, finding middle ground that satisfies all stakeholders and honors the mission. It includes having difficult conversations with volunteers, putting the mission first, dismissing a volunteer when necessary and advocating for volunteers to be treated with respect.
    • Why is this important? Improving or salvaging a relationship with a volunteer is crucial. Poor experiences affect volunteers, staff and clients. LoVols mediate to ensure all stakeholders are satisfied so that mission goals are achieved.
    • structuring strategically: this includes creating innovative new roles to engage today’s volunteers, revamping outdated volunteer positions, policies, procedures and methods of communication, gathering feedback and involving volunteers in strategies.
    • Why is this important? As volunteerism evolves, LoVols structure volunteer initiatives to sustain and attract today’s volunteers by creating new roles, offering flex scheduling, sharing jobs, ensuring diversity, engaging virtual and one time volunteers and including volunteers in strategic planning. As demand for volunteers grows, LoVols are busy structuring for future growth and laying the groundwork to attract and sustain a team of effective volunteers who add value.

    The next time someone stops and says, “gee, it looks like you’re having a lot of fun,” smile and reply, “I’m actually hard at work because one of my volunteer engagement skills includes making fun look effortless. Thanks for noticing.”

    -Meridian

    Photo by Oladimeji Ajegbile on Pexels.com

    P.S. Feel free to share this with anyone who doesn’t understand your job…your grandpa, your snotty cousin Mildred, all your old college roommates, staff at your organization, your CEO…

  • Volunteer Managers, We Have the Picture; We Just Need the Frame

    Volunteer Managers, We Have the Picture; We Just Need the Frame

    You would never think to put the Mona Lisa in an orange plastic frame, would you? Of course not, because frames should enhance a work of art, not detract from it. The right frame borders the image, complimenting the subject and showcasing the work. The right frame makes sense.

    Volunteer added value is a complex and beautiful picture. The stories we share about our volunteers connecting with clients, serving our missions and advocating for our organizations are inspired, and meant to be viewed with appreciation. The value our volunteers bring needs the right frame.

    However, without the proper frame, throwing out super positive phrases about our volunteers can be like this board. “Volunteers are selfless,”or “Volunteers give so much,” can be so broad and gooey that the meaning is lost. If every message about volunteers is so wonderful, so inspiring, so amazing, so terrific, the message becomes diluted and nothing is wonderful or inspiring anymore. It’s just noise without form. If we make volunteers seem like magic faeries that just rise from the garden and buzz on over to do good work, we diminish the effort they bring and the work we do to develop and ready them.

    We have to be honest about volunteer management and its complexities. We need to share the challenges along with the feel-good stories. Volunteer synergy (those pure mission moments when a volunteer connects with a client or helps a staff member or solves a problem) does not occur by happenstance. Those moments are the result of a volunteer manager’s diligence, practice and experience. Synergy occurs because the volunteer manager vetted the volunteer, oriented the volunteer, matched the volunteer’s skills and needs to an assignment, and courageously stepped in to guide the volunteer on a successful path.

    Photo by Nadine Wuchenauer on Pexels.com

    We, volunteer managers are the frame. We are the right frame, the best frame, the correct frame. Our attentiveness, our tenacity, our persistence, our determination, our sincerity and our resolve shape the volunteer experience. We surround our volunteers with the knowledge, tools and encouragement volunteers need to create a complex work of art. We “become” the frame each volunteer needs. For some volunteers, we are the ornate, gold frame and for others we are a simple black band receding into the background.

    Without our guidance, volunteers are simply pictures taped to organizational walls. These haphazard pictures curl up; they fall off and they yellow. But, when we frame volunteer engagement and impact, we create an art gallery that has a flow, that makes sense, that is ordered and sustainable.

    International volunteer managers day was yesterday (November 5). The theme for this year was Change the Tune. We talk about change all the time and I think we need to ask ourselves, “what exactly do we want to change?” How we engage volunteers? How we encourage, develop, inspire and mentor volunteers? How we drop everything to make sure volunteers are successful? How we put volunteering ahead of our own personal needs? We’ve got all that down.

    I think what we need to do is to frame our critical role in volunteer engagement and impact. We need to stop allowing organizational leadership to think that engaging volunteers takes little effort. We need to stop allowing organizations to view volunteers as tools and not as complex human beings that require thoughtful management. We need to stop allowing organizational leadership to assume that volunteers don’t need support from every staff member. We need to stop allowing organizational leadership to plan volunteer involvement without our expert input. We need to stop allowing organizations to operate in an outdated normal and instead embrace the here and now by investing in the volunteer manager frame that surrounds volunteer programs.

    We are a profession. We deserve recognition befitting our expertise, our hard work and our skills. No one will just magically give it to us. We must stop glossing over the work we put into developing volunteers (by vetting, onboarding, training, supporting, stepping in when necessary, sustaining and encouraging) who successfully support and further organizational missions.

    In Rob Jackson’s latest post, he lays out real solutions that will move our profession forward. You can read Rob’s post here.

    So, this International Volunteer Manager Day, the change I want to see is one in which we elevate our critical role and become the “frame” around vibrant, contributing volunteer teams.

    We’re leaders of volunteers. We got this.

    Happy International Volunteer Manager Day to all of you frames out there.

    -Meridian