volunteerplaintalk

Tag: volunteers

  • Half a Cup of Meaningful Sugar Please

    book cover

     

    Measuring the Impact of Volunteers

    Roger nervously waited his turn. “This time I hope I can get their attention,” he told himself. As the CEO called him forward for his ten minute report slot, Roger knew from experience that he had exactly one minute to engage his audience. Staff wasn’t interested in seven new volunteers. They smiled politely at his “Sally filled in an extra hour at her job” stories. After about one minute, he observed, they would begin to check their phones while he reported hours volunteered, money and salaries equated and clients served.
    So this day, Roger stepped to the podium and began to report on a new project the volunteers had initiated. He spoke passionately of the impetus for the idea, the endless committee meetings and the hard work of the involved volunteers. As his enthusiasm grew, he looked around. Some of the staff had pulled out their phones. Some were starting to chat with others around them. The CEO’s executive assistant smiled encouragingly at him but the CEO was checking his watch. Deflated, Roger quickly gave his report on hours and statistics. He sat down as the meeting came to an end. “What is it going to take?” he mumbled.

    Statistics regarding volunteer involvement is an area that is challenging for most volunteer departments. What are we asked to report? Do those statistics tell the whole story? Are the statistics meaningful and support the mission? Do they show that volunteers are an integral part of services provided?

    We can pepper volunteer stories and examples into our reports, but if these examples exist only as a sugary “awwwww” moment, then they, too can be meaningless.

    A new book from Energize entitled, “Measuring the Impact of Volunteers” tackles this important subject. The innovative Volunteer Resources Balanced Scorecard introduced in this well researched book is a tool in which to not only create meaningful reporting, but to also create and evaluate volunteer involvement.

    If only we, volunteer managers know the excellent and mission supporting work volunteers do every day, then just as we tell our volunteers when emphasizing the importance of turning in their reports, “if it’s not reported correctly, it didn’t happen.”

    I highly recommend this book as an introduction to professionally reporting volunteer involvement as more than just volunteer hours and money supposedly saved. Let’s elevate the way our volunteers are viewed from sugary cute add ons to mission supporting crucial members of our organization’s teams.

    For us, it’s mission critical.
    -Meridian

  • Awards: The Bridge to Inspire

     

     

    PeaceBridge
    Peace Bridge from e-architect.co.uk

    “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.”   …C.S.Lewis

    When John approached Emma about nominating her for a volunteer award, she adamantly shook her head. “No way, no. I don’t want the recognition. I don’t do this for any praise, I do it because it’s the right thing to do.”

    “I know, Emma,” John replied. “But you are perfect for the award. I know you can win.”

    Nominating a volunteer for a local, regional or national award is a big deal. We all know volunteers who deserve recognition and ironically, the ones who embody the spirit of the awards are the ones who don’t want the “fuss.”

    So, how do we convince deserving volunteers to let us nominate them and should we bother with it anyway? Is winning an award something we should boycott on principal or does it have a place?

    You know the volunteer who immediately comes to mind when thinking about nominations. You happen to peek in on them and they are quietly doing the most amazing work. As you watch them, you envision the entire room as a bridge, constructed by an unassuming volunteer who is changing the life of the person they are helping, one plank, one suspension wire at a time. You wish you could capture that perfect scene in a bottle or at least on film, so that you could show it worldwide. “Here!” you would shout, holding up the moment. “Here is the perfect piece of volunteering. This is what it is all about!”

    Perhaps awards are not exactly what we are aiming for, but if they are an avenue to tell a volunteer’s story, to shed light on our volunteers’ accomplishments, and to galvanize others, then awards can serve a purpose. And explaining that to a reluctant volunteer just might convince them to allow you to tell their story.

    “Emma,” John continued, “I know that you are not an attention seeker. Your work speaks for itself. “But if telling your story can inspire others to step forward and volunteer, wouldn’t that be a worthwhile thing?”

    “I just don’t want to do this for the wrong reason,” Emma returned skeptically.

    “I agree wholeheartedly,” John agreed. “We’re not going to make a big fuss. We just want to show others that volunteering impacts our clients in the most profound way. I know that telling your story will do just that.”

    And so, with the assurance that a nomination was for reasons that would never include self-promotion, Emma agreed to allow her exceptional story to be told. She not only won, she caused others to get involved.

    A very wise person once told me that the secret to nominating volunteers for awards is to find the “angle.” What sets the volunteer apart? What obstacles has the volunteer overcome by volunteering? What has the volunteer done to initiate change, improve a program, or solve a problem? What about this volunteer’s story must be shared with others?

    But nominations can also be written to influence people. By hearing amazing volunteer stories, potential volunteers can seek an opportunity to be part of that incredible bridge building. And many folks just might want to join a group of “award-winning volunteers.”

    Nominating volunteers can:

    1. Elevate volunteers within the organization
    2. Demonstrate the importance of volunteer involvement
    3. Show the volunteers that they are valued
    4. Inspire potential volunteers to join
    5. Gather stories highlighting the impact of volunteers

    Although most volunteers shy away from the spotlight, their compelling work can often motivate others to step forward.

    And if awards can work for us,  then let the nominations begin!

    -Meridian

     

     

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  • Ten Email Subject Lines for Volunteer Managers

    email subject line

    Do you sometimes feel like your emailed requests or questions swirl down the computer garbage disposal sink drain before anyone actually reads them?

    Yes, it happens. I think busy senior managers are forced to choose an immediate crisis (think, Subject: One of your staff just over-reported her mileage reimbursement ) versus a well thought out and professional big picture question regarding the future of volunteering. Unfortunately, you’ve now just entered into the email game of “Let the Priorities Begin!”

    So, let’s first look at the subject lines that get deleted faster than you can ask, “are the volunteers going to be recognized at the Gala this year?”

    1. Subject:  I have this new, awesome volunteer that I think could help you. (so this should be the one everyone can’t wait to open but sadly we live in a paradox. This email doesn’t always get deleted but can sit on the “to do” list until eternity. Why?) (Actual recipient’s response before deletion: “Because new volunteers are MORE work for me, not less.”)
    2. Subject:  A volunteer has a suggestion. (Ok, guaranteed this one gets deleted.) (Actual response before deletion: “Hmm, so a once-a-week person is going to tell us how to run our organization?”)
    3. Subject:  A volunteer needs supplies to start a new project. (Actual response before deletion: “Hahahahahahahaaaa, you think we have a budget for anything but salaries and maybe fancy napkins for our Gala?”)
    4. Subject:  I have a proposal for your consideration. (Actual response before deletion: “Seriously, honey, we have projects we saw at the last national conference and now must see implemented, so you just have to wait your turn.”)
    5. Subject: I have a challenging situation. (Actual response before deletion: “But I’m working on how to squeeze two jobs into one and if I just ignore things, they may go away cause I’m stretched soooooo thinnnnnnnnnnnnn.”)
    6. Subject: I am so livid right now. (Uh oh, sending emails when angry or upset is never a good thing and will forever hang a “snippy, snarky” title around your neck.) (Actual response before deletion: “Me too!”)

    So, how do we get our emails read before the rest of the stampeding herd of communication? Here are ten subject lines  to make sure that your email is opened immediately:

    1. Subject: Fwd: Evidence that our organization is a cover for the CIA!
    2. Subject: FWD: Rumor alert! Downsizing-Guess who the CEO is firing next?
    3. Subject: The CEO created a new award and I’m nominating you!
    4. Subject: FWD: This reporter is asking our volunteer for a statement on organizations mishandling money. Can you help?
    5. Subject: Fwd: Shocking photos of staff napping during the last staff meeting. (this one is good for attachments)
    6.  Subject: This volunteer works for a company that gives non-profit grants of up to $50,000!
    7. Subject: A volunteer BROKE the new expensive projector and I’m charging a new one on the corporate credit card (you’ll probably get a phone call)
    8. Subject: Warning! Scandalous photos of board members attached! You won’t believe No. 7! (again, good for attachments)
    9. Subject: Fwd: You won’t believe what this volunteer overheard while working in Finance! Hint” Buy gold!
    10.  Subject: Fwd: This volunteer is thinking about donating $100,00!

    I’ll admit, you can only use these once on each person and you’ll most likely be forced into a good one on one with a counselor, so maybe save them for an absolutely crucial email or the day you announce your retirement, whichever comes first.

    But, maybe a little creative email can move us forward in the shuffle. At the very least,  it might just be a way to have a little fun.

    -Meridian

  • Humbled

    potato pancakes
    Managing volunteers is very much like attending a life university in which there are classes on leadership, psychology, history, arts, health, philosophy, science and sometimes when you get lucky enough, quantum physics. We not only learn from our volunteers, but also each other, our clients, and our staff. No wonder we brush off the day-to-day hard stuff. We’re here to learn and grow.

    Sometimes, that learning is tiny, almost imperceptible like a diamond lying in the dust under our feet until a shaft of sunlight illuminates the sparkle and only then, we stop to pick it up and turn it over in our hand, enthralled by the worth of such a tiny object.

    Dot was a snip of a woman, outliving her husband by years, childless, left alone with her money and an emptying change purse of friends. She came to the hospice care center, her mind and demands intact and she could speak about the service aboard cruise lines as I could tell you where to find the best deal on hot dogs. She came with a short list of foods she would eat and an even longer list of those she would not. It was challenging for the volunteers who cooked in the kitchen and I tried to help them as much as possible to not become discouraged by difficult demands and critiques.

    One morning after hearing the food stories of the previous day, I noticed that potato pancakes were on Dot’s “will eat” list and I thought of my deceased grandmother who had made them from scratch. Surely, I reasoned, scratch potato pancakes would calm Dot’s critical tongue, so I tied on a ruffled apron and got to work. I fancied myself on an episode of Iron Chef and put my heart and soul into 3 perfectly cooked pancakes. Feeling flush with satisfaction, I covered them with the tenderness of a new mother and brought them down to her room. She was looking out the window as I knocked.

    “Good morning,” I chirped as she fixed me with eyes of steel. “I have something special for you, Dot.”

    “What is it?” she growled, a big cat cornered in our prettily decorated trap.

    I gently removed the cover, exposing my precious gift as I approached her tray table. “Potato pancakes, I made them just for you,” I said, breathless, waiting for that appreciative look I’d come to crave.

    Dot looked at me then down at the plate. She inspected the pancakes as though they were secretly holding explosives and then she looked back at me. “Take them away,” she said with a wave of her hand.”Everybody with any sense knows you put black pepper in potato pancakes.” With that her gaze turned to the window again. I was dismissed.

    Crushed like a flower beneath the stampeding herd, I headed back to the kitchen and scraped the three chef worthy pancakes into the garbage. I continued my day, the sting of rejection clouding my happiness.

    I packaged that experience and unwrapped it later at home, letting my thoughts go anywhere they wanted. Why was she so ornery? Why couldn’t she just acknowledge my gift for what it was? Why did this hurt? Why do I bother?

    Then, a prick of sunlight set itself on the dusty diamond. I began to ask myself these questions: Why did I assume she wanted those pancakes without my asking? Why did I cook them for her in the first place? Why, if I wanted to be of service, was this about me and my feelings?

    From that day on, I tried to be better at focusing on the client and by extension, any volunteer or friend or family member or staff member instead of myself. I began to ask more questions and listen less to my voice. I began to free myself from personalizing everything.

    When I would help out in the kitchen and take an order from a patient, I would ask them, “how do you want that prepared?” It’s amazing how many ways you can prepare toast, for instance-white, wheat, rye, pumpernickel, lightly toasted, toasted dark, dry or with butter or olive oil, whole or cut into two or four, rectangular or triangle-shaped, with or without jelly or peanut butter or honey or chocolate or maybe hummus. But the point was to give the person what they wanted without making them feel like a burden or without a self congratulating experience.

    I have been fortunate over the years to be humbled again and again, especially at times when I started to think that I just knew more than everybody else.

    Humility is one vastly underrated quality. It instills a sense of peace and curiosity and just might make someone like Dot feel a heck of a lot less captured.

    And oh, I now make potato pancakes with black pepper in them, because everybody knows that’s the way you do it.

    -Meridian

  • The Why? Parade

    Huntington-Beach-Parade-009
    http://www.huntingtonbeachparade.com/archives/huntington-beach-parade-huntington-beach-high-school-marching-band-4/

    A report on the Giving in Hard Times Project that attempted to increase volunteering levels in the UK showed that none of the employed approaches increased volunteering, according to Peter John, professor of political science and public policy at the School of Public Policy, University College London. The conclusion of this report in Professor John’s words was “finding out that something did not work means more research can discover something that does.”

    Ok, that’s an honest conclusion and implies that recruiting volunteers is not as easy as some might think. You know, for some odd reason, this makes me think of comedian Louis C.K.’s hilarious riff on children who continually ask “why” to every answer given until a parent incoherently rattles off meaningless garbage or just yells at the child. Sometimes organizations repeatedly ask volunteer managers “why are there no volunteers” without hearing or understanding our answers, much like four-year old tykes. It goes something like this:

    Senior Manager Gwen: Esther told me there were not enough volunteers at the Golf Tournament on Saturday. Can you tell me why?

    Volunteer Manager Toby: Well, there were 10 really capable volunteers in attendance, as per the original request, just three short of the last-minute requested number.

    SM Gwen: Well, why weren’t there 13 volunteers there?

    VM Toby: There were several reasons, the biggest one being that we had ten volunteers lined up and Esther asked for three more on Friday at 4pm. We made numerous calls, but were not able to procure extra volunteers.

    SM Gwen: Why couldn’t you reach more volunteers? You say we have a hundred volunteers on our list, why couldn’t you get three more if you actually called everyone?

    VM Toby: Mainly because not every volunteer is available last-minute and our volunteers are very busy people with jobs and families and other commitments. Most volunteers are not home at 4pm. I know this because I have had multiple requests for last-minute volunteers.

    SM Gwen: Why are they unavailable? Didn’t they sign up to help us?

    VM Toby: Of course they did and they do; if I might show you last month’s volunteer hours, you will see that we increased volunteer participation 20% over the month before.

    SM Gwen: I’m not interested in stats right now. Why then do I have a golf tournament coordinator who had to stay an extra hour to collect and tally all the score sheets?

    VM Toby: Yes, I was told that by our lead volunteer, Ben who by the way was a professional events coordinator for over ten years. However Ben said that volunteer staffing was more than adequate and that some volunteers did not have enough to do. He also mentioned that the scores were not tallied on time because the system for collecting them was chaotic. He offered to help, but was rebuffed.

    SM Gwen: Huh. Be that as it may, 13 volunteers were requested. So why can’t you recruit people who are available to us, like people who aren’t doing anything like the ones who have no jobs and no commitments?

    VM Toby: Well, because typically, people who don’t do anything don’t do anything for a reason. Mostly, they don’t wish to volunteer. We try, but they don’t follow through.

    SM Gwen: C’mon. It can’t be that hard.Why can’t you just convince them? Do you need one of our marketing people to come talk to recruits?

    VM Toby: Thank you, no. From my extensive experience, volunteers need to hear a message directed at their wants and needs, not a general marketing message meant mainly for donations..

    SM Gwen: Why are you taking that attitude with me?

    VM Toby: Because I feel like you are calling me incompetent and incapable, of which I am neither. Recruiting volunteers takes skill and I have recruited and retained forty productive volunteers in the past two years. Besides, I also weed out inappropriate people as well, It’s not about numbers here, it’s about great, professional people volunteering for our organization. I’m proud of our volunteer force .Last minute requests will always be hard to fill, but I willingly do my best every time.

    SM Gwen: Then why can’t Esther get 3 volunteers when she needs them? Three, just three?

    VM Toby: Ok, because I’m stupid and lazy and I just want to collect a paycheck! I come in late, leave early and spend hours at lunch. I could care less about this mission and just want to find another job! Recruiting is easy, managing volunteers is a breeze, any idiot can do it, all right?

     

    Yeah, kind of like answering a four-year old’s why parade. Even a well-thought out attempt by highly qualified people to increase volunteer rates proved that volunteer recruitment is a complicated and nuanced task.

    So my why question to organizations is: Why aren’t volunteer managers judged on the number of competent and productive volunteers professionally recruited and managed, instead of on the perceived handful of phantom always available mind-less volunteers who are unavailable last-minute?

    -Meridian

     

  • 10 Ways Managing Volunteers Prepare You for Life

    tool box

    Do volunteer managers possess an enviable set of mad life skills? Should we share those finely honed skills with a world looking for self-help?

    Hmmmm. So I’m thinking, we could advertise an immersion self-help experience by inviting people to come manage volunteers with us for a week,  kinda like a  “psyche boot camp.” Maybe we could even make a bit of money on the side.

    I can see the advertisement now: “Volunteer Manager Life Lesson Boot Camp-We’ll Give You a Psychological Boot in the Psyche.”

    So how exactly does volunteer management prepare us for a good productive life?

    1. It shows you how to find your own satisfaction:  You will learn to not expect praise for every little thing even though the job may be harder than anyone knows and it’s never a 9 to 5 job. (Kinda like the skills needed to raise a family.)
    2. It shows you how to stifle envy and look at the world in terms of concepts bigger than your ego: You will learn to experience personal gratification from others’ successes and take pride in seeing others’ soar. (Kinda like the skills needed to function well in society.)
    3. It teaches you patience and persistence: You will learn that amazing projects take a long long long time and an unbelievable amount of hard work, even though people may want results immediately. (Kinda like the skills needed to build a wonderful and fulfilling life.)
    4. It teaches you that not everything is as it appears: You will learn that circumstances are unique and can surprise, delight and disappoint you, but won’t deter you from carrying on and being optimistic. (Kinda like skillfully finding personal happiness from within, not from without.)
    5. It teaches you that people are complex, amazing creatures: You will learn to look deeply at people and not just at their surface persona.(Kinda like the skills of great leaders.)
    6. It teaches you that being a martyr is a waste of time: You will learn that if you make it look easy, everyone will think it’s easy and that overextending yourself just brings stress. (Kinda like finding the skills of self-care in order to be at your best.)
    7. It teaches you to negotiate like a champion: You will learn to mediate and resolve issues in a respectful, productive manner. (Kinda like the skills you need to navigate buying a car or resolving issues with a neighbor.)
    8. It teaches you that passion is infectious: You will learn to channel your inner enthusiasm while inviting others to join in. (Kinda like the skills needed to find a circle of friends and to be involved in your community.)
    9. It teaches you critical thinking: You will learn to analyze situations and resolve problems quickly and efficiently. (Kinda like the skills needed in life.)
    10. It teaches you compassion and empathy: You will learn active listening skills and the ability to truly empathize with people of all walks of life. (Kinda like the skills needed to be a good person.)

    These are just 10 of the life skills volunteer managers possess. In order to be a success at our jobs, we must adopt many skill sets that actually help us navigate our own lives. Luckily for us, these skills also make us better people.

    -Meridian

     

     

     

  • The Two Forks and Timing

    forks3
    Icebreakers: I could never really get the hang of using them at the first meeting when training hospice volunteers. I usually got eye rolls and polite “oh here we go” smiles so I opted for a more conversational start to training new volunteers who had real expectations for a serious mission.

    I did however, develop a few exercises of my own that I introduced into the middle of volunteer training. Admittedly, these were often self entertaining and helped keep me engaged and I tried to deliver them with a twinkle so that the volunteers understood that the subject at hand was not just about doom and gloom. Hopefully they saw a lighter, quirkier side that prepared them to view patients and families with appreciation for the diverse and sometimes absurd situations that might arise.
    forks2

    One exercise for a small group was “two forks.” I asked the volunteers to arrange two identical forks in any setting they wanted. I told them to just arrange them on the table however they envisioned them at the moment. After the volunteers arranged the two forks, I would “interpret” their arrangement with phrases such as, “you are very open minded” or “you are extremely creative.” Teens especially liked this exercise. They would smile wryly and mentally call me out on my “game” but they would play anyway and seemed to enjoy the spoof of psychological testing. (I always did “fess up” and tell the volunteers that it was all made up) But then we would seriously discuss volunteering with various personalities and how to best connect with folks.
    forks

    Another exercise that I used in group training was the personality test. I downloaded a simple quick personality test with broad results and tweaked the questions to represent volunteering scenarios. I asked the volunteers to record their answers on their paper and then tally up their score. I then read the “results” according to the score ranges. For instance, those with a score within 10-20 were introspective while 90-100 were very outgoing.

    But I added my own twist to the test results. I made up silly outcomes for each personality type based on volunteering with a patient or family member such as, “it is said that this personality type because of their bubbly personality ends up talking so much about their recent family cruise that the family member actually experiences seasickness.”

    About halfway through the result reading, the shocked looks turned to laughter and relief. “Oh you got us,” the volunteers would say. But it wasn’t just for comedy relief. We then went on to discuss the different ways a well meaning volunteer could over step their boundaries and reiterated how to keep active listening in mind. Those were productive conversations.

    One thing I did learn in years of training was that timing is everything. Acting wacky or introducing quirky subjects too soon destroys the trainer’s credibility. Once trust and sincerity is established, then comedy relief and diverse teaching methods will be much more readily accepted. The same goes for introducing deep subjects. Volunteers have to be ready in order to really digest profound information.

    My barometer of a class’ comfort level was always predicated on the day the class got up and freely helped themselves to coffee and snacks while chatting warmly with one another. It usually took two sessions to establish that level of comfort and trust. (I always taught six 3 1/2 hour sessions for initial orientation).

    But once that comfort level was achieved, then I could introduce really fun activities, and on the flip side, speakers with really deep and profound experiences to share. Classes laughed and cried, but only after we all felt really safe with each other. Honestly, those intimate moments with new volunteers are memories so precious to me, I can’t even begin to describe them. How fortunate I am to have them.

    Yes, timing is everything. Volunteers look to us to illuminate the way and we should be honored to own that responsibility. Providing volunteers with deep meaning enhanced with light and laughter takes some sense of timing. But when you get it just about right, it fills your soul with the most amazing moments.
    forks4

    Training volunteers creates a bond with them from the very beginning. We neither have to be just ultra serious nor just silly and entertaining. We only need to make them comfortable and care that they learn and feel a part of our team. This sincerity paves the way for the information you want to present.

    So, don’t be afraid to have some fun.(When the timing is right of course) Arrange your own two forks, create a personality test, make up an icebreaker and watch the magic happen!

    -Meridian

     

  • The “Blockholm” Syndrome

    6-112860-dog-kittens-1438803469
    From Mom.Me

    Javier is a former volunteer coordinator for a large non-profit agency. He now works as an insurance representative and jokes that he was hired because he had access “to all these retired people.” As he runs his fingers through his hair, he says. “I often regret that I left my volunteer coordinator job. I really thought that I was doing fulfilling work and I had some ideas to engage more volunteers, but at the same time, I felt really, oh, I don’t know, unimportant. Besides myself, we had a volunteer manager, Kristen, and another volunteer coordinator, Gail. Kristen would often vent her frustrations at senior management’s lack of understanding of volunteer services. She would come down from a meeting and roll her eyes and say, ‘Well, we got overlooked again.’ I think that affected Gail and me a lot. We began to notice little things more, like not being recognized for organizational accomplishments, not being remembered on Volunteer manager appreciation day, and other things, like not being called on in staff meetings to offer opinions. I started to think that I wasn’t producing enough, so I started looking for another job. When I landed one, I gave my notice. I’m not sure how I could have changed the way I felt, but I wish I could have.”

    Tragically, Javier is not alone and while it is really crass of me to compare volunteer managers to survivors of traumatic hostage taking, aka the stockholm syndrome, I just wanted to point out that we, volunteer managers can easily start to believe that we are not as valuable as other staff based on our perceived treatment of volunteer services. Our self-worth can be “blocked” when we think that the volunteer department is the last one to be recognized, funded, or given educational opportunities. For those who are the sole volunteer coordinator, it is especially difficult, because who the heck is there to commiserate with besides the little stuffed tiger that sits on the back of the desk? (you know the one with the huge blue eyes a volunteer brought back from her trip to India).

    Others might point out, “well, jeepers, the volunteers praise you all the time and lots of them are highly educated!” But true as that may be, do we not equate volunteer praise to the cuteness of a parent’s praise and think, “Yeah, well, they have to say that, they’re my volunteers!”

    Deep down, do we not wish upper management could see what volunteers see in us? Do we long for that one on one with senior management so that they could feel our passion? Do we secretly hope that one of our more respected volunteers would burst into the CEO’s office and declare, “look, you have got to come to your senses and realize how valuable your volunteer manager is and I’m here to make you see that. Now sit!”

    If we are not careful, we may become victims of the Blockholm syndrome. We can get dejected, depressed and frustrated as we look through the prism of low self-worth. So, how to keep from being “blocked?” Here are just a few suggestions:

    1. Keep all notes of praise-as a matter of fact, write down verbal praise after the fact and keep these in a handy drawer. You will be shocked and buoyed by the rapid accumulation of kind words.
    2. Deflect flippant unkindness-remember, snide comments are all about the speaker, not anything you’ve done.
    3. Check in with people who care about you. Hearing from those who lift you up helps  and don’t dismiss volunteer praise. The volunteers are smart, accomplished, perceptive people and their praise should never be discarded.
    4. Continue to advocate for the great work you do. There are plenty of staff who notice your accomplishments even if they don’t vocalize continuous praise. Actually, praise everyone around you-they probably feel overwhelmed and undervalued just like you. They will return the favor.
    5. Find ways to get volunteers into the limelight. Great publicity usually shines brightly all around.

    Volunteer managers are amazing individuals who impact the lives of so many people from clients to volunteers to family and friends to other staff members. While we usually humbly state that we don’t need praise to function, we too, are human and sometimes feel under valued by circumstances around us. Don’t let it block your self-worth.

    In the words of a volunteer, “I owe so much to my volunteer coordinator. She trained me, spent time with me and showed me the way. She was patient and kind and now I am so proud of the work I do. I am a better person because of her.”

    Let’s all unleash our potential by focusing on the positive instead of letting the blockholm syndrome define who we are.

    -Meridian

     

     

     

     

     

  • Maybe I Need a Good Cry

     

    tissues

    Kenny, a part time volunteer manager recently said, “my brain is sometimes so overloaded that I feel like I’m going to explode. I have duties as a thrift store manager which is a full time job overseeing all the donations, ordering supplies, keeping the store clean and organized and then I also manage about 20 volunteers who are really a different type of managing from my four employees. I’m constantly juggling all the needs of customers, staff and volunteers. I feel like the constant stress is just building up and there’s no way to get rid of it.”

    Stress is a volunteer manager’s BFF.  It looks over our shoulder as we guzzle our first cup of coffee and crawls into bed with us at night. It’s hanging around from the first stir of our PC’s until well after we arrive home still thinking about whether we should make one more phone call to make sure the volunteers have what they need for that event in the morning. Our jobs are never done and there is hardly ever a break from that needy shadowy voice that whispers, “you should have called volunteer Emma to see how her trip went”.  We listen to volunteers’ stories in the grocery store. We field calls and emails after hours. We are recruiting as we wait for that donut and coffee. We show up at events on weekends, fill in for volunteers that call off, and network while getting our cars washed. It’s no wonder that we live with the annoying grip of continuous stress. So how do we unwind? How do we duck into a side door to ditch stress for just a few moments? Well, here are a few suggestions from volunteer managers I have known:

    Do something ridiculously silly: Go sing at a karaoke, dress in a costume and attend a non-costume party, play a crazy board game with friends. Let loose and make fun of yourself and laugh until your sides hurt. When you are genuinely laughing, your focus is on the fun and those nagging thoughts about how you forgot volunteer Mary’s grand dog’s birthday are banished, thus giving yourself a much needed break from the seriousness of work.

    Build something: Put on your old clothes, get your hands dirty and dig a moat around your house, make a 3 foot statue of your ex, construct an outside igloo in summer, or make Mount Everest out of paper clips . Concentrating on the task at hand frees your mind from the worry that staff member Giselle will make 87 year old volunteer Dan carry all the boxes of event stuff up two flights of stairs which will probably give him a heart attack .

    Hide for a day: Go off the grid and bar the door. Watch that movie about bugs who sing, sleep, or practice your banjo. Do not clean, answer any communication nor entertain guests. Make it a good 24 hours of nothing. Eat whatever you feel like eating and don’t comb your hair. Banish your stress buddy by unplugging and binge watching those television shows about two roommates who are really zombies. By immersing yourself in a fantasy escape, you can artificially express your emotions without consequence and “care” about something that is not real nor consequential.

    Let the sadness escape: Spend some time watching the saddest movie ever, read a poignant story, find a documentary on tragedies and cry until you are dehydrated and reaching for the Gatorade. In the helping professions, we deal with true sadness and tragedy every day and yet we know that breakdowns do not help our clients so we stifle sadness. It needs to come out so let it escape with “Terms of Endearment” or “Sophie’s Choice” and a six pack of boxed tissues.

    Find a qualified BFF. Someone has to understand exactly what we are going through, so find a person who has either been a volunteer manager or has an ability to relate to your frustrations and confide in them regularly. Of course they must be discreet, but you can use fake names when speaking about that volunteer that keeps going to the CEO about the lack of proper bathroom tissue in the stalls.  Sometimes we just need a respected good friend to tell us we’re not nuts.

    I’m sure you have other great ideas about how you de-stress and honestly, we all would love to hear them, especially if there are ways to mini de-stress during workdays.

    Stress is always going to be a part of a volunteer manager’s job so we need to keep it from buying us matching best friends forever bracelets. Hang on, I think “Titanic” is just about to come on. Sniff

    -Meridian

     

  • “It’s Good to Remember, Remember With You”

    With his permission granted, I want to share a song written several years ago by Michael Becker, a talented singer and songwriter who strove to capture the connections volunteers make with folks suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Mike spent many years not only volunteering with people at end of life but also inspiring new volunteers to follow their hearts.  I’ve been humbled witnessing Mike playing his song for patients, caregivers, family members and volunteers who quietly relate to that difficult journey through memory loss. As Mike says, “I’m just grateful to be able to share my experiences through my music.”

    Please enjoy

    -Meridian