February 06, 2024
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June 09, 2022Have we made much headway in the past few years? Is this because we spend most of our time focusing on the volunteer management cycle instead of change management or planning practices. The volunteer management cycle is a core component to building and managing a volunteer program but it is focused on activities and process. What I am talking about is more about “you” the person who is charged with overseeing the program. We need to start shifting our thinking as leaders and how the volunteer program can integrate itself into an organizations strategic plan, and as a leader of volunteers, your ability to sell it to your senior leadership team.
June 30, 2022In 2002, when Marty Olsen Laney wrote The Introvert Advantage, it was believed that only one-third of the general population had introverted tendencies. But in a 2010 article in Psychology Today, Nancy Helgoe noted that introverts make up 50% of the U.S. population. Why the discrepancy? According to Helgoe, “Our perceptual biases lead us to overestimate the number of extroverts because they are noisier and tend to hog the spotlight.” In reality, many introverts describe themselves as social, creative and, yes, dynamic. Checking your assumptions and learning as much as you can about introverts are positive first steps toward engaging them in your organization.
July 21, 2022Getting someone to volunteer is like the dating process–getting to know each other and finally asking the commitment question. In recruiting we are not asking for marriage. We are asking for a date–a date to demonstrate the value of our organization, our cause, our mission and the opportunity to make a difference. Each date is filled with opportunities for exchange, questions, and feedback. The goal of the future dates is to tell volunteers that you’d like their help. Now that they’ve had a taste, it’s okay to present your need.
