Motivation

Just think about it: What helps explain why organizations don’t bother giving volunteers proper training or structure? Why do paid staff often act as though volunteers aren’t really human? Why are milk and cookies universally present at volunteer recognition events? In this issue of Voices, Publishing Editor Emeritus Steve McCurley has the answer: “They think they’re elves!”

Although he has presented this talk at many conferences and workshops over the years, McCurley’s witty and thought-provoking discourse on elf management is presented here for the very first time in print. Enjoy.

Take a moment to think about your worst job ever. The one you struggled to get out of bed to go to. The one you gleefully left at the end of your shift or the start of your weekend. What job design factors contributed to your dissatisfaction? Was the work boring or repetitive? Did you have zero or low control?  Were you aware of how your work contributed to the organization’s goals?

Now take a moment to think about your best job ever. The one that made you just as eager on Monday morning as on Friday afternoon. How was that job designed? Did you perceive your work to be meaningful? Did you find the right amount of challenge? Did you receive both positive and constructive feedback? Were you aware of the way your work impacted others?

Now think about the volunteer positions in your organization, specifically the ones where you struggle with retention, absenteeism, motivation, or poor quality of performance. How can you apply the proven principles of paid job design to developing more satisfying volunteer opportunities? In this e-Volunteerism feature, author Debbie Anderson explains why it all begins with the work design when motivating volunteers to succeed.

Do church volunteers ever experience conflict? Of course they do. Conflict is unavoidable and, when handled in a healthy way, can even result in benefits. Identifying strategies for building unity and minimizing unhealthy conflict among church volunteers are crucial steps in a ministry’s success.

In his doctoral dissertation, Shan Caldwell explored whether applying the recognized secular principles of conflict management and volunteer management would succeed in dealing with disputes among church volunteers. In this feature article, Caldwell shares a set of simple concepts with implications for any faith-based organization. By putting these concepts into action, Caldwell examines how the possibility for healthy, productive, and successful volunteer teams in any setting grows exponentially. 

Assessing learning needs, performing a skills audit and carrying out a knowledge inventory are important activities when providing effective training within organisations. How thoroughly should we extend such techniques to volunteers? How might we link an individual volunteer skills analysis with the overall aims and needs of the organisation?

In this Training Designs article, Sue Jones explores the benefits of needs analysis for volunteers. She examines the pros and cons of a range of assessment methods, and provides practical tips to adapt and apply to volunteer management. 

In the summer of 1982, the magazine Voluntary Action Leadership published “As I See It,” an opinion piece by Dadie Perlov, then executive director of the National Council on Jewish Women. It was based on a presentation made at the Symposium on Women, Work and the Family, sponsored by the Association of Junior Leagues. Thirty years ago, women who had been stay-at-home moms and community volunteers were transitioning into full-time paid jobs - a challenge for voluntary associations of women as well as families and employers.

This Voices article, reprinted with permission, feels both historical and strangely modern. It focuses particularly on the all-volunteer membership/service association, but raises important questions for any organization involving members of either gender. Three decades later, have we answered Perlov's questions? Or do we still grapple with them? At the end of this reprinted article, readers will enjoy an unexpected Epilogue: Perlov's response to the article she wrote over 30 years ago.

Want to incorporate writing techniques used by professionals to inspire, motivate and recruit volunteers? Want to know what works in prompting a reader to move from the armchair to the work site? Of course you do – because you already know that you can make or break your program with the power of words that are written, spoken or enhanced by video.

The secret to words that work is all about showing, not simply telling. Concrete images and specifics show your potential volunteers exactly what you are about and why it matters. Vivid details help you build interest and add drama, and help your readers visualize the unique value you can bring to their lives. You can show them precisely how you (and they) can make a difference in their communities. This feature article by Dalya F. Massachi offers suggestions, examples and ideas to move you in the right direction. You’ll learn to think of yourself as your readers’ eyes, ears, hands, taste buds, nose – and heart.

This feature article is based on an excerpt of the author’s award-winning book, Writing to Make a Difference: 25 Powerful Techniques to Boost Your Community Impact.

It’s a challenge that leaders of volunteers have always faced: how to retain productive volunteers. According to Volunteering in America 2008, one in three American volunteers dropped out in 2007, and this lack of retention can be costly. True, some turnover is expected and even projected. Oftentimes though, good volunteers are lost because of exceedingly preventable reasons. In addition to general retention issues, burnout is often cited as a reason for volunteer attrition. Volunteer resources managers would benefit from understanding the causes of burnout; ways to mitigate and prevent burnout; and how to identify burnout in their unpaid staff members.

This issue of Along the Web can help volunteer resources managers maintain a strong volunteer base. Written by Erick C. Lear, it begins with general information regarding volunteer retention, includes academic literature on the subject, and then offers specific suggestions and strategies for improving retention and preventing burnout among volunteers. Finally, threeunique self-tests are included to help volunteer managers identify those volunteers who may be at risk of burnout. 

As practitioners in the field of volunteer engagement, we all know the extraordinary impact volunteers have on creating real change in diverse communities. We are also familiar with the multitude of altruistic motivations that inspire individuals to step up and lend a hand. At the same time, we also know that volunteering can be a terrific way for individuals to gain benefits both personal and professional. We’ve seen volunteers translate their service into dynamic career paths and make new friends through shared volunteer experiences. Whether they are driven to engage primarily by a motivation to do good in the world or simply to stay busy while they look for paid employment, the end result can be a volunteer experience that is life-changing for both the volunteer and the community.

As volunteer managers, we know all of this. But do our volunteers?

This article by Erin L. Barnhart provides an overview of how volunteer management professionals can play a more active role in encouraging volunteers – both current and new – to explore and identify the multitude of motivations they might have for getting involved. Barnhart explores how leaders of volunteers can help individuals better understand a key element of service: because altruistic and personal motivations and goals are not mutually exclusive, both types of motivations can often lead to more satisfying, meaningful and effective volunteer placements. 

How can an organization and its volunteers get more done for the people and the communities they serve? In this article, Graham Allcott, the former CEO of Student Volunteering England and the author of the new book called How to be a Productivity Ninja, combines his love of volunteering with his passion for productivity to discuss how productivity techniques can help organizations, volunteers and volunteer managers be more productive. One secret? According to Allcott, it’s learning the art of letting small but bad things happen.