Leader as Coach: Sustaining the Engagement of Your Volunteers

Heather, I commend you for asking the "best practices" question. When I set out to write the book, "Engaging the Head, Heart and Hands of a Volunteer," I asked the same question. I did uncover a handful of specific examples where this type of Coaching practice has been serving organizations and their volunteers well. Their quotes and stories are included in the book. At the same time, I acknowledge my view to the 1.5 million registered nonprofit organizations in the US, not to mention the global landscape, is limited in comparison to this e-resource. So, we will both be excited to hear even more real-life examples of how Coaching as a leadership practice makes an impact. As much of the book's content details, the practices recommended for leaders of volunteers are often pulled from the best practices of corporate, paid professional environments. My experience is a blend of volunteer service and volunteer leadership and fifteen years as a corporate organizational and leadership development professional. What the two types of organizations share in common is that they leverage the gifts and talents of people. In that sense, the leadership guidance works equally well for paid and volunteer performers. That said, there is scads of research on how Coaching is making a, and at times, THE difference in organizational performance in the paid professional world. The results are clear. There is a direct link between the leadership practice of Coaching and high-performing organizations.

Heather, let me also applaud you for the meaningful conversations in which you and your team already invest in your newest volunteers. This is a solid practice you have instituted for your leaders to deepen the engagement of volunteers during their "introductory" period of service. A word of caution to accompany this practice . . . ending this one-on-one, structured engagement with volunteers after the quarter-year mark overlooks the truth that a volunteer's intrinsic drivers have a high likelihood of evolving over time. How would a leader know what stirs in the heart of a volunteer at the six-month, one-year or beyond mark unless we take the time to ask? As well, consider how volatile and delicate the volunteer relationship can be. One moment, one unfortunate instance or interaction can have a dramatic impact on the engagement level of an individual. What outlet does a leader have for uncovering these engagement inhibitors in the absence of intentional conversation? How would a leader ever know what stirs at that level in their organization if the volunteer is not aware of the forum for sharing this feedback in a safe environment? It is for these reasons, and more, that leaders are encouraged to consider Coaching as an ongoing practice for their volunteer base. You are off to a great start, and I would wager you are seeing the dividends of your investment, Heather.

Heather, your query has inspired so many thoughts! You mention the ratio of 600 volunteers to only four full-time paid staff members serving your organization. I agree, this is daunting! You are facing a similar challenge that many leaders of paid professionals also note: bandwidth. Time is a precious commodity. In the book, the practice of Coaching is qualified as applying to those "dedicated" volunteers. In fact, a simple tool called The Time and Talent Matrix is offered in the book to loosely assist leaders of volunteers with determining with whom they may engage in the Coaching practice, based upon the time they invest in the organization and the talent level they offer. Simplest of terms . . . leaders may or may not wholly engage in this practice for every individual volunteer if the volume is just not practical. They may require some guidelines to determine the categories of volunteers where the benefit would equal or outweigh the leader's time investment. Another cautionary word here . . . notice that the recommendation for which volunteers would be part of a leader's Coaching practice has nothing to do with their current or past performance level. Reinterpreting Coaching as only focusing on an organization's highest and/or lowest performers is not recommended. Instead, see Coaching as the opportunity to elevate the performance and engagement of all who fall into the defined category worthy of the Coaching investment.

One more closing thought, Heather. The answer to what I am about to propose will be different in every organization, but this may be worthy of consideration. View Coaching as a proactive approach to more deeply engaging your volunteers. As a leader invests the time and effort into these conversations, how much of the work tasks that currently rest on the shoulders of the paid staff member or leader could be shared with volunteers? A natural and desired outcome of these Coaching conversations could be that some of the tasks previously deemed as "staff responsibilities" could be shifted to volunteers, thereby freeing leaders to do other things, such as spend more time in Coaching conversation with volunteers. Sometimes, leaders may need to let go of the tasks traditionally assigned to them (with discernment and discretion, of course), and in doing so, they also invest in the ongoing development of their volunteers while increasing their engagement. Yes, it can work! Heather, thank you for the opportunity for continued dialogue!