Managing volunteers is not like herding cats (despite what some managers will tell you)!

(This image: Source unknown)

I never cease to be amazed at the number of leaders, officers and social programme managers who will not use volunteers.  They insist that it is all too hard and it can’t possible work in their situation. 

Actually, nothing could be further from the truth.  In an NGO, there are very few situations (if any) that the contribution of volunteers will not enhance. 

But they do require managing in a different way to employees.  The usual assumptions about employment dynamics do not apply – and I think this is the real reason why some managers don’t want to take on volunteers.  It’s not about the situation; it’s about their willingness to change their management style. 

What are some of the differences and similarities between managing employees and volunteers? 

Managing Employees	Managing Volunteers
The relationship is defined by a financial arrangement	The relationship is defined by “soft” issues such as passion for the cause, loyalty to the leader, or desire to build experience and skills
Employees tends to be more stable and have lower turnover	Volunteers tends to be less stable and higher turnover
Most employees are full-time	Most volunteers are part-time
The manager’s ultimate leverage against poor performance is dismissal leading to financial loss	Dismissal does not lead to financial loss, but will result in other losses
Long term employees are in danger of becoming ”ho-hum” about the work	Enthusiastic volunteers tend to inject a degree of passion and idealism into the workplace
Recruitment and retention is perceived to be easier because of the open employment market dynamics	Recruitment and retention is perceived to be more difficult because both the dynamics of the volunteer market and capacity of the applicants are somewhat hidden and poorly understood
Some employees do not need to be “sold” on the mission to function well and stay in the organisation	Volunteers need to be “sold’ on the mission to function well and to stay in the organisation
Employees’ motivation is strengthened by recognition and being entrusted with challenging tasks	Volunteers’ motivation is strengthened by recognition and being entrusted with challenging tasks
Some employees bring specialist skills, perspectives and experience to the work	Some volunteers bring specialist skills, perspectives and experience to the work
Employees have statutory rights under labour laws	Volunteers have some legal rights in most jurisdictions, but they also have the moral right to be treated with equity and fairness
Employees have the legal right to protection under equal opportunity and health and safety standards	Volunteers have the legal right to protection under equal opportunity and health and safety standards
Employees need a viable, fair and accessible grievance process	Volunteers need a viable, fair and accessible grievance process
It is generally perceived that there needs to be a smaller investment of the manager’s time and resources in reward and motivation activities	It is generally perceived that there needs to be a greater  investment of the manager’s time and resources in reward and motivation activities

What’s in it for me? 

Given all these differences (and not so many similarities), why should a leader employ volunteers?  Here are just some of the reasons why I love having volunteers in my team: 

ü  Volunteers bring a degree and passion and enthusiasm for the mission that we “full-timers” can sometimes lose,

ü  Volunteers bring fresh ideas, newness and are ready to question inefficiencies,

ü  Volunteers tend to be outside the office politics dynamic,

ü  Leaders and other team members are given the privilege of helping volunteers in their skills, career and personal development,

ü  Volunteers value-add capacity and competence to the team as a whole,

ü  Volunteers can provide a pool in which to fish for employees.

(This image from: FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Are you convinced about using volunteers yet?  I hope so.  In my next post, I will share how easy it is to recruit, select, induct and manage volunteers, and I will provide some sample tools that you can adapt for your local setting. 

No more dragon-ladies - Please!

Have you ever wondered what makes the office dragon-lady the way she is?  Did you ever stop to consider why some people are lovely to know socially, but are workplace tyrants when they’re in charge of a team? 

It could have something to do with their limited repertoire of behaviours in the face of frustration.  

Leaders’ behaviour has a much greater impact on the members of a team than any other single person on the team.  Every behaviour the leader gets even slightly wrong is magnified in its impact on the team.  Yet we have the responsibility of keeping everything and everyone on track.  If things are not moving quickly enough, or members of the team are not cooperating, it is so easy to become either too aggressive or too passive, either of which could threaten the cohesion of the team. 

What is the answer to this dilemma? 

The leader has to recognise that he/she is responsible for his/her own behaviour and thoughts.  Most teams will forgive a rare expression on frustration but, beyond this, the leader must be in control of him/herself all the time.

The dragon-lady and workplace tyrant have yet to learn this lesson.  They have not learned to express their opinion, get what they want and move the team forward without resorting to abusive techniques. 

In a frustrating situation there are essentially three behaviour styles that a leader can adopt; passive, aggressive or assertive. 

The Aggressive Leader

The aggressive leader is the one that gets her way without respecting the opinions and feelings of her team members. She may indulge in some extreme behaviour such as shouting, screaming or table banging.  She will generally display non-verbals that are closed, contemptuous and hard.  She is the kind of person that a team member is not likely to approach for advice or guidance.  The key characteristic of her relationship with her team members is fear.

This leadership style does not provide an environment for open communication, creating the probability of vital information not being transferred, de-motivation of team members and strained workplace relationships, all of which results in lower productivity and “soldiering”^.

The Submissive Leader

The submissive leader is the one that gives way to the opinions and feeling of her team members and has little regard for her own.  She avoids conflict and so she often has to resort to manipulative ways to get the job done.  It is not uncommon for her to get caught up in playing favourites and using back door methods to progress the work of the team.  Her workplace is often characterised by bitchiness and back stabbing.  She provides no emotional safety for the team members.  She is usually seen as a “peace at any price” kind of boss, and the domineering members of the team tend to step into the power vacuum and take over. 

The Assertive Leader

The assertive leader is able to issue instructions and directions while at the same time respecting the feelings and the opinions of her team members. 

Fundamental to her belief system is the premise that everyone deserves to be treated with courtesy and respect, and she uses the basic tools of politeness and patience combined with good listening skills and creative problem solving.  She is willing to compromise on some less important things so that she can “win” the important issues. 

She finds that, as she treats her subordinates with respect, they tend to give cooperation in return.  Though her methods might be slower (in that she takes time to win trust and confidence), in the long term her team is more effective and efficient. 

What kind of leader would your team members say you are?  

(Photos courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Six Leadership Tips from Jim Collins

This post by August Turak is so practical and useful, I just had to re-post it as is.

Great advice on time management, staying focused, hiring and firing - the distillation of many years of practical, front-line leadership experience.

Judge for yourself!