How to effectively delegate to volunteers - Discussion Forum

Discussion Forum > How to effectively delegate to volunteers

I don't know. Do you?

February 14, 2013 at 15:30 |

Alan Baljeu

I work with volunteers all the time - and indeed am one myself in several contexts. In some ways they are easier to work with than paid employees because they genuinely believe in the cause (whatever it is).

You don't have money as a positive motivator or discipline procedures as a negative motivator so you have to pay more attention to other forms of motivation. This isn't a bad thing, since it means you will be concentrating on the things which really motivate people.

A few points (you can probably think of more:

1) Make it clear what they are supposed to be doing.
2) Respect and make use of their existing skills
3) Give training where necessary.
4) Be very careful to make sure they don't get out of their depth.
5) Recognise their achievements both as part of the team and individually
6) Ask for their advice and feedback
7) Meet with them regularly to check progress
8) Team meetings are very important to keep people up to scratch.

And most of all, the basic principle of delegation to anyone:

Tell them clearly what you want and by when.

February 14, 2013 at 15:56 |

Mark Forster

There is a lack of volunteers in my current groups. Three groups, each with a different history and reason they're burned out. All have a lack of leadership, and what leaders we do have are scared we'll unvolunteer completely if they object to how we're doing the job. Of course, if a job hasn't been done well for a while, it becomes harder for the new person to do it right. It's discouraging. I'm usually the one who gives above and beyond, but when I see so much important stuff not getting done, it gets discouraging.

February 15, 2013 at 0:44 |

Cricket

To expand on Mark's final rule: make it very clear who "owns" any particular task or project. Don't be vague about this. Make sure the assigned owner realizes you are counting on them to own the task. They can always ask for help, and may need training, guidance, etc., as Mark says. Make sure you schedule regular follow-up to track status, help address issues, etc.

Clear assignment of ownership frees you up from micromanaging the task - and it also frees THEM up from you micromanaging the task. :-)

I knew a volunteer leader who had lots of great ideas, but never specifically asked people to help with the idea. He just seemed to expect someone would step forward and do it. If someone DOES step forward, great! You then need to clarify ownership and expectations.

Sometimes nobody steps forward. It can really help if you ponder who might be good for the task, and personally ask them to take it on. I've been amazed how often this works, when a general call for volunteers doesn't. Sometimes people need to be asked personally.

February 15, 2013 at 2:27 |

Seraphim

Seraphim

Yes, I entirely agree with you about recruiting volunteers. General calls for volunteers usually get a very poor response, and for some reason often seem to attract the very worst people for the job. It's far more effective to approach people personally. To do that effectively it's best not to have preceded it with a general call - that makes you sound desperate when you approach the individual!

February 15, 2013 at 11:13 |

Mark Forster

Yes, I've heard that advice as well: don't ask for volunteers. Instead, approach people directly and tell them you think that they're the person you want to do whatever job. And if they say no, ask them if they could recommend someone who could do the job.

February 15, 2013 at 17:36 |

Mike Brown

Accurate observation, Mark, although it took actually reading it here for me to realize it. I don't like it, but preference doesn't affect the truth.

I'm leery of asking specific people. You run the risk of appearing cliquish. You run the risk of missing good volunteers, but that can be minimized by paying attention to new members (and those who suddenly have extra time after retiring).

On the other hand, asking is more likely to get the right people on the job.

February 15, 2013 at 17:41 |

Cricket

Cricket:

I guess it all depends what you are asking people to volunteer for. If the job requires no specific skills (i.e. stewards at a fund-raising event) then a general appeal is ok, though depending on the response you may need to supplement it by roping in your friends and acquaintances. If it needs someone of high ability for an elected office, then an announcement (rather than an appeal) that nominations are open, followed by a personal approach to suitable people, is the best way. That way no one can complain if they don't get the chance to stand.

My experience is that people of ability are rare enough to ensure that you can't afford to be cliquey!

February 15, 2013 at 17:59 |

Mark Forster

I like that. An announcement that nominations are open rather than an appeal. I find that the people without ability are cliquey, and when they and their friends get in power, things go downhill.

Currently, I'm frustrated with a group that lost (to retirement) a leader who had tons of time. She left great notes for everything, but the schedule doesn't work for a team of normally-busy people. She could pull together a set for a show in two weeks. The show is in four weeks, we don't have volunteers to design the set, and the next meeting (monthly) will be filled with auditions. Hopefully, our experience with this show will be good enough that we do another, and use what we learn.

February 15, 2013 at 20:06 |

Cricket

Most of the volunteer work I do is with political activists, and we've got factions galore. Some groups don't want to talk to each other or work together -- sometimes for good reason, sometimes not. I deliberately try to recruit a good mix from the different factions as committee chairs, and also try to get a good mix on committees themselves. (Committees can be a "technology committee" or a "bylaws committee" or a "training committee", or perhaps a committee for a particular fundraising event or initiative.) As long as you avoid putting people together who have proven to be unable to work together, this approach works pretty well. Not only does it avoid the cliques, it helps to reduce the damage they do, by bringing people together who are normally in different cliques. They start realizing that the members of those other factions are actually human, too, and maybe we even agree sometimes! It doesn't always work out that way, but with humor and goodwill it often does.

February 16, 2013 at 0:55 |

Seraphim

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Discussion Forum > How to effectively delegate to volunteers

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