VPM The fun -damentals 3/13/2011. Find someone wearing the same color as you. Introduce yourselves. Discover at least two things you have in common.

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1 The FUN damentals! Or All About Volunteer Program Management! Ice Breaker Find someone wearing the same color as you. Introduce yourselves. Discover at least two things you have in common. Who Are We? Introduce your new friend to the group! Plan, Plan, Plan! Focus on the Fun! Reassignment Recruitment Review Training Recognition Assessment Coaching Interview Placement First Step is Recruitment! Orientation Volunteer Management Cycle Four Important Keys to Recruitment Know the job! Determine the skills. Go where the skills are. Ask for help. Recruitment It s All About the Fun Make It Fun!!! Bill Johnston 81 years old Like Tom Sawyer painting a fence, I just told them how much fun it is. Senior Volunteers help Habitat build houses 1

2 Share the Fun When Will Your Organization Grow? Invite others Officially! Invite a friend to join you for a day of volunteering! Invite the newcomers to your community to join you for a day. If you are the one who always serves, but you don t allow others to serve, you are denying people the possibility of being in service. Let others assume responsibility. Let them offer their talents. You have to learn to let go. When you do, your organization will grow. Shar McBee The pleasure of your company is requested at our CASA Pre-training Program On March 22 From 6 PM to 9 PM At Howard County s Voices for Children As the friend of one of our wonderful volunteers, you are asked to join us in this activity. You ll have fun, spend some time with your friend (and maybe make some new ones), and have the opportunity to do a good deed! Light refreshments will be provided. Dress: Casual RSVP through a volunteer you know. Always be prepared! Next the Interview! Next PLACEMENT You should have an elevator pitch ready! Not everyone is cut out to be an advocate! You can also suggest: Fundraising Public Relations Public awareness Administrative work... Orientation is Critical! Another opportunity to clarify expectations! Train So That It Stays Fun It s All About the Training As the delivery van was taking the penguins to the zoo, it broke down. 2

3 Make Sure Training = New Friends Be sure to do some sort of warm up activity to get the volunteers to get to know each other! And now, they are on the job! And you need to work with them! WARNING Not all of them will fit right in. WARNING some of them will never fit in! The Discourager Tell us what didn t work that time. I feel discouraged when you say... Peer counseling The gentle removal Term limits Basic Safeguards Written organizational policies New volunteer evaluation Document problems Rule Number One Try to handle problems promptly. The Procrastinator Give the opportunity to withdraw Help set realistic goals and target dates Recruit a strong assistant Require monthly reports Protection from Procrastinators A good job description Target dates Indicators for success Check references Ask for samples of past work Rule Number Two Don t try to be so prompt in handling a problem if you are so upset you re not rational! Adversarial Roles There are always forces at work that can t be seen (yet.) 3

4 Is the Volunteer truly an Adversary? When you view someone as an adversary, you probably don t see the underlying misunderstandings that created the opposition. In a meeting this week someone said something that hurt and irritated me. One part of me wanted to cut him down to size. Instead, I waited which gave my ego time to cool down. Then, later in the meeting I realized that he didn t even know what he had done. ALL situations contain more than meets the eye. When you have to deal with an adversary, if you can sacrifice your desire to strike back, you will unlock the hidden elements which created the opposition. Rule Number Four Don t blame just say what you observed! Rule Number Five Call upon your job description to back you up! Rule Number Six We can work it out! Rule Number Seven Schedule a follow-up meeting. Call Upon Your Peers for Advice! Nothing we achieve in this world is achieved alone. It is always achieved with others teaching us along the way. --Lee J. Colan BUT NOTHING IS WORKING! Sometimes all the work in the world with a volunteer won t make a difference. Then you only have one choice... 4

5 Performance Problems Conduct Problems Economic Problems BE PREPARED Have everything in writing The Caring Confrontation With love With Support With Regret Schedule a meeting in a private place. Be prepared. Have a witness. State the reasons and have them in writing. Have the volunteer sign the document. Focus on performance. Discuss recommendations for the future. Stay calm! Keep documentation. You ve Been Wronged Now What? Do you indulge it? If you overlook incorrect behavior, you turn your back on Truth. Do you keep quiet? It comes at the expense of your dignity. Do you hold back when the situation requires that you move forward? This is cowardice. You ve been wronged! If someone treats you disrespectfully; if she costs you money or he neglects a duty that brings you trouble, speak up! Be friendly but be strong and bring it into the open. 5

6 What you must do! Finally Remember... AND.. You must follow your values. No matter how difficult it seems. Firing is a last resort option. Firing can be the result of the failure of management policies. Document.Document.Document. Your responsibility is to the organization and its continued growth and well being! Look for the fun! Survey volunteers Survey staff Look for the not fun! Survey volunteers Survey staff Now, on to retention! Or it s not enough to get them. You have to keep them! Keep the Fun Going - Retention Don t just use competition to spur fundraising sales! Use them throughout the year to keep volunteers coming and to keep activities going! REVIEW! Don t forget to... REASSIGN!!! Have Fun Recognizing Your Volunteers! Remember that recognition needs to take place all year long. 6

7 Start the Fun on Day One Be prepared for the volunteer s first day. Educate the volunteer on your program. Create a welcome certificate. Develop a buddy program. Keep the Fun Going Send a thank you card to the family no one can volunteer without the support of their family! Make the Fun Exciting Try a volunteer of the month program with a twist! Who s Our Special Volunteer? Instead of just posting a name, try a contest! Post clues each week. At the end of the month, announce the volunteer AND the winner of the contest! Keep the Fun Going Recognize often. Don t wait for a milestone achievement to let the volunteer know you appreciate her contributions. At the end of the first month, give her a small token of appreciation and a thank you note to recognize all her hard work in her first 30 days. Use Technology! Send an thanks! Send an out to other volunteers letting them know about the new volunteer! Last, but not least... Make sure that YOU have fun! 7