Getting It All Done Re Energize Your Board, Prevent Burnout, And Still Meet Your Goals

©2008 Price Consulting [email protected]

Getting it All Done: Re-Energize your board, Prevent Burnout, and Still Meet your Goals

Dr. Kella B. Price, SPHR, CPLP NACEastern North Carolina ChapterSan Diego Chapter


Learning Objectives

Rejuvenate your board to finish the year strong!

Learn how to recruit and keep volunteers to grow into leadership with your chapter

Chapter Best Practices – what others are doing

Create meaningful experiences and learning opportunities and growth for chapter leaders

Understand the leader’s role in motivation and retention of volunteers

Re-focus your team on its goals


Session Outline

Volunteer Needs and motivation…the key to recruitment

Burnout – rejuvenating your team Retention Rewards and Recognition Re-focusing on goals


Each hour given to supervising one volunteer yields nine hours in

volunteer time.

(McBee, 2002)


Recruitment

Find where they fit How skills can be applied Give them what they need to work


Discussion

Why are you a volunteer leader for ASTD?


Why do they volunteer?

Help others Help a cause they

believe in Do something they like

to do Develop their ability to

relate to and care for others

Do work that benefits their family or themselves

Network

Feel sense of accomplishment

Achieve personal growth Meet people and find

new friends Use their skills in a new

setting Learn new skills Find challenge in new

experiences Gain work experience Demonstrate

commitment to and further career goals

(Macleod & Hogarth, 1999)


What do they want?

Gain job experience

Meet new people Contribute to the

causes

Opportunities to learn

Work setting Meaningful

contribution


LISTEN!

LISTEN! Empathy Hold back your opinion


Volunteers needs CHANGE over time

May have a combination of needs“motivational paycheck”Positive, enthusiastic climate = retention


Surveying your volunteers


Motivational Needs

Sense of connectedness Sense of uniqueness Sense of power

(Clemes and Bean)


Connectedness

Belonging Being part of a relationship Need often unmet in today’s society Stronger than need to survive

(Glasser)


How can you meet the need for a volunteer to feel “connected”?


Connectedness: Leader’s Role

Common goal or purpose No low performance standards

Talk about organization’s values Equal treatment Sense of ownership Celebrate accomplishments Recognition Sense of belonging


Connectedness: Leader’s Role

Promote interaction Involve in decision-making Engage in new experiences together


Warning Signs

“I’m just a volunteer” “What do they expect for

free?”

Negative connectedness leads to high turnover


When there’s negativity…

What makes you say that? What can you do to improve the

situation? What kind of place would you want

to work? What can you do to make this

organization more like the place you want it to be?


Uniqueness: Identify ways to meet the need

Praise and recognition “safe”, respectful environment Talk about strengths Individual development


How can you meet the need for a volunteer to feel “special”?


Uniqueness: Leader’s Role

Empower Use their talents Explore differences, understand

diversity Training Special knowledge


How can you meet the need for a volunteer to feel “powerful”?


Power: Leader’s role

Linkage Decision-making


14% of volunteers who increased volunteer hours did so because of expanding interest and involvement in their volunteer work (Gallup Poll of Giving and Volunteering, 1998)


Burnout in Volunteers

Probable when… Ambiguous assignments Stressful role Feeling a lack of accomplishment or

success Lack of organizational support Feel situations beyond their control


Causes of volunteer burnout

Lack of excitement or interest Expectations not met Overwhelmed Not supported Repetition

So, how can you re-energize your board?


Chapter Best Practices – What others are doing

Susannah Rockman [email protected]

Rochelle Behling [email protected]

New England Chapters Midwest Chapters Alan Hoffler, Research Triangle

Chapter [email protected]



Leader’s Reflection

Do I let people do what they do best?

Do I let volunteers know what is expected of them?

What will I do to change/improve?


Questions for discussion with your volunteers…


Give them what they don’t have:Important to volunteers

Satisfy needs not met in paid job Meet motivational needs

1. What do you get out of your current job?2. What do you not get to do sufficiently in

your current job?3. What would your ideal job look like?4. What would you do in it, and what would

you not do?


Give them a good time:Important to volunteers

Interesting Achievement Meet people Have fun Learn new things Be refreshed relax


“Critical Points” focus

1st 6 months expectations vs. actual Transition Job match

“anniversaries” Re-evaluate commitment Identify new interests and goals


Remind them…

Why did you begin volunteering in the first place?

What originally sparked your interest? What are their strengths? How can they

be utilized in the organization? What is important about the work? What is challenging? What is fun about it? How is it worthwhile?


“I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only

ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought

and found how to serve”.-Albert Schweitzer


Why Reward?

Increased need for empowered volunteers

Change/Uncertainty Motivate Increased performance Easier Goals YOU GET WHAT YOU REWARD


7 Aspects Effective recognition

1. Contingent2. Timing3. Frequency4. Formality5. Recognition6. Significance of Provider7. Value to recipient


Prime motivators Actively engaged FUN Variety Value opinion Ownership Responsibility Social interaction Able to fail/take

risks

Set own goals Appreciated Empowered Leadership

opportunities Teamwork Use talents learning

Source: Nelson (2003)


Demotivators…or how to sink your own ship

Too much politics Unclear

expectations Unproductive

meetings Unfairness Not using talents Taken for granted Management

invisibility

Unnecessary rules Lack of manager

follow-up Negativity towards

ideas Tolerating poor

performance over control


What are some low-cost/ no-cost recognition ideas for individuals?

What about teams?


Individual recognition ideas

Saying “thank you” Involving the volunteer in decisions that affect

them Asking about the volunteer’s family/show interest

in outside life Equal treatment with paid staff and volunteers Sending a note of appreciation to the volunteer’s

family Send them to training to increase skills Recommending the volunteer for promotion to a

position with add’l responsibility Celebrate hours volunteered or anniversary

(McCurley and Lynch, 1997)


Team recognition ideas

Open meeting for members to praise

Encourage thanks for contributions Assign a team member for

recognition/ alternate


Praise that pays… You made a difference by I am impressed with You got my attention with You’re doing top quality work on You’re right on the mark with


Praise that pays… One of the things that I enjoy most

about you is You can be proud of yourself for We couldn’t have done it without your What an effective way to You’ve made my day because

Re-focus on GOALS

CORE Evaluate the course Take corrective action as necessary



In Summary

Volunteer Needs and motivation…the key to recruitment

Burnout – rejuvenating your team Retention Rewards and Recognition Re-focusing on goals


Thank you!What are your

questions?

Dr. Kella B. Price, [email protected]


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