Responses
to August 2006 Hot Topic
Fight
or flee - the choice is yours
Response
posted by the Board of AAVA - the Australasian Association
for Volunteer Administrators
On
behalf of the AAVA Board -
One would hope that were any problems to arise re
volunteering at an agency that the Volunteer Manager/Coordinator
would be the first point of contact. As Andy points
out, we are, after all, the volunteer specialists
within the agency. Put the shoe on the other foot
- imagine if you sent a broadcast email on the subject,
say, re staffing at the agency. How do you think the
HR Manager might feel?
Staff
need educating when these issues arise. We need to
do that by setting them straight and responding to
their concerns with facts and a Senior Exec's involvement
never goes astray. This is something all VPM's must
work on as support from the CEO or Exec is vital when
rebutting an incorrect report or accusation. Usually
when explained most staff & managers are pretty
good, occasionally there will be someone who no matter
how good our argument is they won't change their minds
re volunteers (the issue is usually to do with something
else), sad, but in this type of case it would be better
volunteers are not in that environment as they will
not be valued.
Our
roles must be understood and taken seriously by our
colleagues at the workplace. It is up to us to make
sure that this is the case. Many of these problems
can be avoided if we put ourselves "out there" to
begin with. We need to educate management and staff,
from the outset, on what our roles are and what roles
the volunteer play. How?
Here
are some of our suggestions
- Set appointments with
individual managers in the agency. Meet with them
and explain your role
- Send the book '12 Key
Actions of Volunteer Program Champions' by US
author and trainer Betty Stallings to your CEO/General
Manager (Available for free from the OZVPM website).
Ask them to read this book and inform them that
you will set up an appointment with them to discuss
within a month!
- Hold some staff education
sessions. Do a PowerPoint Presentation on your
wonderful volunteer Service. Give facts figures
and stats. Show them how valuable volunteers are
to the agency. Explain to them your role. Volunteer
management is a dynamic and complex role - show
them!
- If you are not on the
Management team in your agency ask why this is
so?
- Form a volunteers committee
who meet with you regularly to discuss future
directions of your program and address any issues
that arise. (Imagine the power of a letter from
this type of committee to the staff member in
question that halted a volunteer task without
consultation!)
- If you cant find a volunteer
managers network in your area, ring around to
check if other VPMs in your area are interested
in forming one
- Join AAVA and be part
of an Association that understands your role and
the territory that comes with it. Enquire about
mentoring from AAVA. Seek guidance and advice
from its board members. They are, after all, here
to support you. When you join, AAVA will also
inform your manager that you are now a member
of the Association
These
are only some tools our Board members have used to
good effect in the past. Above all we would encourage
Volunteer Managers/Coordinators to be confident in
their own roles by being equipped with the knowledge
of Volunteer management essentials, to have an understanding
of current and changing trends in volunteer management
and volunteering itself and to have pride in a role
that can be just as rewarding as it is demanding.
Equip
yourself so that when the next "flight or fight" moment
arises, you will keep your feet on terra firma and
look at the situation not as a problem but as a challenge
for you to navigate with confidence!
Response
posted by Kelly Boutilier, Volunteer Coordinator,
Walkinston Association, Dublin, Ireland
I
really appreciated reading this article and some of
the questions that were brought up. I was hired as
a volunteer coordinator in my association last March.
When I was hired (for 8 hours a week), I didn't receive
any formal induction, had no work space and even had
to write my own job description! The volunteer program
has been running for a number of years without any
structure and I have found that even though I was
hired to develop a structure, I'm met with passive
ressistance. I feel I understand my role, but I do
not feel that my supervisor does, nor does he value
it. I can say I wouldn't have much confidence should
a matter arise which required a flight or flee, because
I simply don't feel that my position is anything more
than token at this time.
Sad,
but true...
Let's
hear what you think!
Its
not too late...
Let's
hear what you think!
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