Responses
to September 2005 Hot Topic
Managing
volunteers is like herding sheep (Australian style)
By
guest Hot Topic writer Fraser
Dyer
Response
posted on September 2, 2005 by DJ Cronin, Volunteer
Manager, The Wesley Hospital, Brisbane, Qld
Interesting
article Fraser and thank you for sharing your thoughts
with us. For me, I believe the key is trust and consultation.
As a manager, I hope to have trust in the volunteers
that work for us and that they in turn trust the coordinators
and me. That trust must be built however. To that
end we try to operate on the basis of " this is what
we need to do, and this is why" rather than "this
is what you must now do". If organisations develop
a culture of trust and respect in their volunteer
team and consult with them, then volunteers will know
that you have their best interests at heart when implementing
any changes. We formed a Volunteer Representative
Group for example. This is a group of volunteers elected
by their peers who meet with management once a month
to discuss all aspects of the volunteer program. These
volunteers are consulted on all decision making. Trusting
volunteers to have a look at the bigger picture with
you can certainly contribute positively to a manager's
leadership style. I look forward to hearing more from
you when the Magnet tour hits Brisbane.
Its
not too late...
Let's
hear what you think!
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