Hot
Topic Archive
October
2003
The
success is in the succession!
by
Andy Fryar
Let
me begin this Australasian Hot Topic by sharing an
experience I have witnessed unfold over the past few
weeks.
A
colleague of mine, recently left the position she
had worked in as a Volunteer Program Manager (VPM)
for the past several years.
In
this role, my friend had been responsible for the
management,
leadership and development of a large and complex
volunteer program that stretched across four private
metropolitan hospitals which had amalgamated several
years ago.
The
role involved the responsibility of having to pull
together a diverse range of volunteer groups under
one umbrella, a task she had completed in a professional
and organisational enhancing manner.
For
all intensive purposes, these organisations had well
functioning and structured volunteer programs for
the first time in their existence.
Recent
management changes in these hospitals had seen the
decision reached to de-amalgamate the union of hospitals,
effectively meaning they would become independent
health units once again.
Having
accepted her new position and made recommendations
before leaving, my colleague sat back to watch the
way that the different hospital sites would go about
replacing the role of VPM in her absence.
What
happened next was staggering, as the responses of
the different hospitals proceeded to be as varied
as chalk and cheese.
One
health unit created a half time VPM position as per
the recommendation left by my colleague, while another
decided that the best way to fill the void left by
my friends departure was to allocate one hour a week
to the department head in another area! It goes without
saying that this person had no volunteer management
experience.
Putting
aside my initial reaction of frustration, I started
to view this situation as both a unique case study
and a great learning opportunity.
- Why such a diversity
of responses to filling the vacancies, when the
volunteer programs had been managed in the same
way and by the same person across every site?
- What lessons does
this situation teach us about how we manage our
volunteer programs?
- What were the
deciding factors that led to such a variety of responses?
These
are just a few of the many questions this situation
raises and while I could make an exhaustive list,
I'd prefer to concentrate this hot topic on two of
the key elements in this whole scenario.
Firstly, let us acknowledge that this example highlights
the significant impact senior management have on an
organisation's volunteer programming. After all, the
different strategies employed in replacing the VPM
role in each of these hospitals were determined by
a decision at executive level.
Secondly,
I am reminded of just how important it is that we
view the management of our volunteer programs as being
more than just the recruitment, training and placement
of voluntary workers. If we are fully committed to
the development of volunteer program management as
a profession, then I firmly believe that all VPM's
have two extra and essential responsibilities to undertake
as a part of their workload - whether it is stated
in their job description or not.
The
first of these is the task of 'educating up'.
- In what ways do
you communicate the importance of the role of your
volunteer team and YOURSELF to senior management?
- If you left tomorrow,
do you believe that the senior management of your
organisation understand the significance of your
role well enough to put strategies into place to
safeguard the future of your department?
- Do you have allies
within the organisation who can advocate to senior
management on your behalf?
These
and other questions are important in helping to ascertain
how well you have established the volunteer department
as an integral component of your overall organisation.
At
this point, allow me to digress and make mention of
one excellent resource to further develop your thinking
on this topic. I highly recommend Susan Ellis' book,
'From
the Top Down', which has for many years been the
benchmark publication on how to educate decision makers
about the importance of your (and their) volunteer
programs.
Hand
in hand with 'educating up' comes the second task
I believe is essential, in ensuring the longevity
of volunteer programs. It is the responsibility that
VPM's have to 'delegate down' or sideways or upwards
or anyway that makes sense in their own organisational
context. Delegating responsibility and ensuring that
procedures and processes are clearly documented and
understood by people other than the VPM is essential
in ensuring that your volunteer program lasts beyond
your own tenure.
Ask
yourself the following questions:
- If you dropped
dead right now, what would be the effect on your
volunteer program?
- Would adequate
information be available to enough people to continue
the program running in a smooth and seamless manner?
- Are procedures
and processes adequately documented to allow your
successor an easy transition into every aspect of
your role?
If
your response to any of these questions is anything
less than "yes things would run smoothly"
, then perhaps now is the time to take stock of your
program and consider how your management style fits
with the long term goals of sustaining a volunteer
program in your organisation.
The
experience of my friend has certainly highlighted
that there is not a 'one size fits al' solution to
succession planning within volunteer services. As
VPM's, we all need to be aware of this added level
of program responsibility to ensure that our volunteer
programs continue well after we leave our posts.
So
here are a few questions I'd invite you to respond
to this month:
- Do you agree that
as volunteer program managers, we don't delegate
enough?
- Do you agree that
as volunteer program managers, we don't 'educate
up' well enough?
- Do you have personal
experiences or strategies that have worked for you
that you would like to share in relation to this
topic?
- Are there other
ways you have managed to ensure the longevity of
your volunteer program?
It's
not too late!
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Last
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OzVPM.
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