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What We Learned (the Hard Way)
About Supervising Volunteers
by Jarene Frances Lee
with Julia M. Catagnus
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Reprinted by permission of Energize. |
Volunteers -- like all workers -- need to know what is expected of them. Good supervisors clearly communicate their expectations. While being authoritarian with paid staff may be permissible, it is generally ineffective with volunteers. Instead, as a supervisor of volunteers you should use positive language and be willing to negotiate in non-essential areas.
Begin with the assumption that no one volunteers in order to do a bad job. Therefore, an important part of your responsibility is to define what doing a good job is. I have already said that the volunteer's job description is a detailed picture of good performance. However, there are other topics related to the volunteer's work that you will need to review with each new volunteer.
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WHERE TO OBTAIN THIS ITEM Energize 5450 Wissahickon Avenue, Box C-13 Philadelphia, Pa. 19144-5221 Local phone: (215) 438-8342 Fax: (215) 438-0434 Toll-free phone: (800) 395-9800 E-mail: info@energizeinc.com Web site: http://www.energizeinc.com To purchase this item online, choose a bookseller:
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If you are inexperienced in supervising volunteers you may believe that, because volunteers are not paid, you do not have the right to expect much of them. You may also, at least unconsciously, believe that unpaid workers are unable to do good work. Honestly explore your beliefs and discuss them with others in your organization who supervise volunteers or with the coordinator of volunteers.
Keep in mind that if you have high expectations of volunteers you are likely to get good results. If your expectations are low -- implying that you don't believe volunteers are capable of doing a good job or cannot be trusted to do a good job -- you are likely to get low results.
Don't be afraid to challenge volunteers. Moderately difficult work, even very difficult work, is more motivating than work that is too easy. That's why a bowling lane is sixty feet long, not five. The following story also makes the point. I recall speaking with a Memorial Sloan-Kettering volunteer the day after he completed his first New York City Marathon. When I asked him how it went, an anguished look appeared on his face as he replied, "It was terrible! It was horrible! It was the most difficult thing I have done in my whole life!" Then he paused, let out a huge grin, and added, "And I can't wait to do it again!" Studs Terkel once commented, "Most people have jobs that are too small for them." Again, don't be afraid to challenge your volunteers. I suspect more volunteers have left organizations because they were bored than because they were worked too hard. The exception to this observation are volunteers who feel so challenged in other aspects of their life that they seek refuge in essentially "no brainer" volunteer work (which, however, can still be extremely useful). You and the coordinator of volunteers need to understand such differences and to design volunteer assignments to meet both sets of wishes.
Let your volunteers know how much you are counting on them and be sure they understand why their work is important. Encourage volunteers to give their best. Challenge them to polish their performance, perhaps by suggesting that each time they arrive for work they ask themselves, "what can I learn today that will make me a better volunteer?" Expect the best of your volunteers and you are likely to get the best.
It is especially important that you establish a friendly but professional atmosphere that places a strong emphasis on the importance of the task at hand, on teamwork, on good manners, and on personal responsibility and accountability. Volunteers -- and employees, too -- should feel that it is a privilege and an honor to be a part of your unit. This has nothing to do with elitism and everything to do with pride.
This does not preclude having fun nor the necessity of having a sense of humor. In fact, humor can be therapeutic in work environments where the stress level is high or where workers are repeatedly dealing with tragedy. Volunteers may initially be startled by what seems like unprofessional behavior, gallows humor being one example. Be sure to explain how this helps people cope and give volunteers permission, so to speak, to let off steam the same way when they need to.
In addition to clarifying your expectations regarding the work itself, clearly communicate your expectations about these issues:
- adhering to an agreed-upon work schedule
- meeting productivity standards or deadlines
- following established procedures
- honoring rules regarding confidentiality
- maintaining appropriate relationships with co-workers
- reporting work-related problems
- not doing tasks beyond one's scope of responsibility
Remember that each volunteer is a unique individual. You may find that you have to be more directive with young volunteers, more trusting with highly experienced volunteers. Some will need more training than others. Some will need feedback that is performance-related, others will want to hear that you enjoy working with them. ...
Volunteer Job Descriptions
In the previous chapter we identified written volunteer job descriptions as one of the ten most invaluable aspects of supervision. Job descriptions, whether you call them that or "position descriptions" or "volunteer role expectations," need to be developed for each volunteer position, regardless of whether the position is occupied by one volunteer or dozens. If, for example, you supervise ten volunteers who staff an information desk in a museum, and each volunteer has the same responsibilities, you need to develop one job description (and give each volunteer a copy). If you also supervise volunteers who serve the museum as tour guides, develop a job description for that position, too. A job description has seven essential parts and two optional ones:
Title
The word "volunteer" is not a title. Give the volunteer position a title that reflects what the volunteer does: tutor, information desk specialist, driver, playroom pal, soup kitchen host.
Goals of the Work Unit
Specify the broad goals or purposes of the unit or the team of which the volunteer is a part. This helps the volunteer see the connection between his or her work and the work of the rest of the team.
Purpose/Goals of the Volunteer's Position
State succinctly why the position exists -- what it is that the volunteer is supposed to accomplish.
Responsibilities
List all the specific tasks and activities that the volunteer needs to do in order to meet the described purpose/goals.
Training and Supervision Plan
Describe how the volunteer will be prepared to do the work and then supported while doing it. Your name and/or your title belongs here as "Supervisor." This reminds the volunteer that you and s/he have a partnership. You are responsible for being a good supervisor. The volunteer is bound by the parameters of the relationship, too. It is especially important to review this when you interview and/or orient each new volunteer.
Requirements
Specify the skills, background, experience, training and personal attributes a volunteer would need in order to be qualified for the position. If regular participation in team meetings or a support group is required, state that, too. Specify what you want the volunteer's time commitment to be: minimum length of commitment, minimum hours per week or month, specific hours the volunteer must be present, etc.
Benefits
Identify what the volunteer will gain from this work. Some benefits are tangible, such as a free meal or reimbursement for travel. Others are more abstract but nevertheless important: learning new skills, contributing to a cause, opportunities for input.
In addition, some volunteer job descriptions should include:
Restrictions
When applicable, state clearly what the volunteer is not permitted or authorized to do. For example, at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, every volunteer job description stated: "Volunteers are not permitted to give medical information or advice to patients, patients' families, or visitors." Keep the list of restrictions relevant to the job. Generic restrictions on volunteers belong in a volunteer handbook.
Length of Appointment
For some positions, especially leadership roles in all-volunteer membership organizations (service clubs, PTAs, alumni associations), it is good practice to specify how long a volunteer can occupy a position. A rotation policy decreases the likelihood of entrenched power and also ensures that members will grow into higher positions of responsibility by serving in various capacities within the organization.
To summarize, a volunteer job description is a description of what ideal performance looks like, a word picture of the ideal volunteer in action. A volunteer should be able to read it and understand exactly what s/he is expected to do. Each volunteer should have a copy of his or her job description. As the volunteer's supervisor, you can use the job description as a teaching tool, as a basis for accountability, and a framework to acknowledge growth. It is also a tool in giving recognition for good work, as a reminder about restrictions, and as a reference when dealing with performance problems.
More information about this book appeared in The Chronicle on June 17, 1999.