“Things do not happen. Things are made to happen.” John F. Kennedy
Things do not happen.
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Author Archives: volunteer
I’m not supposed to blog about being an Olympic volunteer but….
I must join in the debate about the potential good to come from the way volunteers have “made the Games”. Here are some of the things that are being said:
The Guardian Best bits-olympic-legacy-volunteering Panellist debate how to maintain an Olympic legacy for the voluntary sector.
“The Olympic volunteers’ great attitude is doing wonders for our national brand.” The Telegraph-The-Olympics-have-shown-Britain-is-a-can-do-nation
The Observer headline “How the spirit of the volunteers could be London’s greatest legacy”
Whilst I don’t think the volunteer selection process worked entirely smoothly, I do think the Games Maker volunteering programme is a huge success. From my view as a Team Leader in the Technology team, here’s why:
- We are excited and proud to be associated with the ultimate sporting event
- There is no distinction between volunteers and employees – we are all called Games Makers and we all wear the same uniform
- We are well kitted out and well looked after on our shifts
- We were trained effectively and know what we have to do
- We get lots of chocolate!
When I stop spending 14 hour days travelling and working my shifts I look forward to continuing this discussion. In the meantime, please leave a comment and let me know what you think about the idea of a volunteering legacy.
5 ways to keep your volunteers happy
1. Keep them informed
Make sure your volunteers understand what their role involves and how it fits into the overall project or event. The need just enough detail to see the big picture – they don’t want to read a telephone directory-sized handbook! It is likely that different volunteers will need different levels of detail. Friendly, timely, informed communication is key.
2. Keep them busy
Volunteers will have made sacrifices – given up free time or taken leave from work – and will fee undervalued if there is not enough to do. Plan carefully to ensure they are actively engaged in a productive activity, or at least entertained if there is a temporary lull. You will need to monitor activity and encourage the workforce to be flexible so they can be redeployed if fewer numbers are required on certain tasks as the project evolves. Bored and frustrated people will vote with their feet. If they don’t have enough to do today, don’t expect to see them again tomorrow, next week or next time.
3. Keep them fed and watered
This should be obvious – but while volunteers are working for you they reasonably expect to be fed and definitely need to be kept hydrated. What you give them will depend on their shift, remoteness and your resources. A packed lunch or a meal voucher is common. For smaller roles, just a small snack and a drink is a good way to say thank you. Can your sponsors help by providing supplies?
4. Help them be properly equipped
Don’t forget to tell them what they need to bring. Mobile phone? Pen and notebook? A folding chair? Let them know if they will be inside or outside and advise them on suitable clothing. I’ve seen cold, wet road-junction marshals wearing suits and ties at a cycling event. I’ve turned up to a winter sports fixture dressed in thermals for sub-zero temperatures only to be given a job inside. Make sure you give them information to help them help themselves by arriving with the right kit.
5. Give them them opportunity to communicate
Have you ever been sent information from a “no-reply@…….” e-mail address. And then searched the Frequently Asked Questions page on the website in vain for the information you need? This way of doing business may be OK for big companies avoiding time wasters. But if your volunteer really needs to find out some information, they need a way of contacting the right person who can answer their question. If not they will get so frustrated that they will probably let you down. And how will they tell you they are not coming!
Debate on the Olympic legacy for the voluntary sector
The Guardian Voluntary Sector Network held a live Q & A with a panel of experts today: The Olympic legacy for the voluntary sector. As both a volunteer manager and a Games Maker Team Leader, I think there are some very interesting points raised. Highlights for me are:
“the importance of getting it right; contacting people quickly, keeping them informed and making them feel valued.”
“the Olympics has raised the profile of volunteering in this country and empowered a lot of people to get involved and play a part in a unique event in London….I think LOCOG have been very successful in shifting perceptions that volunteers have real jobs and are senior, experienced professionals are not just being used for casual jobs.”
“LOCOG intentionally didn’t talk about volunteers but gave them a distinctive brand of Games Makers to reinforce they were the ones who made the Games happen.”
“the sense of pride and engagement people feel by being part of a movement is a great concept we should think about more when designing roles and developing programmes.”
It isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out;
…. it’s the grain of sand in your shoe.
3 ways to be the perfect volunteer
1. Take on a role you feel happy to do
Start with a modest role that you can tackle confidently. You are aiming for something that gives you the right amount of buzz and avoids any sinking feeling of being overwhelmed.
2. Do it on time
Find out what the deadlines are before you say “yes” and then meet them. Other people will be depending on your timeliness and being late is being unfair to them. If something happens in your life that genuinely gets in the way, then let someone know early so they they can make other arrangements. Don’t put off giving bad news! Worrying and waiting until the deadline has passed and only revealing your problems when someone contacts you does not help anyone.
3. Enjoy it
Do your task with good grace and a smile. Enjoy the company of other volunteers and collaborate with them. This makes the job more fun all round. Feel a sense of satisfaction in what you achieve and do not allow yourself to be pressurised into doing more than you agreed and don’t feel guilty for saying “no”.
Its all about you….
“When many people consider doing something for charity they tend to think it’s all about doing good for others. But for the vast majority giving time is much about what you get out of it as well as what you put in.”
This short blog post by IVO highlights 5 reasons why volunteering is also all about you. It is a subject I have written about before in “What motivates a volunteer” but IVO has some surprising reasons. Do take a look!
http://ivo.org/spotlight/posts/its-all-about-you-five-reasons-why-you-might-want-to-volunteer
Why on earth do I volunteer?
For me, for my own fulfilment.
For our team of volunteers and for the satisfaction of working with them.
Because I can see a job that needs doing and I have the skills to do it.
But mostly: To make things that I believe in happen
Why do you volunteer?
Are you yourself?
Quote
Instead of wishing you were someone else, be proud of who you are. You never know who has been looking at you wishing they were you. Credit
As Oscar Wilde famously said:
“Be yourself, everyone else is taken”
“Most people are other people; their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.”
But I think Dr Seuss does it best!
Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.
Essential tips to survive volunteering
Volunteering can introduce you to interesting new people, teach you useful skills and bring its rewards in the form of accomplishments and job satisfaction. But it can have its frustrations too. Here are my top tips for surviving:
1. Don’t take to heart things your “customers” say. A few people have no regard for the fact that you have given up your time to support them and they will treat you as a paid servant. Rise above their comments!
2. Don’t get sucked in and do more than you planned. Do the role you agreed and politely decline requests to do more. Learn to say “NO”!
3. Be patient. Sometimes things move frustratingly slowly in the world of volunteering. People are fitting their voluntary roles in around their lives. Just hang on in there and it will all happen one day – soon!
Do you have a tip of your own?