International Volunteer Managers Day

Happy International Volunteer Managers Day to all of the volunteer managers and coordinators who play an important role in the effective engagement of volunteers.  I would encourage you to visit the IVMD website and consider ways which you could support and celebrate IVMD.

http://www.volunteermanagersday.org/

Shamelessly Self-promote Volunteer Programs

The following post is a response to the Energize October 2011 Hot Topic by Susan J. Ellis “What Leaders of Volunteers Can DO to Gain Executive Attention”.

Thank you for your hot topic Susan.  It provides valuable insight in how we can gain attention for our sector.  I would like to perhaps extend your first point to include – Shamelessly Self-promote!

In the very competitive promotions industry, "shamelessly self-promote" was the catch cry of the printing franchise of our home based printing business.  While my career may have changed, I have continued this mantra as I feel it works for any industry including the volunteer management sector.

Volunteer Management is about having well designed and managed volunteer programs, which utilize the skills, abilities, intellect, passion and time of volunteers, to address community needs or value adding to an existing service.  However, as you suggest Susan, there may be some people within an organisation or in the general public who may be unaware of the extent of the volunteer programs and the role which volunteers play within an organisation.

Make it Fun!

Have you ever heard people lamenting that it’s Monday or saying “Thank god it’s Friday”.

No matter how much we love our jobs there will always be moments when we can’t wait for the weekend.  Moments of frustration over plans gone wrong with too many interruptions can sometimes wear us down.

I read a book a while back called “The Fish Omnibus” by Stephen C. Lundin, Ph.D., Harry Paul and John Christensen.  This is a compilation of several books based on “The Fish Philosophy”.  It is not a book about fishing; however it is a book about a Fish Market in Seattle in the U.S.A. – “The Pike Place Fish Market”.  The Pike Place Fish Market has been written about, been featured in videos and is known in training circles throughout the world.  Why did a fish market become internationally significant?  They revolutionised how they treat customers and in doing so made their own workplace fun.

Change Your Way of Thinking.

My inspiration for writing blogs often comes from either personal experience or from something that I have read.  My most recent post was inspired by a debate on International Womens day in 2010.  I found it on Youtube, used excerpts and posted the links.  One of the speakers had quoted “The Power Of Nice”, a book written by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval.  I have since borrowed this book from the library and have had difficulty putting it down.  It is brilliant!!!  Unfortunately in my enthusiasm to share this book with my work colleagues I left it at work.  I was all set to read more and become totally absorbed in the many examples of how being nice can have a profound effect in ways that would seem unimaginable but that is for another blog post, another day. 

 Instead I picked up a book which I had started to read a while ago entitled “The Idea Factory – A guide to more creative thinking and writing” by Valerie Parv.  Valerie speaks of the tendency in Thailand where the value of an endeavour is judged by how much “sanuk” it contains, which roughly translated, means fun.   So when did we start forgetting to have fun?  Did we have fun in the first place?  Who said life had to be boring and unfun?  Valerie goes on to describe the parts of the brain, the left brain which is the editor and the critic and the part that remains in charge most of the time and the right brain which is the creative side or the fun side.   It is the creative side which comes up with alternate ideas, thinking outside the box so to speak. 

Often a problem can be solved by looking at it from a different perspective to come up with a different or creative solution.  Consider the Post-it Note, born from the collaborative, creative thinking of two chemists, Dr Spence Silver and Art Fry, who turned a failed adhesive into one of the most commonly used stationery items around.  Creative people use ideas, which come from the right brain and put them into action, which is a left brain function.  So how do you know if you are a creative person?  Dr Denis Waitley suggests some characteristics which identify the creative person.

·        Optimism about the future

·        Discontent with the status quo

·        Curiosity and skill in observation

·        The ability to daydream and fantasise

·        An adventurous outlook and interest in many subjects

·        The ability to recognise and break bad habits

·        Independent thinking

So are you creative?  Would you like to be?  My challenge to you is to step away from the traditional, critical framework of thinking where we become bogged down by definitions and rigidity.  Rather, use your creative right brain to develop unique solutions.  Brainstorm with colleagues and make it fun.  You’ll be amazed what you can come up with.

Thank you for reading my blog post.

I would love to hear your creative solutions. 

So share them with the world.  Write a comment!!!

The Power of Nice in Volunteer Management

Linda Kaplan Thaler in her book, “The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness”, co-authored by Robin Koval, suggests that “nice has an image problem.” She goes on to say “Somewhere along the way, using the word nice became something you said when you had nothing else to say.”

How right you are Linda and how often do we, as volunteer managers, hear that word in reference to our roles.  In fact the other day, a colleague and I were discussing how our roles are often characterized by people, outside the volunteer management sector, by comments of “how nice!” While we cringe at the saccharine, somewhat patronising description of our jobs, we both agreed that there was nothing wrong with being nice.  In fact it was essential and we wouldn’t want it any other way.

Blogs, Blogs and more blogs on Volunteer Management!!!

In Susan J. Ellis’ September Hot Topic Addressing Volunteerism Issues in the Blogosphere http://www.energizeinc.com/  she speaks of all of the wonderful information available on the blogosphere and explains the best way of utilizing this media via twitter and RSS feeds without getting information overload.  The internet has opened up opportunities to communicate on a global level.  We now have access to a plethora of information, all at our fingertips.  We can also connect and have discussions with volunteer management colleagues on the other side of the world.

I started a blog over a year ago on matters related to parenting teenagers.  For me this was a sort of therapy and hopefully was of assistance to other parents also going through the challenges of dealing with wayward teenagers.  With the experience gained from designing a blog, writing posts, placing comments and following stats I felt that I was ready to start another blog; this time on matters relating to volunteer management http://wendy-moore.blogspot.com/. The purpose of this blog was to support, encourage and inspire people in the field of volunteer management, through sharing information and ideas to take our sector and boldly go where no one has gone before.

R U OK? Day?

On Thursday 15^th September 2011 Australians were encouraged to ask friends, family, work colleagues, even complete strangers the question, Are you OK?

 “ R U OK? Day is a national day of action which aims to prevent suicide(Lifeline) by encouraging Australians to connect with someone they care about and help stop little problems turning into big ones.

Staying connected with others is crucial to our general health and wellbeing. Feeling isolated or hopeless can contribute to depression and other mental illnesses, which can ultimately result in suicide(Lifeline). Regular, meaningful conversations can protect those we know and love.

It's so simple. In the time it takes to have a coffee, you can start a conversation that could change a life.”

There have been several articles written recently on the health benefits of volunteering.  The social interaction between people, the care and compassion towards others and the connectedness to a community are all benefits which can be gained from volunteering.

In recent years volunteering has evolved and even people who are time poor now have opportunities to volunteer online.  This type of volunteering is known as micro volunteering.  Even though volunteering has evolved with the advent of technology there is no substitute for a kind word, a gentle touch, a listening ear and a caring heart. 

Please don’t let our fascination for technology take us away from basic human compassion and caring for each other.

Lifeline 13 11 14

R U OK? Day

Australian Census: A question on volunteering

There has been much discussion online regarding the recent Australian Census question on volunteering.  Some felt that the question “Did you volunteer in the last 12 months?” did not go deep enough.  In isolation this question seems very basic; however when the answer to this question is cross-classified with other information collected in the census, a complete range of demographic information can be gathered.  There is a range of census information provided at no charge.

The 2006 Australian Census provided the following information at no charge:

Labor Force Status by Voluntary Work for an Organisation or Group by Age by Sex for persons Aged 15-54 Years

Labor Force Status by Voluntary Work for an Organisation or Group by Age by Sex for persons Aged 55 Years and Over

Voluntary Work for an Organisation or Group by Age by Sex

Voluntary Work for an Organisation or Group by Age by Sex for Indigenous Persons

I would assume that similar information would be available from the 2011 Australian Census.

Work Life Balance: Are we all too busy?

A few months back I published a post on I-Volunteer.  Click on the heading of this post for link.  I think that this topic is still very relevant. Incidentally, my work life and home life have since become even busier.
                                                                     On Friday I rose at 5.15am drove my children to and from the ice rink, twice, got my car assessed for repair, went to the bank, assisted with setting up a garage sale for a fundraising charity event and managed to squeeze in a visit to my GP for health checkups which has now led to more scans checks and specialist visits mostly due to the 3F’s Fifty, Flabby and Family history – all of this achieved by 1pm on my day off. Ok so I did manage to have lunch with a friend after that and make yet another trip to the ice rink. I work full time and so I took a day off work to fit all of this in. After a very busy day it is not surprising that the following newspaper article caught my attention.

A major Federal Government study has revealed that one in four families have a full time stay-at-home parent compared to the 1983 figure of one in two. The rise in cost of living has placed increased pressure on families. The study reported that 45% of fathers and 62% of mothers in the full time workforce say they feel rushed. Courier Mail 12 May 2011 - “Work Consumes Parents”

So where am I going with this?

Two issues come to mind from this article –

Credentialing Volunteer Management

Susan J. Ellis in her hot topic "Needed: A Multi-level Approach to Credentialing Volunteer Management" presented a frank narrative on some of the realities of our profession.  In her article she discussed learning opportunities, currently available, which could lead to the credentialing of our profession. Susan asks readers for their feelings on certification and qualifications in volunteer management.  She also asks about the relevance to the reader of having certification for our profession. 

My response to the hot topic is as follows:

I had the opportunity last year to gain a part scholarship for a Certificate IV in Volunteer Coordination. While a death in the family meant postponing the course, I have since given it very careful consideration and have decided against doing the course for the following reasons.  The course covered basic volunteer coordination skills.  The course was structured to provide a Certificate IV for recognition of prior learning based on evidence of skills gained on the job.  While the assumption was made by the course providers that I had no qualifications, I actually have two qualifications, a Bachelor’s Degree and an Associate Diploma in related business fields.  To invest money in obtaining a lower level qualification where I would learn no new skills or advanced concepts would be a complete waste of money, time and effort.  I incorporate the knowledge gained from my current qualifications into my career and many other aspects of my life.  I believe that study pursued at a diploma or degree level broadens the mind to think beyond basic concepts and evolves creative, innovative thought processes.

I do not fit the mould.  I never have and never will.  Some say I am a free spirit or a free thinker, a label that I am happy to wear.  Generally, I do not believe in pigeon holing, labelling or stereotyping for to do so gives a one size fits all approach.  We are all different.  How we learn and the speed at which we learn is different.  Our perceptions, belief systems, attitudes, values and the way in which we think determine how we will utilize information and evolve.

I would encourage volunteer managers to gain a Diploma or Degree in Business incorporating a major in Volunteer Management.  Many business qualifications provide a broad range of skills including, human resources, accounting, group dynamics and psychology, marketing, information technology and systems, statistics and more.  I do not believe that volunteer management is currently offered as a major of a business qualification but I think that it should be.

My preference for courses for myself would be one to three day courses in leadership, strategic planning, advocacy and ethics to name just a few.  I am interested in advanced concepts which challenge and encourage intellectual discussion. I believe that to bring about certification of our profession we need to have a collective, positive, proactive, voice to make the changes necessary to make our sector a recognised and valued profession.

To read Susan J. Ellis'  hot topic and other responses, click on the title of this blog post.

The Power of Social Media: Twitter

I am new to Twitter.  It took me a while to grasp the concept as I couldn’t understand how, with only 4 followers on twitter, that this could have an impact on traffic or visitors to my blog.  That was until two of my followers “retweeted” my tweet to their 1,700+ followers and 35 followers respectively.  So thank you Volunteering QLD and the DJ Cronin for your support which has led to an increase in the number of visitors to my blog.  As my blog is relatively new, only a few weeks old, the search engines and web crawlers probably haven’t found it as yet and so promotion of my blog through the social media is extremely helpful.

From my understanding, the inventors of twitter have taken the basic concept of “word of mouth” and utilized the technology of the internet and mobile phone systems to amplify the process globally.   

Jayne Cravens explains on her website the how, when and where’s of utilizing Twitter from a Volunteer Management perspective.  You can read this article by clicking on the title of this post.

Jayne says in a recent newsgroup message “I'm considering creating a blog on this subject, but I'd like to know more about how volunteer managers are *really* using Twitter.”

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ozvpm/message/4448