Re: Dealing with a common problem - your help please
Re: Dealing with a common problem - your help please
- Subject: Re: Dealing with a common problem - your help please
- From: Macbeth <email@hidden>
- Date: Thu, 22 May 2003 22:25:17 -0400
Chris Kiltz wrote:
>
So, how do you get people involved on board?
Sometimes this is a hard task! Everyone want a say into how things are run,
how it should be done, etc. but "don't" want to raise a hand to become
official in any capacity. It might take a while, but often starting off
slowly with focus and a goal in mind for a future view, will get you the end
result that you are looking for. The one thing you want to emphasize is that
YOU like what you do and are looking for more people who are looking to learn,
have fun and make a difference in the organization.
When planning, look for people in the group who seem interested above all!
Just letting them know that you value their input, may make it easier
when you
approach them a month or two later to ask if they would be willing to
cover a
certain job on the board that needs filled. Find a person with a talent for
something and they are bound to fit on the board. If they like spreadsheets,
ask them to consider being the treasurer or membership chair. If they
seem to
enjoy making newsletters, ask them to be the newsletter editior or publicity
chair. Some are just waiting to be asked rather than letting you know that
they would be willing. We all want to be needed, right?!
Eventually you will find that if you make things fun and exciting--even as
there is a lot of work involved--things will fit in place and people
will want
to go beyond in the duties that they volunteered for. On all of this, I speak
for experience! Through the years, both the good, the bad, the good again
that made it excellent, and lets me continue to strive for more--knowing that
I do what I want because "I" like to do it, makes for a good working
volunteer!
>
>
How do you make it clear that there is responsibility & work involved?
One thing that is a definitive, you must have a club charter or bylaws or
standing rules that outline the club organization and the duties in specific
BUT NOT minute detail of what you would like to see each officer position
entail. Depending on the volunteer, do not expect them to follow this
to the
letter as each works in individual ways and brings different talents to the
table. Stress that it is a team. When one leader or "the" leading officer
starts making dictatorial decisions and giving everyone detailed duties to
follow, that is when you begin to lose volunteers. Remember that they are
just volunteers and it is not a employee or a paid job! It is hard
work, but
not if you take it so serious that it scares others away. ---and I say this
lightly because I'm sure there are times that people look at me, when I
get on
my soapbox about a specific topic and think to themselves, "gal, you
need to
take a deep breath and relax!" ;-)
>
>
>
Once you've got someone on the board who thinks they've arrived but
>
don't have to pitch in, how can you motivate them to jump in & shoulder
>
the load?
>
Speak softly and carry a big stick!
Seriously, sometimes "suggesting an idea" works better than coming down hard
about what others need to do or aren't doing quite to "your" liking. Words
like "I thought about this..." or "Wouldn't it be great if so-and-so would
happen..." or "have you considered doing something like..." ---can work
miracles. Once in a while though, you come upon that tough nut to crack and
you just need to back off for a little, try again and if it REALLy isn't
working, set them aside and speak plainly, truthfully and to the point.
HTH and gets your brain waves back to working with a bigger smile than what
you started!
Macbeth
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