Paid volunteers

I’ve worked with an equal number of commercial and non-profit organizations over the years and one of the most interesting people-types I’ve encountered is the new non-profit volunteer. Overflowing with energy and motivation, willing to take on any task, they jump right in on whatever you ask and plow right through it. These highly energized people can be both a blessing and a challenge for any manager.

The problem arises when they’ve run out of steam. Volunteers don’t receive a paycheck to sooth their frayed nerves or make them willing to get up the next day and start back at it. After a while, you find your pool of volunteers atrophying from overuse. It’s not from bad management…it’s just the nature of the beast. Managing the draw on volunteers can be one of the most delicate balancing acts out there.

I mention this because many of the principles used in dealing with volunteers can be effectively applied to paid staff members with equal success.

1. Make sure they’re doing what they want to do. While not every job is something that a person wants to do and we all have some grunt work we just dread as a manager you need to be sure that there are some tasks each person has that they really want to and enjoy doing. It’s that bit of satisfaction that can make or break their motivation.
2. Share their successes…in front of them. When you have a volunteer that delivers time in and time out you need to make sure that others are aware of their good work. Beyond just thanking the volunteer, it provides positive reinforcement to others that you appreciate the work and effort. It doesn’t need to be an award or reward. Often just the verbal recognition delivered sincerely is more than enough.
3. Watch their gas mileage. As their time as volunteers grows longer their mileage will start to drop. Typically this shows up as less participation, volunteering for new initiatives less often, and overall not showing the “spark” they had in the beginning. Once they reach this point it’s time for a tune-up. Learn what’s in their head. Spend some time with them and find out what’s important to them now. Get them onto a project that fires them up and gets them going again.

All of these things are applicable to paid staff just as much as volunteers even though it’s easier to use the stick rather than the carrot with them, something you can’t do with volunteers. Treat your people as if they chose to come in each day, and they might choose to keep doing that for a long time to come.