While in search of a proper topic to write about Project and Team management, I had decided to reach out to a couple individuals that would be interesting and knowledgeable. Last summer I had volunteered for a couple local festivals and so I thought I would try to interview with the project manager of one of them. I had come up with some great questions to ask and was very excited about it, when I got an email a couple days after she had accepted to help, and said she was no longer with the organization and could not help me. The other just didn’t respond, so I was left feeling a bit discouraged and didn’t know what I was going to do.
A reason I focused on volunteering and the leadership it takes is because volunteers are a large part of a successful festival. I started researching the topic again on the internet, when I found an article that seemed somewhat fitting with the topic and what I was originally going to do, I got excited! It was called “The Seven Deadly Sins of Recruiting Volunteers” by Thomas W. McKee. As I read the article, I realized that a lot of the sins had to do with the leader of the project rather than the volunteers (not always the case but in this instance). Leadership plays a huge role when it comes to organizing a group of people to do something effectively.
The largest factors of this article that pertains to leadership are sins 1, 2, and 6. Sin #1 is to expect announcements to get volunteers. The thing is, people always want to feel like they matter. One lesson Thomas McKee had learned after announcing the need for volunteers until he turned blue in the face was that, if there were prime candidates that you feel would be crucial to have on your team then you should just ask. Had he have asked that one time, the person he wanted help from the most would have felt needed and would have accepted the offer (as the person admitted once McKee finally told him). Sin #2 was to go it alone. An important part of group work is to actually feel like a group. Too many times, when people take on too large of a project on their own they tend to end up with an even bigger problem than they started with. It’s ok to accept that you need help, which is a tip that I’m working on personally as well! Lastly was sin #6 which said, be people driven rather that position driven. That is a huge cardinal rule when it comes to being a true leader. If you focus on your position and lead based on that, you end up losing a lot of respect and people only do what they have to do instead of being willing to follow your lead.
I did however want to touch on sin # 4 because I found it rather interesting. I feel that more often than not, when people hear the word “no” they take it as meaning “never” and that’s exactly what this sin rule says. The example that McKee gave in the reading was that he had asked his co-worker Bill to help him with a project and due to many personal circumstances that Bill had at that time, he couldn’t give the position adequate attention. However, McKee asked for help again three years later and Bill was excited to take the position! Just one of those situations that proves timing is everything and to never give up, which is key for any business situation.
To read more about the 7 sins of volunteer recruitment. Enjoy!
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