The Number One Secret to Volunteer Management and Program Success

Volunteer management and volunteering program success revolves around one often ignored secret. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to present to and work with so many organizations involved with volunteer recruitment, retention and volunteer recognition.

EXAMINING HOW TO ENSURE SUCCESS

When examining how to ensure the continued success of these organizations, there has always been one main reason that leads to on-going success or ultimately their demise. Too many times, it is assumed by people in organizations that their volunteer programs would be more successful if the following happened.

MORE PASSION IS NEEDED

If only we had more people with PASSION. But there are so many people with great passion and belief in their cause, but their organizations or groups are dying. Certainly passion can keep you going against great odds but it can also make you blind to the need to do things differently.

TIME TO WORK HARDER STILL

If only we all pitched in and WORKED HARDER. Yet even the most hard-working and dedicated team cannot save their organization or group that is heading stubbornly down the wrong path.

TIME FOR MORE AND MORE MONEY

If only we had access to more RESOURCES and MONEY. More resources and money can always help but please understand that there'll never be enough resources and money. The more resources and money, the more organizations expand to absorb even more. Indeed, even the most resource rich groups and organizations can find themselves barely able to recruit and retain volunteers. As long as the belief is that everything will be alright when we have more resources and money, then you are destined not to learn how to make a true success of what you have now.

THE OFTEN OVERLOOKED SUCCESS SECRET

In reality, none of these are the number one reason. The real reason why your organization or group may not ultimately be as successful as it could be with volunteers can be summed up in one word, it is your STRATEGIES.

YOU CAN WIN OR LOSE WITH YOUR STRATEGIES

Very simply, it's the strategies you choose that will ultimately result in your demise or success. You can be passionate, dedicated, hardworking and have enormous resources. You can be a big organization or a small all-volunteer group. It really doesn't matter. It's the strategies you employ to reach your goals that make the ultimate difference to your success.

WHAT IS HAPPENING BEHIND THE SCENES

Of course, strategies don't stand alone but are part of your overall plan. But when you look under the surface of as many organizations, large and small, as I have, it is frightening to see the strategies still being stubbornly used that have clearly not worked.

THE TRANSFORMATION IDEA

So here's the simple but powerful idea that will absolutely transform the way you work and I always reinforce at my workshops. Listen very, very carefully.

IF IT IS NOT WORKING STOP DOING IT

If a particular strategy that you or your organization is using has really not worked and not produced the desired results you wanted, then STOP DOING IT NOW.

PAY ATTENTION TO ALBERT EINSTEIN

With the utmost respect, if you keep using an unsuccessful strategy without doing anything different, you are actually living Albert Einstein's definition of insanity.

LETTING GO AND TESTING THE REST

So before rushing off to find more money, more passion and work harder, it might be time to slow down. Stop and look again at the strategies you have been using. Discard strategies that do not work and concentrate on testing and tweaking those strategies that are working well. This will immediately multiply the success of your programs in volunteer recruitment, volunteer recognition and volunteer management.

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