Association Leadership - September/October 2008 - (Page 40)

Perspectives What do you expect from volunteers? In this issue, we have posed a question to a “seasoned” executive member and a “younger” member. These members share their experiences on the topic… and we’ll all benefit from the unique perspectives. Interested in being part of this series? Contact Beth Brooks at BethBrooks@TSAE.org. A “Younger” Perspective It didn’t take me very long in the association world before I found myself banging my head against the desk, wondering why so-and-so who promised me such-and-such had failed to deliver. Around the ofﬁce, I considered creating several games, including one that would award victory to the employee who most accurately forecasted the excuse that a volunteer leader would use. Another placed an over/under bet on the amount of time it would take to receive something back from a volunteer. Unfortunately, the safe bet was on never. All joking aside, someone wise once taught me that working with volunteers is the most frustrating and rewarding aspect of nonproﬁt/association management. Frustrating, for the unfortunate reasons I’ve illustrated, and rewarding because responsive volunteers are a sign of vitality and passion within an organization. I learned quickly that in order to see volunteer leaders produce results, I had to change the ways in which I interact with them. I found that the quality of a volunteer’s production was directly proportional to the quality of instructions and support they received. To put it simply, I assume that volunteers know little or nothing before introducing a project or assignment with them. While that might sound harsh, I was recently reminded that the association and its business are (at best) third or fourth on a volunteer’s list of priorities. For the best of our volunteers, the association ranks behind family, faith and fortune (career). For the rest, the association ranks about as high as remembering to pick up fresh batteries for the remote control. With all of the other thoughts and priorities swimming around in a volunteer’s brain, it is not unreasonable to assume that they have forgotten the details of a particular issue or project. In the course of working with volunteers, I expect little more than honesty and open communication. Some of the people I most respect are those who simpliﬁed their overcommitted lives and backed out of a commitment in a timely manner. When a volunteer accepts responsibility they are accountable to the membership. However, when they are unrealistic in evaluating what they can accomplish, and then try to hide their non-performance with a trail of excuses, it leads only to frustration and uncomfortable situations. Honesty helps avoid those situations, and gives other leaders an opportunity to adjust their expectations. As for those wagers on volunteer performance, all I can say is that no money has changed hands yet. 40 Association LEADERSHIP | September/October 2008 Christopher Williston, VI Executive Assistant/ Director of Communications National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, Texas

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Association Leadership - September/October 2008

Association Leadership - September/October 2008 Contents President’s Column Homepage 60-Second Solutions An Interview with TSAE’s New Chairperson TSAE’s Newest Board Members Vetting Volunteers Orientation of Volunteer Leaders Get on Board – Qualification Considerations Questions to Ask Before Saying Yes Liability Insurance for Volunteer Leaders Committee Planning TSAE’s Annual Golf Outing Congratulations to Our New CAEs Perspectives Association Case Study New Members Community Spotlight San Antonio Beaumont Index to Advertisers Advertiser.com The Lighter Side of Associations

Association Leadership - September/October 2008

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