Post on 16-May-2015
& ASSOCIATES © 2009
Denver DOVIA - Advanced
Practitioners Symposium
May 27, 2009
Engaging Baby Boomers
in Volunteerism
& ASSOCIATES © 2009Flickr: aussiegal
“A social revolution –
possibly as important
as the one led by
Boomers in the 1960s –
will occur if nonprofits
strategically engage
Boomers in high-
impact collaborations
that build a nonprofit’s
capacity to fulfill its
vision and mission…
Boomers will lead the
way to a new era.”
— Page 18 Chapter 1 Understanding the World
of Boomers
& ASSOCIATES © 2009Flickr: sean dreilinger
“It takes more than a few
new strategies and
examples to engage
Boomers as volunteers. It
takes reimagining the role
of volunteers in an
organization and the
possible results of involving
volunteers in every aspect
of operations.”
— Page 22 Chapter 1 Understanding the World of
Boomers
& ASSOCIATES © 2009
Boomer Friendly
Organizations
Mandate from the top;
cultivate from within
Authentic volunteer leadership
Career paths for volunteer talent
Culture of innovation and flexibility
Embrace collaboration
Flickr: lindsey_lissau
& ASSOCIATES © 2009Flickr: jaypeg21
Flexibility
Control
Achievement
Collaboration
Partners
Boomers
Leading
Change
& ASSOCIATES © 2009Flickr: lindsey_lissau
Boomers Leading Change
Entrepreneurial
Self-Directed
Skills Based
Desire Flexibility &
Control
& ASSOCIATES © 2009Flickr: Vilhelm Sjostrom
Restructuring for
Innovation
& ASSOCIATES © 2009
• Volunteer Management
Where are you now?
• Volunteer Engagement
Where do you need to be?
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Strategies
Flicker: voj
& ASSOCIATES © 2009Flickr: jaypeg21
The Initiative
The right people
Context
Pilot program
Work plan
Accountability
& ASSOCIATES © 2009Flickr: jaypeg21
Needs Assessment
What can you realign?
What are the strategic priorities for your organization?
Where are the opportunities for your organization?
What are your dreams?
& ASSOCIATES © 2009
Critical Intervention
Points
An element of behavior, policy, or
process that presents an
opportunity to be affected
through strategic volunteer
engagement and that, if
successfully implemented,
makes significant change for a
positive result.
Organizations that are highly effective in the
engagement of volunteers consistently
display a high degree of shared leadership.
Merrill & Associates, 1996
Flickr: ByrnesyliamFlickr: Stephen Dyrgas
& ASSOCIATES © 2009Flickr: Stephen Dyrgas
Critical Intervention Points
What is critical?
• Critical intervention points lead to turning points; they are crucial or decisive; often essential and indispensable.
• Outcome alignment?
• Urgency?
• Relevance?
& ASSOCIATES © 2009Flickr: Stephen Dyrgas
Choose a meaningful place to intervene
• Has potential to create powerful results
• Mitigates or prevents a crisis
• Moves an initiative forward
• Solves a problem
• Meets an objective
• Creates momentum
Critical Intervention Points
& ASSOCIATES © 2009Flickr: Stephen Dyrgas
Critical Intervention Point
Questions
Will it come as a surprise to any key stakeholders?
What changes to current practice are needed?
Do existing volunteers have the expertise and time to carry this out – or to be trained?
What are/aren’t you willing to invest?
Is it sustainable?
& ASSOCIATES © 2009
Creating OpportunitiesGiving volunteers the least important
assignments is not an effective
strategy for capacity building.
Flickr: ikes
& ASSOCIATES © 2009Flickr: sreymer
Volunteer Roles
Seasonal Virtual
SubstituteTeam
Volunteering
& ASSOCIATES © 2009Flickr: sreymer
Volunteer Roles
Project Manager
Advocate
Job SharingTrial
Engagement
& ASSOCIATES © 2009Flickr: sreymer
Volunteer Roles
Rotation Task Force
Segmentation
& ASSOCIATES © 2009Flickr: sreymer
Volunteer Roles
Consultant
• Provide professional skills and/or content expertise
Coach
• Share wisdom and advice in a content area
Mentor
• Provide support
& ASSOCIATES © 2009Flickr: sreymer
Volunteer Position
Descriptions
Title
Key Responsibilities
Impact and Outcome
Training and Support
Commitment
Qualifications
Benefits to the Volunteer
& ASSOCIATES © 2009
Volunteers who are ready to move up, and thus move the organization forward, often:
Express aspirations
Take initiative
Ask great questions
Offer solutions
Problem solve well
Whom do you want to cultivate?
& ASSOCIATES © 2009Flickr: ex.libris
Cultivation of Boomer Volunteers
Gateway behaviors
Existing volunteers
Circles of influence
& ASSOCIATES © 2009
The
Individual
Volunteer
Plan (IVP)
& ASSOCIATES © 2009
Nurturing the Relationship:
Support
Flickr: Glover Bryant Communications
Collaborate all of the time
Empower volunteers
Volunteers leading other volunteers
Provide support not supervision
Acknowledgment
& ASSOCIATES © 2009
Negotiation
Flickr: thinkpanama
Preparing for negotiation
While negotiating
Negotiation tips
& ASSOCIATES © 2009Flickr: thinkpanama
Preparing for Negotiation
• Define the position in terms of results
• Determine the level of authority for the position
• Anticipate accomplishments and this person’s accountability for each
• Define what success looks like
& ASSOCIATES © 2009Flickr: thinkpanama
While Negotiating• Communicate applicable guidelines,
policies, and procedures
• Discuss additional recruitment needed (by you or the candidate)
• Share availability and accessibility of resources
• Agree on structural and timeline options
& ASSOCIATES © 2009Flickr: thinkpanama
Negotiating Tips
• Use questions, not directives
• Stay balanced; follow statements of what you need by asking what s/he needs
• Come to agreements rather than dictating
• Avoid telling her/him how to do it
& ASSOCIATES © 2009
Checking Progress
Flickr: Chaval Brasil
Checking Progress
•When do you meet?
•About what?
•What to do if agreements
aren’t met.
& ASSOCIATES © 2009
Checking Progress
Flickr: Chaval Brasil
Checking Progress
Does my volunteer leader:Know what s/he is supposed to accomplish?Have sufficient authority to accomplish it?Know how we have agreed to measure success? Know whether s/he is succeeding?
& ASSOCIATES © 2009
Checking Progress
Flickr: Chaval Brasil
Checking Progress
Does my volunteer leader:Have the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed?Understand his/her responsibility? Have I organized and communicated that clearly?Feel recognized for his/her contribution to the negotiation, project, team, etc? Have I created that recognition?
& ASSOCIATES © 2009
Creating the Case
Flickr: llawliet
Create your vision of what will be different
Create an elevator speech
Plan where to use the speech
Tell powerful stories early and often
& ASSOCIATES © 2009
What do you do?
Why should I care?
Can you explain it in 30 seconds?
In plain English?The
Elevator
SpeechFlickr: lrargerich
& ASSOCIATES © 2009Flickr: ktvyeow
.
Sustaining the Collaboration:
Ongoing Engagement
Measure feedback
and progress
Identify your champions
Share your stories
Dialogue throughout
Inspire others
& ASSOCIATES © 2009
What will
you do
differently
when you
walk out this
door?Flickr: Niko Si
& ASSOCIATES © 2009
Downloadable PDFs available at:
www.boomervolunteerengagement.org
Boomer Volunteer Engagement:
Collaborate Today, Thrive Tomorrow
& ASSOCIATES © 2009
Thank you!
I am a co-creator, an active agent, in
this universe who makes things
happen. If I want the world to change, I
have to change it.
Danah Zohar