Volunteers
Articles
“Leading the Way: Byway Leadership.,”
America’s Byways Resource Center; Vistas, May 2002
Volunteers: Byway Leadership
You may not think of yourself as a leader. The truth is, almost everyone demonstrates some leadership characteristics and has the potential to lead. When you show personal leadership, you are creating a better future for your organizations, your byway and your community. Individuals demonstrate leadership along byways in many ways. You are showing leadership when you:
- Speak positively about the program to a neighbor, co-worker or community leader;
- Act as an advocate and spokesperson for the byway;
- Encourage others to become involved with the group:
- Work to diversify byway membership and broaden the group’s ability to make an impact;
- Build relationships with partner organizations;
- Identify valuable resources and funding to expand the byway’s ability to reach its goals;
- Serve as a catalyst to spark new ideas;
- Show interest and enthusiasm for the byway program;
- Willingly volunteer to take charge of a byway project.
The Importance of Champions
It only takes a spark to get a fire going. The same is true of volunteer leadership. One energetic, enthusiastic individual can spark an organization, inspire a group, initiate a project or implement an idea. One person with a strong belief in a cause or concept can create lots of momentum and action. Sometimes these people are called champions.
A champion is a dedicated individual who believes in an idea, advocates it to others and sees it through to great success. Champions can assist your byway by getting support for its initiatives, neutralizing opposition and arranging resources (funding, people, time, things, etc.) to implement change. Sometimes champions come forward naturally. But often times, a champion must be recruited. How can you find and keep these types of dedicated individuals?
Ten Ideas for Recruiting New Leaders
It’s a natural cycle. People join organizations, while others leave. Individuals move in and out for organizations for lots of different reasons - relocation, increased job demands, new family commitments, changes in health conditions, and even sudden deaths.
When these changes happen unexpectedly, it can create serious problems for byway organizations. These are great risks in continuing to depend on one or two people to carry the load for an organization. Is your organization preparing new people to take on leadership positions? It requires ongoing efforts to recruit new byway leaders and members. Byway groups may want to use succession planning to identify and groom future leadership for the organization. By having a plan in place, there will be smooth transitions as the people within an organization change.
Ten Ideas for Recruiting New Leaders
Adapted from the Heartland Center for Leadership Development
- Ask the question, “Who’s Not Here?”
Understanding the make-up of your community allows you to analyze the leadership pool and know when a section of the community isn’t represented. When you have an answer to “Who’s not here?” you can develop a plan to increase involvement and target the areas that aren’t represented. - Look for skills, not names.
Rather than depending on the same people again and again for help with certain tasks, analyze the skills needed for the job and seek out a new helper. By looking at skills rather than names, you can discover leadership potential and involve new people in a byway project. - Try involvement in degrees.
Ask for help with small, simple tasks that allow people to grow into larger commitments, gradual involvement helps leaders emerge and builds a cohesive group at the same time. - What’s in it for me?
Match your recruiting style to the personal motivation of the new leader. Self-interest may intellectual or social, but it is the foundation of volunteer efforts. Understand why prospective volunteers might be motivated to help. - Use a wide angle lens.
Keep in mind that even the smallest, most limited volunteer effort can be part of the leadership activities of a community. What’s important is seeing how each contribution fits into the whole picture. - Define the task.
The simple technique of recruiting new leaders by asking for help becomes very effective when the task is defined by time commitment needed, the skills to be used and the contribution that the completed task will make. - Use current leaders to recruit new leaders.
Current leaders are in the best position to draw new leaders into community activities. Visibility, position/authority and example are powerful tools to use in persuading others to become involved and take on some responsibility. - Create a history of efficient use of people’s time.
Practice good time management by keeping meetings focused and organized. A reputation for efficiency always helps recruiting efforts. - Offer membership “premiums”.
What are the advantages and rewards of assuming a leadership role? A “premium” can be anything from a trip for a convention or workshop, to a certificate of appreciation. - Market your wares.
Build on the reputation of your group as effective and important to the community. Reports, newsletters and public awareness can do this formally, and word of mouth works informally.