Unlocking Volunteer Commitment in a Changing World: Strategies for Success

1. When Pay is Not Your Motivator Volunteer Commitmentin a New Age North Dakota EMS Association June 6-7, 2016

2. Topics We Will Cover • Finding The Core Strength of Volunteers • Speaking the Language of Constituencies • Creating Volunteer Ambassadors • Enlisting Champions with Credibility • Prepping Your Favorite PomPoms • Innovating with Style

3. Find the Core Strength of Volunteers

4. What is core strength and how do I see it in myself and others? • Two types of power • Positional and Personal • Strength is derived from how we see ourselves • If we don’t believe it, we can’t sell it • We’ll know we have it by the “physical cues” • The only way to have it is to be authentic • If we lose it, we CAN get it back again Source – MOJO by Marshall Goldsmith

5. Grab and Go Strategy #1Develop Your Personal “Strategic Plan” • Take time to process the “value” of who you are as an individual: • What is your mission statement?(Why do you exist?) • What values drive you to do what you do? • What is your vision for your future? • What roles are you really good at? • To what area of growth or development are you committed? • These answers will give you the “core strength” to risk asking questions – challenging the status quo

6. Speak the Language of the Constituency Groups

7. WIIFM

8. I Speak Volunteer – They Speak ??????? • It may be English… but we don’t all speak the same language • Listen for the clues of what is important – then translate your value to their currency • Offer authentic assurances • Make your case using their currency • Resist being “put off” by priorities that may not coalesce with your own personal values • Keep your eye on the prize

9. Grab and Go Strategy #2Negotiate for What You Need • Use the TALK method to secure a change in attitude: (Remember that taking the risk of getting a “no” answer isn’t easy – Reinforce your confidence in your “value” before taking this on….) • Tell ‘em what you need • Ask for their reaction • Listen as much as you talk • Keep it about the work REFERENCE: Julie Morgenstern – Making Work Work

10. Create Volunteer Ambassadors

11. Follow your own recommendation…. • If you need someone to “sell” the volunteer program, “hire” a sales force • Write a job description that promotes the promotion of the of your organization • Give volunteers the tools to do the work • Support and reinforce results • You don’t need to do ALL the work – you just need to assure the work gets done

12. Grab and Go Strategy #3Write a Job Description • Write a job description for a program ambassador for the volunteer service • Develop a set of scripts (including both head and heart descriptors) • Send and/or go with the ambassador to deliver the volunteer message • Give the ambassador tools to use in recruitment

13. Written Job Descriptions

14. Enlist Champions with Credibility

15. It only takes one!!!!! • One happy volunteer can be the primary sales person for the volunteer services program • Interview happy volunteers – use their comments and ask them to speak on behalf of the program • Enlist happy employees who have derived benefit in work alongside volunteers • Seek advocates for seat at the table

16. Grab and Go Strategy #4Develop a “Fan File” • Interview a dozen leaders in your agency asking them to “tell me something good” about volunteers working in their setting • Document their answers • Seek permission to use their quotes • Include a signed quote (selected for best “fit”) on EVERY correspondence going out to your volunteers and prospective volunteers

17. Prep Your Fluffiest Pompons

18. You can’t sell it if you haven’t bought it! • Look for multiple avenues of communication • Put outcomes into the language of the recipients – money talks • Look for high visibility volunteer placements to showcase volunteer benefit (sell administration) • Tell, tell, tell – share the value proposition

19. Grab and Go Strategy #5Practice the Three Ps • Persistent, Positive, Pursuit • Develop a 60-second “commercial” that outlines program, features, stats, and impact • Deliver this “commercial” in every setting available within your organization • Teach the “commercial” to your volunteer core

20. Innovate

21. If “we’ve always done it that way” is the common mantra….consider this. • Don’t just round up the usual suspects • Go outside your comfort zone • Be the very best at “failure” • Collect ideas from volunteers • Collect ideas from staff • Consider research and demonstration in one area and, after evaluation – organizational roll-out

22. Accountability Evaluation Works

23. Reward Celebrate Recognize Honor

24. Thank You! 818 S. Hawthorne Avenue Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57104-4537 (605) 336-0244 or (888) 4-SUMPTION www.sumptionandwyland.com