Volunteers Who to look for Who to avoid & Steve Leahy President & CEO Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce September 14, 2006

Chamber Volunteers  Believe in the mission of your organization.  Are people with high expectations of themselves and others.  Are motivated toward action and goals.  Can be both reactive and proactive.  Bring unique perspectives and experiences.  Often are agents of change, but sometimes of inertia.  Are stakeholders focused on personal and organizational success.

The New Form of Volunteering  Must present a win-win situation.  Prove well worth the investment of time, energy and brainpower.  Be an extremely positive experience.  Overcome everything else competing for their time and attention. Source: ACCE 2006 Conference presentation by Janet Newham, Senior Vice President, Membership Development, Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce and John Seymour, President & CEO Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce

Recruiting  Be truthful and clear on goals/results.  Listen carefully to gauge volunteer’s expectations and motives.  Understand the issue and/or project requirements.  Open communications by volunteer and staff.  Deal breakers and how will they define success? Source: ACCE 2006 Conference presentation by Janet Newham, Senior Vice President, Membership Development, Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce and John Seymour, President & CEO Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce

Create the opportunities they want  Express committees in terms of what they do, not what they’re called.  Areas of interest vs. general business to business.  Consider:  Development and growth  What they bring and what they get out of it  Their company concerns  Issues impacting their bottom line  Find their passion Source: ACCE 2006 Conference presentation by Janet Newham, Senior Vice President, Membership Development, Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce and John Seymour, President & CEO Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce

Matching Volunteers The Entrepreneur Volunteer Qualities:  Wants to implement change or impact a problem in a meaningful way.  Have the desire to create, change and interpret needs and make dramatic shifts in the world.  Change and action are a motivator.  “Making a difference” in advancing a cause.  These volunteers create their own opportunities.  There are no "absolute" ways to accomplish a mission.  Realize that doing new things can be messy. MBTI: ESFJ, INFJ, ENFJ, INFP, INTJ Source: Volunteertoday.com June 2006

Matching Volunteers The Occasional or Serendipity Volunteer Qualities:  Consensus and harmony among people working on a project is most important.  These volunteers like projects and events.  Volunteers accept change, but comfortable with orderliness and existing framework.  There are no “absolute” ways to accomplish a mission.  Service is provided in a loose and unstructured manner.  Qualitative measures are more important than quantitative. MBTI: ISFP, ESFP, INTP, ENFP Source: Volunteertoday.com June 2006

Matching Volunteers The Vigilante Volunteer Examples:  Volunteers who identify needs and move to gather others through an organized effort to address the issue.  Advocacy volunteers who organize others in a structured program to address issues in a dynamic manner.  Volunteers who sometimes move outside the traditional institutions, establishing new institutional structures to reflect their beliefs. MBTI: ISTP,ENTP,ENTJ Source: Volunteertoday.com June 2006

Matching Volunteers The Traditional Volunteer Examples:  Hospital volunteers who serve on regular schedules.  Volunteers who serve on boards and committees in an active capacity.  Temporary episodic volunteers who work through organizational structures to provide services.  Volunteers active in an organized and established social network or committee structure. MBTI: ESFJ, INFJ, ENFJ, INFP, INTJ Source: Volunteertoday.com June 2006

10 Qualities of a Leader From UW Football Coach Tyrone Willingham 1.Character 2.Commitment 3.Passion 4.Ability to focus 5.Ability to be a good listener

10 Qualities of a Leader From UW Football Coach Tyrone Willingham 6.Ability to communicate 7.Ability to take responsibility 8.Self-disciplined 9.Problem-solver (anticipates & resolves) 10.Positive attitude

Servant Leadership  The servant-leader is servant-first  Servant leadership applies to all—not only volunteers  Most prevalent in corporations “It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant – first to make sure that other people's highest priority needs are being served.” Robert K. Greenleaf The Servant as Leader

Servant Leadership The best test: “Do those served grow as persons; Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?” Robert K. Greenleaf The Servant as Leader

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead “We are prone to judge success by the index of our salaries or the size of our automobiles, rather than by the quality of our service and our relationship to humanity.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

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