& ASSOCIATES © 2009 Get Involved: Powered By Your Library, A California State Library Initiative Creating Powerful Communities of Action

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 Steps to Volunteer Engagement Understanding Boomers Assessment Building the Case Mapping the Initiative Creating Opportunities Cultivation and Networking Interviewing and Vetting Creating the Collaboration Nurturing the Relationship Capacity Building Using Critical Intervention Points Designing Powerful Engagement Agreement & Support

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 Coaching Report Accomplishments Learning Challenges Flickr Soansmark

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 Learning Objectives 1 Incorporate ideas from across this community of practice into your pilot work 2 Negotiate agreements with new volunteers, following the initial interview 3 Understand the staff role in creating Communities of Action

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 Interview Questions Report Out

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 Microsoft Offers and Negotiation “Interviewing is a lot like talking, but you have to guide the conversation. You have to know what you want and go about getting it.” – Anthony deCurtis, former editor of Rolling Stone

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 Before the Offer What questions have come up since we last spoke? What were your “Aha!” moments from our interview? What else has occurred to you over the last few days? Great ideas? Concerns?

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 Before the offer At this point, the candidate knows if she/he is the right fit. You are providing: An easy way out before you invest more time A safe space for the candidate to ask questions and raise concerns that could determine success Another forum to learn about the candidate If the candidate opts out, ask, “May I keep you on our list for future opportunities?” Say, “Thank you” and you’re done.

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 “I would like to offer you this assignment!” Ask if you could set up a convenient time to meet by phone or in person in the next two weeks Share that there is a “next steps” conversation that will take about an hour When the candidate accepts, your support begins

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 Flickr: thinkpanama Hints for phrasing Use questions, not directives Stay balanced; Follow statements of what you need by asking what he or she needs Come to agreements rather than dictating Determine the level of authority for the position Preparing for Negotiation

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 Flickr: thinkpanama Make the conversation engaging – for this individual and for future volunteers this person will engage: Collaborative Helpful Focused on learning and leadership development Respectful Transparent Set the Tone

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 Flickr: thinkpanama Define the position in terms of results Anticipated accomplishments, and this person’s accountability for each What does success look like? Avoid telling him/her how to do it Negotiation

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 Flickr: thinkpanama Communicate guidelines, policies, and procedures Discuss additional recruitment needed Share resource availability and accessibility Agree on structural and timeline options While Negotiating

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 Checkpoints for leaders are informal and focused on assessing progress toward specific goals: Agree on how often, where/through what medium to meet Emphasize that a collaborative relationship includes reasonable availability outside of those agreed meetings Checking Progress

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 Leaders need to get the why behind progress (or lack thereof) and self-direct corrective actions. Help by asking: How would you evaluate your progress? Are you on target? What can you learn from this setback to be stronger in the future? Why did you do it so well? What are some better ways of doing what you do? Volunteer Management: Mobilizing all the Resources in the Community, Steve McCurley & Rick Lynch Checking Progress

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 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? Do I? Checkpoint Evaluation for You Volunteer Management: Mobilizing all the Resources in the Community, Steve McCurley & Rick Lynch

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 Does my volunteer leader: Have the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed? Understand his or her responsibility? Have I organized and communicated that clearly? Feel recognized for his or her contribution to the negotiation, project, team, chapter, etc? Have I created that recognition? Checkpoint Evaluation for You Volunteer Management: Mobilizing all the Resources in the Community, Steve McCurley & Rick Lynch

Definition: A collaborative group whose members align around a shared purpose, and who take action toward specific goals through broad participation and mutual accountability The opportunity in a Community of Action is to enlist volunteers and stakeholders as co-producers and co- creators. Community of Action A Community of Action is a vehicle to help volunteers move toward achieving strategic goals.

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 Characteristics of the Culture Balance of operations and mission Mutual learning Risk taking Success defined as goal attainment High Impact Communities of Action

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 Characteristics of the Participants Broad participation Authenticity Shared goals Relationship cultivation Caring High Impact Communities of Action cont.

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 Recognition Focus on outcome Mutual accountability Accountability

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 “Co-create the future” for specific strategic results” (Richard Axelrod, Terms of Engagement, 2000) Get the right people to the table Monitor focus Import practices and perspectives Be a Broker, Cultivator, Facilitator, and Negotiator Your Role “Action is Eloquence.” – William Shakespeare

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 Influence practice Translate & align perspectives Facilitate transactions Convene the right people Ask critical questions of the committed change agents Make sure team needs are heard and that the team acts upon critical intervention points Broker & Negotiator

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 Help volunteers – especially leaders – understand the whole system; the more they learn, the more they will act to improve it Verbal & nonverbal cues Shared discovery ► increased confidence & competence ► powerful action How to say, “I’m not the leader”… Cultivator & Facilitator Communities of Action allow you to facilitate volunteers managing the process and other volunteers.

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 Community Meaning Abundance Engaged volunteers weave the stories of the initiative’s results, the organization’s impact, and their individual roles into one powerful narrative!

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 Learning Objectives 1 Incorporate ideas from across this community of practice into your pilot work 2 Negotiate agreements with new volunteers, following the initial interview 3 Understand the staff role in creating Communities of Action

& ASSOCIATES © 2009 Thank you! See you at the May Institute May 5 – 6, 2009 San Francisco