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3. Centra

4. Managing Volunteers Delegating, Retaining and Rewarding Russell Palmer Professional Development russell.palmer@lyrasis.org LYRASIS ©2012

5. Learning Objectives By the end of this class, participants will be able to –Reduce or eliminate tension between paid staff and volunteers –Develop tactics to motivate, retain and reward volunteers –Delegate duties to volunteers –Guide volunteers through organizational change

6. Why do we need volunteers? Assist with repetitive tasks Keep collection looking neat Shelve, Shelf-read Presort recent check- ins Barcode Process withdrawals Improve customer service One-on-one computer assistance Help with program or event Call re: overdues or holds Information desk

7. What does a volunteer cost? TINSTAAFV (There Is No Such Thing As A Free Volunteer) Benefits: hourly costs of paid staff Consider costs –Insurance –Time of those staff who develop, interview, orient and train volunteers –Other?

8. Paid staff and volunteers: Must be able to work together. Are aware of each other’s authority levels. See each other as equals. Empower each other.

9. Paid staff: Have same goals as volunteers. Give input in developing volunteer positions. Have hand in training volunteers. Understand role of volunteers.

10. Volunteers: Understand roles relative to paid staff. Help meet patrons’ needs. Have goals related to library’s mission. Are qualified to effectively serve patrons.

11. Delegation Manager’s Role: Know volunteer’s skills, talents and interests Delegate work accordingly –IT professional Help re-design website? Build a database? –Graphic design student Design flyers for a library event or program? –Publishing/editing professional Help with collection development? Lead book group?

12. Balancing Everyone’s Needs Organizational Needs Mission-driven Strategic –Based on long-range plan Goal-driven –Increase number of checkouts –Gate count –Programming

13. Balancing Everyone’s Needs Constituents’ Needs Demographics –Who are they? Detailed on patron comment cards Indicated by requests Varied

14. Balancing Everyone’s Needs Organizational Needs Constituents’ Needs

15. Balancing Everyone’s Needs Needs of Paid Staff Needs include more than paycheck! Life/Work balance Competency Clear guidelines What else?

16. Balancing Everyone’s Needs Organizational Needs Constituents’ Needs Needs of Paid Staff

17. Balancing Everyone’s Needs Volunteers’ Motivation Community involvement Sense of “giving back” Social networking New in town Dealing with loss What else?

18. The Ideal Balance Organizational Needs Needs of Constituents Needs of Paid Staff Volunteers’ Motivation

19. The Real Balance Organizational Needs Constituents’ Needs Volunteers’ Motivation— drift toward Patrons’ Needs Volunteers’ Motivation—drift toward Staff Needs Needs of Paid Staff

20. Balancing Everyone’s Needs Influence of Volunteer Group or Friends Organization may have its own needs Gives volunteers a sense of autonomy Not same as your Board or Trustees

21. Balancing Everyone’s Needs Organizational Needs Needs of Constituents Volunteers’ Motivation I nfluence of Volunteer Group or Friends Needs of Paid Staff

22. Motivation Help with programs Work with the public Get to know a new community Intellectual tasks Use RA database to find read-alikes Stay sharp after retirement Help with ordering Write order cards, check over PO’s Know what new books are coming out

23. Motivation PraiseAffiliationAccomplishmentInfluence

24. Structure of Friends Relationships Do all volunteers have to be members of the Friends group? Do all Friends have to donate volunteer hours? Are there other avenues of service besides the Friends group? Is the Friends group the only avenue to becoming a board member?

25. Policies What are your training requirements? Are there attendance guidelines? Do you accept volunteers from other organizations? What risk-management is in place? Insurance? What benefits/perks? What changes might be required?

26. Policies If there are Friends volunteers and volunteers outside of the Friends: Who acts as volunteer manager for each group? Do they have the same use of library space? Do they get the same perks? –Meeting room use –Fine forgiveness

27. Louisville (CO) Public Library

28. Ethics Using volunteers to replace paid staff? –Yes, no, maybe? Okay to recruit MLIS-educated volunteers? –Yes, no, maybe? What’s unethical? Questionable?

29. Managing Change Explain and contextualize change and its necessity Discuss effects/outcomes Ask for reactions and input –Ideas for improvement? –Clarify misunderstandings Consider necessary skills for new environment

30. Retaining Communication is key!

31. Retaining Safe & consistent work environment Meaningful work –Relates to mission of organization –Not “busy work” Some level of control over the assignments Respect from management & paid staff

32. Retaining Recognition activities Award ceremonies Measurement of service Professional development

33. Retaining: Give it away. TrustInvitation to contributeTasksResponsibilities

34. Evaluations of Volunteers Advise volunteer in interview or orientation of evaluation routines Provide regular feedback about volunteer is performing Ask for feedback from volunteer –Learn what the volunteer thinks/feels about the job Lay the groundwork for exploring possible new volunteer duties

35. Volunteers need to know: Why they are being evaluated The process Schedule Frequency Who will perform Who has input Possible outcomes

36. Informal Evaluations Open-ended questions Explore relationships with paid staff Probe relationships with supervisors Areas of weakness/training needs? Strengths –Examples of good or exceptional performance?

37. Evaluation Outcomes Identify training opportunities for all staff and volunteers Get a read on volunteer program as a whole Formally affirm volunteers’ reasons for giving their time Document progress –Improve performance by discussing negative feedback from supervisors or staff

38. Questions? ‘Think’ by Regolare

39. Thank You for Attending! Questions/Comments 1.800.999.8558 1.720.215.2180 Email: russell.palmer@lyrasis.org We’d very much appreciate your thoughts about the class. http://www.lyrasis.org/Classes-and-Events/Class-Evaluation.aspx

40. Time for a break – see you in 10 minutes, please…