Best practices in volunteering may not be the best after all

Improving volunteerism

Photo: Karen Knight

I have a problem with the term “best practices.”

Too often, what we call best practices for volunteerism, aren’t really the best. They are either the best we know of so far or they’re simply the ones someone called the best and so everyone else follows them.

When I was walking my dog the other day, I took the picture above. Funny, isn’t it? There is a direct line between where I stand and the exit of the field, but the path trodden in the snow is wiggly. It’s just that the first person who walked across in the new snow wandered for some reason. The second person, and the third and so on, just automatically followed the same path rather than cutting straight across. It’s not even that the snow is deep.

This is a great analogy for how we humans often adopt ideas.

Think about it. If we need to do something we’ve never done before, the first thing most of us do is find out how other people have done it. After all, why reinvent the wheel? So we do things the same way others did it in the past, as long as it works.

But, as Patty McCord states in her TED talk, Eight lessons on building a company people enjoy working for, “There’s all kinds of things that we call ‘best practices’ that aren’t best practices at all. And how do we know it’s best? We don’t measure this stuff. In fact, I’ve learned that ‘best practices’ usually means copying what everyone else does.”

It’s like following a wiggly path in the snow. Sometimes we need to reinvent the wheel, or at least tweak it. Have you ever heard the phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”? It’s a terrible piece of advice. Just because something works, doesn’t mean it can’t be made better. At one time, the best practice for getting from A to B was by walking. Which can be great for some things, like going from the couch to the fridge but I think most of us agree there are better ways now to get across town.

I think that’s why I dislike the phrase “best practices” so much. As soon as something is labeled as the “best”, we make a subconscious assumption it can’t be improved upon. Everything can be improved but we won’t even try if we believe those who are smarter, or who have more experience, think this way is the best.

Our world, and the volunteer sector, are constantly changing. We need to be able to, on a regular basis, rethink how we do things, to challenge the status quo and to accept that best practices in volunteerism aren’t, necessarily.

How do we do that? How can we tell whether something can be improved? Look at the picture above. It seems obvious the faster, more efficient path is straight ahead. We can see that because we’re looking up. But when we’re walking—or working—we often have our eyes on the ground just ahead of our feet. We aren’t necessarily aware of how the path is twisting because we only see a couple of steps ahead.

To decide whether a practice or procedure can be improved, we need to take the time to raise our heads and study the wider perspective. Another way is to consider the practice in the light of our mission.

What may truly be a best practice for some types of organizations may be less than ideal for others. For example, I’ve often heard that a best practice for recruiting volunteers is to make the role or task sound less like work and more like fun. That works great for some roles or missions, like friendly visiting of seniors or socializing kittens. For other roles, however, it can lead to misunderstandings and high turnover. Consider the hard physical, dangerous work of volunteer firefighters or the high-stress, often heartbreaking shifts on a suicide hotline. Emphasizing the fun in those organizations doesn’t sound like a “best practice” to me.

The fact is, best practices in volunteerism aren’t universal. What works superbly for one organization may not work at all for another. What worked great 10 or 15 years ago likely is less effective today. When we label something as a best practice, we are limiting ourselves and others from exploring new ways that may be even better.

I understand the processes we tend to call best practices really are better than most out there, for most organizations. It’s just that calling them “best” seems to put a stop to experimentation and enhancement.

If you think that it doesn’t, take another look at the picture.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

Using the Ladder of Inference in volunteer engagement

Dealing with complex issues

Photo: Pixabay

You’ve been there. In volunteer engagement, we are often faced with making quick decisions in complex situations.

Whether it’s assessing a volunteer’s commitment, resolving conflicts or planning new initiatives, it’s easy to make assumptions based on what seems obvious at the moment. And that often leads to poor decisions. Learning about the "Ladder of Inference" offers a way to avoid automatic assumptions, helping us make decisions grounded in fact rather than on conjecture. This theory can be especially useful in managing volunteer teams, where relationships, motivations, and performance can vary widely.

So what is the Ladder of Inference?

Developed by Chris Argyris, the ladder describes the mental steps we take, often unconsciously, to move from a fact or observation to a conclusion or decision. Imagine a ladder. Each rung represents a stage in our subconscious thinking process, starting with the raw data we observe and ending with the actions we take based on our interpretation of that data. Here are the seven rungs:

1. Observable data: What we actually see, hear, or experience (for example, a volunteer frequently arrives late).

2. Selected data: We notice some details that stand out to us but discount others (noticing only on the fact that the volunteer is late, not considering other behaviour).

3. Add meaning: We begin to interpret the data through our personal lens (maybe concluding that the volunteer lacks commitment).

4. Make assumptions: Based on our interpretation, we assume reasons for the behaviour (because they lack commitment, the volunteer doesn't care about the project).

5. Draw conclusions: We form a solid judgment (this volunteer is unreliable).

6. Adopt beliefs: Our conclusions reinforce existing beliefs (volunteers who are late are therefore disengaged and unreliable).

7. Take action: Finally, we act on these beliefs (reassigning the volunteer, or even terminating them).

Each step is influenced by our past experiences, emotions, and biases. When we jump too quickly up the ladder, we risk making decisions that aren’t grounded in reality. For volunteer leaders, this can lead to misunderstandings, strained relationships, and missed opportunities to support volunteers effectively.

Been there, done that

In my time leading volunteers at Toastmasters International, I saw that a long-term volunteer was less engaged than previously. They missed several meetings, hadn’t been as responsive to emails and seemed distracted during their shifts.

I immediately came to the conclusion they were thinking of quitting. Before I even spoke with them, I began looking for someone to replace them. You might guess how that turned out. The volunteer did quit, reinforcing my belief.

It was only later that I found out they quit because I was trying to replace them. They thought I didn’t like them or their work. The disengagement I saw was actually because of personal issues that were short-term and would not have affected their behaviour much longer.

When you pause and consciously work through the ladder, you’re more likely to avoid my error.

1. Observable data: The volunteer missed meetings and hadn’t responded to emails promptly.

2. Select data: Instead of focusing only on the meetings, I could have looked at their overall contributions. Were they still getting their tasks done? Were there other factors to consider?

3. Add meaning: Instead of assuming lack of interest, I should have thought about what else could have been causing the behaviour.

4. Make assumptions: Instead of assuming they were quitting, I should have actually sat down and had a discussion with them.

5. Draw conclusions: If I had held off until I’d gathered more information, I could have found ways to support the volunteer through their personal struggles.

6. Adopt beliefs: I needed to shift my belief system to one that assumed there was more to the story than I saw.

7. Take action: The action I could have taken – supporting the volunteer during their struggles – would have resulted in keeping an experienced volunteer in a position that they loved, and having that volunteer know that I really cared about them.

Applying the Ladder of Inference to volunteer engagement

We need to add intentionality to our decision-making. Understanding the Ladder of Inference can help us do that. By consciously stepping through each rung of the ladder, we can avoid jumping to conclusions and instead base our decisions on a more complete understanding of the situation.

It requires practice. By regularly reflecting on the decisions you make, especially in moments of stress or conflict, you can begin to notice when you’re jumping up the Ladder too quickly – making assumptions that may not be accurate. Over time, this habit of intentionality helps foster stronger, more trusting relationships with the volunteers.

When we use the Ladder of Inference consciously, we become better at resolving conflicts, supporting volunteers through challenges, and making good decisions. The process helps to ensure that your decisions are based on facts, not assumptions, and creates a more positive environment for everyone.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

Don't talk volunteers out of leaving, encourage them to come back

Boomerang volunteers

Photo: Pixabay

Boomerang volunteers are a group that often gets forgotten when we do recruitment drives but they can be the best volunteers in your program.

You’ve probably heard that old saying by Richard Bach: “If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it is yours. If it doesn’t, it never was.” Volunteers can be thought of in the same way.

Too often, when we have a great volunteer who is making noise about leaving, we try so hard to convince them to stay—sometimes to the point of making them feel guilty. That can hurt you in so many ways.

First, even if you can guilt them into staying longer, their hearts won’t be in it and they’ll start to resent both you and the organization. The quality of their work will deteriorate and from being a great volunteer, they’ll end up being mediocre at best, and they will leave eventually anyway.

Second, by trying to talk them into staying with you, it makes it easier for you to ignore whatever reason may be driving them away. In a lot of cases, of course, the reason will have nothing to do with you—health issues, a new job or extra duties at their current one, a move to a different part of the city or to a completely different city.

Sometimes, though, people leave because they’re frustrated or bored. When they go, you will be forced to take a closer look at your processes and make the effort to improve things.

Finally, if you make them feel uncomfortable leaving, there is no chance at all that they will become a boomerang volunteer.

So, what is a boomerang volunteer, anyway? A boomerang volunteer is, quite simply, a volunteer who left the organization and now wants to rejoin. They are wonderful people. Boomerang volunteers already understand the culture, have a reasonably clear idea of the organization’s procedures (depending on how long they’ve been away) and the fact they left and came back shows how much passion they have for your cause.

Chances are they will still need to go through background checks and some training upgrades but the onboarding can be completed far more swiftly and economically than it can with a brand-new volunteer. Unless they’re put into a role that’s completely different from the one they were doing before, they can hit the ground running and will take far less supervision and hand-holding than a newbie.

In many cases, they are also a good choice for leadership roles. They’ve demonstrated their loyalty and passion for the organization and they usually have a good knowledge of how things operate.

Boomerang volunteers are also easier to recruit. The key to recruiting past volunteers is to stay in touch with them. Set aside a bit of time every week to reach out to past volunteers. If you had a reasonably close relationship with them when they were volunteering, feel free to ask about what’s happening in their lives. How’s the new job coming along? Did your knee surgery go well? That kind of thing. It makes people feel warm inside when someone they didn’t expect to hear from shows that level of caring.

Even if you didn’t have a close relationship, you can still make a point of keeping in contact. Treat them as you would a past donor. Send them emails on their birthdays or on holidays they celebrate. Send them newsletters to update them on things that are going on in the organization. Don’t spam them, but a friendly touch once a month or so will keep you top of mind and remind them of why they volunteered in the first place.

Finally, keep an eye open for roles or short-term projects that might be of interest to them, even if they can’t do the role they originally held.

If a past volunteer has a new job and doesn’t have the time to fill a regular weekly shift, they may still be willing to check tickets at a weekend event. Health issues or a larger travel distance may keep a past volunteer from coming in to help but they might be able to post things on social media or do other remote tasks.

Ignore the temptation to use the above suggestions to convince them not to leave in the first place.

Give them the opportunity to recharge depleted batteries and start looking back on their volunteering with a bit of nostalgia. A new job can have a steep learning curve but may even out in a month or two. A move is always time-consuming and stressful. Give them a chance to settle in and get their bearings before you start offering opportunities. Also, offer them, don’t push them. If they love you, they will come back. In their own time.

Past volunteers are often forgotten when we think about recruitment. Yet, if they’re treated well when they were volunteers, you allow them to exit gracefully and you stay in touch with them after they leave, they may very well become boomerang volunteers. In other words, they may be some of the best volunteers in your program.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

Ways to get casual volunteers interested in long-term volunteering

Gateway to volunteering

Photo: City of Kelowna

Organizations that put on events, either as their main function or to support their cause, have a fantastic opportunity.

Episodic volunteering continues to grow in popularity because it can be worked into people’s busy lifestyles far more easily than promising to fill a shift every week. That makes helping at an event an ideal “gateway” to volunteering.

Opportunities that make a good gateway to volunteering are short-term, high-energy, and low-barriered events that can attract people who wouldn’t otherwise consider volunteering.

Simple tasks, few if any hoops to jump through and, most importantly, a clearly-defined timeframe make it easy for people to put up their hands, even if they’ve never volunteered before.

Why events, specifically? There are three reasons. First, in many cases, people may know someone who is participating.

Caleb English is a person I recently met from my local community of Kamloops. He is a good example. In April will participate in an ultra-marathon called the Marathon Des Sables (250 kilometres in the Sahara desert) to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Since he started talking about, and training for, it, many of his friends and family have stepped up to help him in various ways, formally and informally. Many of them have never volunteered before. Some don’t even realize what they’re doing is volunteering. But a good experience here could encourage them to volunteer again, for this or a similar event.

Second, people have an opportunity to enjoy the excitement and camaraderie that the events engender. Of course, most of Caleb’s supporters won’t be actually going to the Sahara. They will, however, be watching and cheering him on from home. A party is being planned for the final day, where the volunteers can get together to cheer him across the finish line.

That isn’t the only example. A large number of the volunteers at the Olympics come back and volunteer for every games cycle. They plan their vacations around it. The regulars form a kind of informal club and look forward to seeing each other every time.

Event volunteers also get to enjoy at least part of the event itself, whether listening to the music at a charity concert while serving in a concession or watching a race during a shift break.

Finally, my favourite advantage of event volunteering is its variety. Events usually require a wide range of tasks, from promoting it on social media and greeting attendees at concerts to managing registration tables or serving food. This variety allows potential volunteers to choose a role that matches their interest and time availability. They may also be able to try out several different types of roles over the course of longer events.

So, how do you turn that one-time event into a lifelong habit?

While events are a fantastic gateway to volunteering, the ultimate win is to encourage one-time volunteers to come back again and, hopefully, start volunteering with you consistently.

To do that, it’s important to make them:

1. Feel comfortable right from the start.

2. Support them throughout the event.

3. Follow up consistently after it’s over.

Provide a warm welcome

Make sure volunteers are greeted when they arrive and new people have an opportunity to meet others. Be sure everyone knows exactly where they need to be at what times, the details of their role and who they should talk to if something goes sideways.

Pairing first-time volunteers with experienced ones is an ideal way to build connections and ensure they “learn the ropes”.

Ensure they are well-supported

In addition to making sure they know what to do, it’s also important to check in with them regularly. Even if someone knows who to talk to, they may not feel comfortable doing so unless they are specifically asked, “Have you had any problems?” “Did you get a chance to take a break?” “Are you enjoying yourself?”

Remember to follow up

Reach out soon after the event to thank them again and share how their efforts made a difference. If you have stats you can share (money raised, number of athletes supported, etc) that can show the impact they helped make.

This is also a good time to share information about other opportunities. Don’t be pushy, they’re still new to this. Just mention that, if they enjoyed themselves, there are other short-term ways they can help. They just need to ask. Once they’ve done a few short-term stints, you can offer longer term opportunities.

Be a gateway to volunteering

Event-based volunteering offers a powerful way to break down barriers and introduce people to the joys of giving back. Through them, you can inspire first-time volunteers to become lifelong contributors. Each new volunteer represents not only a helping hand at your event but also the potential for a ripple effect of giving that extends far beyond a single day or a single organization.

(If you’d like to learn more about Caleb and his run, Google his gofundme page, Go Far Go On.)

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.