FastTrain

Have you ever tried managing volunteers?  It is the toughest task in the world and one that I would recommend to any new manager who wants to sharpen up their people management skills.  Why?

First of all you didn’t hire them.  You arrive on the scene and there they are, doing what they have always done in an unconstructed way.

You can’t fire them.  They are volunteers after all so you can’t say you are sacked.  You have to live with them and make the very best of their talents.

You can’t discipline them.  They could very easily walk away and tell you to get someone else to do it.

Their skills sets will vary enormously.  I have worked with teams that contained a Director of a FTSE 100 company and a junior researcher.  You have to get each of them to work together for the common cause.

You have to apply all the very best people management skills.  That means learning lots about them and what motivated them to come and volunteer – what makes them tick?

You have to encourage them to take a path which they may not want to take.  You have to persuade, motivate and use every ounce of your interpersonal skills to get them working for you.  You have to know them so well that you double guess what their reaction is going to be to a certain situation and then prepare your counter arguement.

You have to use diplomacy, discipline and a single mindedness in pursuit of your objectives in equal measure; and you have to articulate your vision in such a way that you get ‘buy-in’.

In short you have to be the sort of manager that you would like to be in the workplace.  One who knows and understands their team, builds relationships, coaches, delegates and leads towards the ultimate business goal.

You have to be a manager who leaves the big stick at home and starts to use his head instead of his vocal chords!

If you haven’t tried managing some volunteers then now is the time to give it a go.