DRIVING FROM THE BACKSEAT

By Daphne Dickens

Volunteers. They can be your best advocate or your most challenging ally, but we all know the joy festivals bring to our communities could not exist without them (nor our organizations). Let’s be honest, we’re all a little (or a lot) Type A and protective of what we put our blood, sweat, and tears into throughout the year. But, with a well thought out plan and the right people in place, you might be surprised how they can enhance your festival if you let them.

The definition of volunteer is “a person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task.” So, give them a task they can own. That’s what they signed up for. I know what you’re thinking “yeah, there’s a lot to be done but I could execute the task more quickly and efficiently. Now I must explain the task, schedule in time for the volunteer questions, re-explain the task, allow time for me to fix what the volunteer didn’t do so it’s up to standard, etc. etc. etc.” Let’s take a step back and evaluate this response (and the million other excuses we have). Did they not execute the task or did they not execute the task the way you would have? Did we take the time to provide enough detail for them to execute the task properly? Are the right people in the right volunteer position? Have we thought “how” individuals volunteer and the most efficient way to communicate with them? We need to give volunteers great directions and tools to empower them but also allow and encourage them to share opinions, suggestions, and ideas all while guiding to get them in the direction we need to go. This is where we drive from the back seat, but not be a “backseat driver”. There is a difference!

In a recent IFEA Webinar, “The Path to Volunteer Growth”, presented by Florence May of TRS Volunteer Solutions, it was noted that volunteering is now seen as an alternative to leisure activities. More people are spending their free time volunteering for organizations they’re passionate about. What an amazing time to be in volunteer management! While there may be plenty of volunteers, how do you attract the right volunteers and how do we best communicate with them pre-festival, during the festival and post festival? At the 2019 IFEA Convention, Kaylee Williams of VolunteerLocal led a session on volunteer programs for multiple generations. “Different generations are experiencing different stages of life. They can be uniquely incentivized (and motivated) based on their values, and the economic and social context in which they grew up.”

Kaylee followed the statement with a question: how do we be intentional about leveraging these generational differences to help guide our volunteers? How can we use this to our advantage? By thinking generationally, you may have a better understanding of the volunteers you’re leading, including what their motivations may be and how to best manage them. We should also be more cognizant about the vehicle we’re using to communicate with our volunteers. In example, it’s been found “Baby Boomers” (1944-1964) prefer email communication compared to “Millennials” (1980-1996) who prefer more instant communication through text messaging. Motivations also vary across generations, ranging from “The Silents” (1927-1945) who are, in general, motivated just by general volunteering for their communities whereas “Gen-Xer’s” (1965-1979) are looking for more family friendly volunteer opportunities.

Volunteers may also need help in finding what their strengths are in order to best benefit your organization. It’s not always clear to them (or even to us). Asking them about their passions and learning what their needs are as a volunteer is critical. If a volunteer ends up being placed in the wrong area or position, chances are they won’t return to the organization. But if you get to know them as an individual, they may feel comfortable enough to tell you they didn’t have a good time or felt they weren’t in the right position. You could then place them in a different role or on a different team where they may be a better fit and at the end of day you don’t lose a volunteer. We must meet our volunteers where they’re at in life as individuals and help guide them to truly capitalize on their strengths to help grow and maintain a reliable volunteer. Putting our trust in these volunteers to get the job done can either make or break our end goal: to execute a successful festival. While it can be challenging and time consuming, it’s the only way to expand not just the volunteer program but the festival itself. While you’re providing guidance to get the job done (or driving from the backseat), you’re now able to focus on other things to enhance the organization’s mission and the festival.

I was once given a great analogy when managing volunteers: We need to build a table. It doesn’t matter how you build it; it just needs to get done. One thing to think about when giving volunteers tasks is “are you giving them the right tools to build a stable and beautiful table?” and “Do we have the right people in place to build the table?”

Let’s just think about the concept of building a table. You’d probably go to a store to rely on a professional to provide guidance on how to build a table. They might show you where the pieces of wood are, the stain options, tools you may need, the nuts and bolts of how to put it together but then, you’re on your own. You enjoy building this table because you can make it unique, it fits the style of the room you’re putting it in, and you’re proud of the work when it’s done. You want to show it off. Sure, you might have questions along the way but you can call on the trusty professional if needed.

Now think about building a table in terms of a team or an assembling line. More than likely there’s someone who is better at selecting the type of wood for the table, someone who enjoys staining the table, people who are excellent with tools, and a team that can follow directions to put the table together. If you don’t have the right people in place, production slows, mistakes are made, and your stuck micromanaging each department. But, if you’ve trained the right leaders, gave them clear direction, shared your goals, and empowered them to make decisions on their own, you’ll have beautiful tables. Trusting your volunteers isn’t always easy but if they’re set up with the right tools and directions, it’s up to them to execute. Your role then is to be there to oversee and support the teams as needed. If the right leaders are in place your focus can be in another area of need.

Now, let’s build a festival. Before we stress about recruiting, managing, and motivating volunteers, let’s ask ourselves how we can set them up to succeed (keeping in mind generational differences) and in turn, make our festival successful. It will take a little bit more time on the front end of planning; however, the outcome is well worth the effort. Volunteer management is an on-going task with the need of year-round engagement. It’s not something that can be thrown together a month before the festival with the expectation of grand success. Once a well thought out volunteer management plan is put into place, you’re able to evaluate the volunteer program year after year and make changes as needed. Some questions to ask yourself:

How are your volunteers organized? Do you have volunteer team leads? If not, organizing your teams like a calling tree is something to consider to make your life easier, especially if you have a large group. Are you having open conversations with your team leads before the festival? Team leads can act as a liaison between the organization and specific team/area. It also gives them ownership in the outcome. Having the right team lead can make a world of difference in a general volunteer’s experience as well. These individuals just want to volunteer during their selected shift and will have no engagement until the next festival, and that’s okay. There’s a place (and a need) for everyone at every level of engagement. It’s also important to make sure your door is open for any concerns or suggestions from other team members and general volunteers. It goes with the old saying, “people don’t leave bad jobs, they leave a bad management.” Volunteers generally have the best interest of the organization and want to see it be successful. Sometimes it’s time for a new leader or to make changes within teams. While these conversations aren’t always easy, if it’s in the best interest of the organization then it’s something that needs to be done. Lean on your Director, Board Chair, or IFEA colleagues for guidance on the best way to execute these types of conversations.

Are you deploying volunteers properly during the festival? The worst thing to happen to a volunteer program at a festival is to have nothing for volunteers to do. Put yourself in their shoes. If you took Volunteer Time Off or dedicated hours of your free time to volunteer, only to stand around, would you come back the next year? More than likely not. Be smart about how many people you need during each shift, (including an estimate of the number of volunteers who will back out or just not show up), work with your veteran volunteers, team leads or production manager to estimate the time and number of people it’ll take to execute a project, and put plans on paper prior to the festival. Sure, the plans may not be followed to the exact date/time but it gives you a better idea on how to prioritize and can be shared with team leads to execute without you micromanaging.

Have you empowered these volunteers to make decisions on the best way to “build a table”? Everyone likes their opinions and suggestions to be heard and better yet, they like to be asked. Opening the lines of communication with these volunteers can A) Set the expectations from you and your organization B) Provide dedicated time for you to truly listen and act on what their concerns and ideas may be C) It helps build a roadmap of how to get to your final destination! (Or a stellar festival). Having these on-going conversations is an easy way for year-round engagement. It may be a volunteer round table discussion on past experiences or brainstorming on a better way to do something on-site. It could also be coffee or happy hour with one or two volunteers to get to know them better. Keep in mind, generational and motivational differences when engaging with volunteers. All volunteer feedback is valuable and it’s up to you how you compartmentalize and prioritize the feedback. It helps you drive from the back seat. It can guide you in a way to be more proactive to give your volunteers what they need to be successful before they even ask! More importantly you took the time to care. You gave them the keys to the car and in turn you got where you needed to go with just a little bit of guidance from the back seat.

Daphne Dickens is the Production & Program Manager for the Award-Winning Des Moines Arts Festival® in Des Moines, Iowa. She resides in Des Moines with her husband, Luke, and their Mini Aussie, Earl.

www.kaliff.com