I came across Ashima Goyal-Siraj’s piece in Volunteer
weekly, The “Oh! by the
way” trap. It’s in response to an article
by Thomas
McKee on the same subject, and one that I—and just about any volunteer—can relate
to.
I’m not going to write much more on this because these two posts
say it all … The surest way to discourage and ultimately lose a volunteer is
with “The “Oh! By the way” Trap.”
And it’s something many associations (whether intentionally or not) have been guilty of.
So take a hard look at your volunteer recruitment, and if you find yourself setting this trap, stop it right now. Be upfront and honest about what the position entails. Know and understand your volunteers’ expectations before they say yes (McKee’s post has a
great example of not knowing a volunteer), and work to meet those expectations. And, above all, don’t ignore what your volunteer wants or needs once they do say yes.
If you don’t, you could lose the next really awesome volunteer coming
your way.
Here’s another example of what happens when you don’t listen to your volunteer.