By H. E. James, MBA
Fostering social change is why many people volunteer with local grassroots nonprofit organizations and movements. We see a need or we have been touched by a crisis, and we are moved to invest our time, and often our money, to committees and events we feel will do the most good.
As fund raisers and events near, production is undertaken by the diehards. Social change efforts have missed their mark because of a host of issues that all come down to one problem: communication breakdown among the group.
Managing Strong Personalities
Volunteer groups attract a host of people with varied life experiences. One volunteer may be working with a grassroots in order to fulfill an education requirement. Another has suffered a personal crisis related to the event and is compelled to offer her time. Along with this diversity comes strong personalities.
Applying principles of workplace group dynamics is a great way to manage the score of styles and experiences. First and foremost, a group needs strong leadership. This doesn’t mean nonprofit managers should dictate every move a committee or board of volunteers makes.
Instead, they should empower their volunteers to lead themselves through a variety of tools. One of those tools, writes nonprofit communications specialist Deborah Zanke, is a volunteer manual. This should communicate to volunteers exactly what is expected of their particular roles.
For volunteers who choose or are chosen for leadership roles, managing the strong personalities becomes their responsibility. It’s only natural for people to disagree, even butt heads. When this happens, leadership can communicate clearly what was and is still expected of volunteers, and even remove trouble makers if necessary.
Managing Expectations
At the same time, if expectations are neither set nor communicated, it becomes difficult for volunteers to remain engaged. While recognition and non-monetary compensation are nonprofit management 101 for motivating volunteers, the most successful social change managers know that what motivates volunteers is being involved in the process.
Volunteers don’t always automatically know what needs to get done. Certainly, the veterans know how to solicit donations or raise funds. Even the veterans, however, need to know the simple things, like when and where. Why do these details get lost?
They get lost because leadership has not defined communication expectations among volunteers and volunteer groups. Too often, the communications strategy becomes less about strategy and more about letting volunteers communicate however they wish, with each other and with the public.
Instead, the organization and volunteer leadership need to set the communication rules for the group at large. Coordinators may argue that because volunteers are just that they cannot be expected to use a communications technology with which they are unfamiliar. However, volunteers are often professionals and are indeed the unpaid workers of a nonprofit. Treat them as such. If they are unfamiliar with Gmail, train them. If the new social media manager is great at Twitter but has never used HootSuite, show him how.
Managing Impact
Social change and nonprofit work is all about having an impact. As Mohan Sivaloganathan described for Fast Company in 2015, nonprofits that manage themselves like for-profits impact communities through purpose, talent, and innovation.
This impact cannot happen without clear, coordinated communication from leadership down through the ranks of volunteers. No one clear communication model will fit each group, but letting it go undefined will only result in chaos, and in the end, this chaos hinders the overall goal of social change.
Hattie James is a writer and researcher and lives in Boise, Idaho. She has a varied background, including education and sports journalism. She is a former electronic content manager and analyst for a government agency. She holds an MBA and enjoys local ciders. You can find Hattie on Twitter and LinkedIn.