If you have volunteers, chances are you already know that you need to keep in touch with them on a consistent basis, and make sure they are inspired by their work. Thanks to meeting apps like FreeConference.com, this task is easier than ever. You can communicate with people all over the world whenever you want without ever spending a time, thanks to conference call technology.
But when tasks start to pile up and your team is spread too thin, is it worth it to take time out of your day to hold an online meeting to make sure everyone on your team knows exactly why they’re doing that they’re doing?
Volunteers are a little different from employees: they aren’t getting paid. This means that for the most part, the main value that they get out of the work is emotional. When volunteers seem like they are disconnected with the outcome of the organization, there’s a chance they could lose motivation for good.
When volunteer teams aren’t connected, it’s not just that they lose motivation. The also lose the capacity to be creative and adaptable in the workplace. They lose their drive and their passion for the job. Eventually, this could hurt your entire volunteer enterprise as a whole.
Instead, when you make it a point to hold things like online meetings to keep your teams connected, you ensure that they feel invested in the problem that their volunteer work is trying to solve. You also ensure that they are actually working toward a solution, and not simply spinning their wheels.
When trying to keep volunteer teams on track and on the same page, there are a couple things to keep in mind.
Although it might be easy to simply hold free conference calls and use your voice to keep your team updated, having people see your face is much better. Video conferencing is perfect for giving remote volunteers the face-to-face interaction that they would miss during a meeting that only included audio.
And why stop there? You can also include them in presentations and promotional materials. The more that you share with your team, the more invested they will be in your dream. Next time you have something to show off, try using screen sharing to show everyone on the online meeting exactly what’s got you excited instead of just telling them.
Keeping people motivated isn’t just a “one and done” task; It requires consistent effort. When volunteers are motivated by their tasks they are better able to reflect on the context of their work, according to this Forbes article. They see the outcome of what they’ve done, and even start to think about how they might have done better. Their attitudes change, their behaviour changes, and your volunteer operation changes as a result.
Turns out, turning a regular volunteer into an agent of change might not be so difficult at all. Maybe all it takes is a little more facetime, a little more fun, and maybe a few video calls or two.
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