Volunteers do follow rules ... if they can understand them.

Two cases in point. A chapter board recently decided to not follow the national membership campaign because, well, the rules didn't make sense. One directive said the membership offer was x while the other said it was y. The other national org said create your calendar using these tools only they left out something and now we're "up the creek." Have you read your own rules?

Do ask, don't tell. Need to know something about volunteers or volunteering for your association? Go to the source - the volunteer.

An ASAE member is hosting an informal discussion on what demotivates chapters. The invitation was to all component (chapter) relations professionals who oversee chapter programs for national associations, not chapter volunteers. I doubt that the #1 demotivator will ever come up: the national organization.

Volunteers really don't want us to enable bad behavior on their parts.

Jamie Notter got it best in his latest post "Stop making it worse." At the ASAE Ideas Swap on volunteerism one asked how she possibly not give a reward to the dysfunctional outgoing chair. The group's response "stop making it worse!

Peggy’s post about thanking volunteers makes a valid point. I have another story, and although not about a volunteer, it’s emphasizes the importance of a sincere thank you. My son works at a local Giant Food store. Last week, his grocery manager came to him and a co-worker thanking them both for their hard work and dedication to the job. He then gave them a $50 Giant gift card, which he had purchased, to split. My son, someone who is not usually impressed with this sort of thing, said he appreciated the words more than card because it was a personal thank you and not a corporate order.

It's not how much you spend on recognizing me that counts.

Conducting a series of focus groups with volunteer leaders, I heard loud and clear they were being asked to do more and more, and were recognized less and less. Later, a staff member approached one of the volunteers who had been in a early focus group and praised the person. The next day, that volunteer mentioned in a group that perhaps they had misspoken as they were a-glow from the thanks. You see, it's really the personal thanks that counts!

Yes, younger professionals volunteer - if you have room for them!

I criss-crossed the US over the past 12 months meeting with volunteer leaders of chapters, divisions, SIGs and all types of components. Most common complaint/question - why don't younger pros volunteer / what can we do to get younger pros, we've tried everything!? Well, maybe not everything if you don't have them engaged. Want a suggestion - let your young execs take "it" over ala Young Association Executive Bloggers on Acronym.

Manuals don't impress volunteers - they frustrate them!

Just talked with one of our chapter volunteers who was complaining about the 85-page membership manual national provided her to give her membership chair. "Like he's not busy enough? I'm not going to ask him to read that." Who can argue that - I mean really who?

Leaving a sinking ship takes valor.

Spent time today with a wonderful seasoned volunteer who's taking a 2nd turn at the presidency. Yes, the chapter was sinking, but it's still taking on water. I learned three years ago, that allowing the ship to "sink" brought out volunteers who didn't step forward as long as I would handle "it". We in national positions need to give our long-term volunteers the right to "leave" and to acknowledge their valor. It's the only way to change the tide.

Behind every great volunteer is a "system" and the best have a "Queen of Volunteers."

Case in point: Linda Sappington has come to be known as the “Queen of Volunteers” in Southern Utah where for 17 years, she has served as director of the Volunteer Center of Washington County. She began with a group of 300 and as she moves to a new position leaves 1,500 volunteers in seven different programs. Read the story and ask do your volunteers have the right system?

Don't make me "ask permission from the mother ship."

"This quip is from an ASAE listserv posted today by a CRP (component relations professional) who's asking for advice on how to respond. It's also a quip that I've expressed in my volunteer roles and have heard endlessly. How to respond? Another volunteer responded plainly: "Paint a clear picture of what the end game is, then let me figure out the how".