Ask , “ Why Do People Volunteer ?”
Often , people volunteer because they experienced something negative in another ministry , and they want to change that experience for other people . Find out what that experience was . Then empower them to create a great experience for others instead of what they felt .
On the other hand , some volunteers might step up because they experienced something positive . They want to help others experience that same thing . Discover what that good experience was , then empower the volunteer to repeat that experience for other guests .
Ask , “ How Can We Focus on Enhancing the Significance of Each Guest ?”
People want to help other people . It gives a person fulfillment to know that they were the only one who could have possibly helped — and they did . People stand up straighter when they do this . When a guest feels significant , the volunteer can feel significant .
Ask , “ What Are the Needs of Every Volunteer ?”
As you meet the needs of your volunteers , they ’ ll see that they are significant to you . Some of the needs volunteers have are :
• Communication that is clear , helpful , accurate , and repeatable .
• Encouragement that is specific .
• Resources that help your volunteers be healthy , efficient , and effective .
• Measurable “ wins ” so that they know when they did things right .
• Feedback channels where a volunteer knows they will be heard .
You can provide these things to your team whether you ’ re the leader or a team member . Think through ways you might do this .
If you ’ re the leader , give away responsibility and authority . One of the most motivating factors for a worker is the ability to make their own decision and to have their leaders back them up in that decision . If all decisions must run through the leader , the volunteer won ’ t feel significant in their role . Instead , trust your team members and support them in their decisions .
Check up on what you assign to your team members . Don ’ t let your team members guess if they did things well or not . Give good feedback about their performance . Then challenge them to do even better at their job . People love to know what you expect from them .
It ’ s easy to celebrate quantifiable results when you talk to your team , but those don ’ t work toward making your volunteers feel significant . Instead , focus on the impact that your volunteers had on people ’ s lives . It ’ s great to recognize and reward people . But when you help people discover their significance , that ’ s lasting .
Ultimately , the most important thing you can do to help make your team members feel significant is for you to feel significant . As a
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