I was honored to guest blog the Energize, Inc. Hot Topic for December. The topic I chose to write about: “Letting Fear Prevent Volunteer Involvement is Too Risky.” If you can’t tell from the title, it’s about how the risks around involving volunteers often aren’t as great as NOT involving them – to NOT involve volunteers puts your organization at risks that I consider far greater than by involving them.
There is a podcast version, in case you would prefer to hear me blabble.
First of all – I am sure I speak for all of Susan’s readers when I say our thoughts are with you right now. If there is anything we can do to help, you have only to ask!
Great post Jayne. We are more than ever driven by the need to “manage risk”. I especially like the series of questions to assess risk involved in a volunteer assignment including “what will be the consequence if we do not deploy volunteers in this way”. In hindsight that is a perfectly obvious and logical question, but one I fear not enough of us ask when having these discussions.
I’ll confess to having those moments of fear based reactions when I say…what if this happens….what if that happens? In those moments I try to take a deep breath and focus on putting the best protocols in place that I can to create the soundest possible volunteer program that I can.
Susan is supported by an amazing group of friends and colleagues and those closest to her won’t hesitate to put out the call if there is ANYTHING she needs, and I’ll forward any requests I know of the moment I know them myself! Thanks for commenting, Laura.