Cynthia D’Amour’s Volunteer Leaders Research Summary
In January 2007, I collected survey responses from 650 volunteer leaders asking questions about how they recruit future leaders as well as their leadership experience.This summary ran in my Active Member Minute E-zine on June 13, 2007.
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Welcome to
Cynthia D’Amour’s Active Member Minute
The e-zine newsletter for chapter leaders
who want to get more members and volunteers involved
Published on the 2nd Tuesday of the Month
June 13, 2007
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This Issue: The Final Big Picture
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—- A Note from Cynthia —-
Good Afternoon Chapter Leaders!
I just got back from spending almost a week in beautiful San Diego. It was LA the week before that.
Whew! My poor body clock just keeps spinning… 
Luckily, I got home just in time for some beautiful weather in Ann Arbor. We’ve got a lot of songbirds in the neighborhood.
Nothing like a cool drink on the front porch enjoying their concert!
This month, I’m going wrap up the reporting out on my volunteer leader survey. I’ll be focusing on the three major themes I found in the answers.
Yours in active members,
- Cynthia
Cynthia D’Amour, MBA, Leadership Strategist
Author, How to Turn Generation Me into Active Members of Your Association
The how-to book for getting more members involved! Available at: http://www.chapterleaders.com
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The Final Big Picture
For the past several months, we explored the results of my volunteer leader survey in which 650 leaders shared their views about their leadership experiences and more.
As expected, there was a lot of passion to be found in the participant comments. Volunteer leaders continue to be for the most part good-hearted people committed to making a difference.
When I take a step back, comparing the survey results with my interactions with thousands of volunteer leaders, three major themes pop out at me…
1. “No Time’ has become a smoke screen for bigger issues. No time was sited as a major challenge for almost any issue discussed in the survey.
- People don’t have time to join.
- Members don’t have time to volunteer.
- Volunteers don’t have time to do what they say they will.
- No one has time to become a leader.
And so on…
For years, we’ve been talking about time as a scarce resource and how it’s often simpler to get money than time.
That said, it seems like no time has become the easy excuse for almost anything that does not turn out the way we would hope.
In the survey and in my direct work with volunteers, I’m seeing good people just give up the ship when the no time claim is raised.
Few turn it around to say, “How can we make this (whatever it is) so appealing people will make time to…. ?”
2. Lack-based focus has become the black mold of volunteer leaders.
A few leaders had positive stories to share in their comments. The overwhelming majority focused on what they did not have.
This lack-based focus can creep into the mind of a few volunteers - and contaminate the foundation of a chapter.
Think about it…
If you are always focusing on why people don’t attend, why I have to do everything myself, why new members won’t volunteer - it can be a heavy burden to bear.
Your enthusiasm for leadership is diminished and it’s harder to be enthusiastic about what your chapter members can do together.
New members and potential volunteers see lack-luster leaders begging for help - and realize they are not part of the cool chapter.
Selling involvement just got geometrically more difficult.
When the black mold of lack-based focus strikes, it begins to consume leaders - and does not take long for a chapter to find itself hanging on by a thread.
More leaders need to claim the cure.
They need to shift the conversation from how bad it is to what is working - and what can be.
3. It’s “play time” for chapter leaders!
The successful leaders know how to generate excitement for the chapters and position their volunteer offerings as dynamic opportunities.
The ideas successful leaders shared were filled with pride - and results.
Bring energy to your chapter by leading like a marketer.
Marketing-savvy skills are learnable, can be fairly easy to implement - and create experiences where members will invest their time.
Whether your members are scientists, auditors, organizers, farmers, civic leaders or healthcare professionals, framing your “serious work” with a more catchy approach will boost your success.
As a playful leader, you will increase the fun and meaningful difference made by participants.
You will find more people willing to join, to step up to volunteer - and to lead your chapter into the future.
What’s the next step?
We’ve spent a few months talking about the results of the survey.
Information without action, is merely (hopefully) just a good read.
Originally, I thought I’d write a book to address some of these issues.
I’ve been playing with the data for a few months and decided if I truly want to make a difference, I needed a bolder and fresh approach…
Thus the birth of the Chapter Leaders Playground.
I want to create a space for leaders from across associations to come together to make new friends, explore new ideas - and have a blast!
I’m visualizing very cool, web-based experiences with unique learning opportunities to start this fall.
I’m also inviting anyone who is interested in the playground to join me in the planning process.
There’s a basic website up at http://chapterleadersplayground.org
If you are interested in joining us for our first play date - the playground planning party, just let me know.
The launch will be a conference call on June 21st, 1 PM EDT
That’s what I’m doing. What are you doing?
- Do you buy the “no time” excuse or challenge it?
- Do you have lack-based focus creating black mold in your chapter?
- Is it play time in your chapter?
What steps will you take as a result of what you’ve learned from the volunteer leaders survey?
(c) 2007 Cynthia D’Amour, MBA
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Do You Wish More Members Would Get Involved?
Getting and keeping your members involved requires that you provide value in everything you do for members - and ask them to do for your chapter.
If only a small percentage of your chapter volunteers for you, Cynthia D’Amour’s book, How to Turn Generation Me into Active Members of Your Association can help. It gives 100’s of tips and how-to strategies for making involvement in your chapter more irresistible.
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Have Cynthia Speak at Your Leadership Conference
If you want a high-energy, hands-on program that will leave your leaders filled with ideas they can implement immediately - and pumped up for a great year of achievement, have Cynthia speak at your next conference.
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* REPRINTS- Credit any excerpts: (c) 2007 Cynthia D’Amour,Host of The Chapter Leaders Playground at www.chapterleadersplayground.org
Required: a copy of your publication with the reprint sent to:
People Power Unlimited, PO Box 130881, Ann Arbor, MI 48113
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James D’Amour, List Manager
Active Member Minute
People Power Unlimited
PO Box 130881
Ann Arbor, MI 48113
just a short note to tell you how much i enjoyed meeting you and being a participant in your/our meeting!!!
hope your trip home was a quiet one!!!
i know our paths will probably cross again so i’ll just say “see ya’ lator alligator!!!
kat
Hey Kat!
It was great to work with you and your team! Thank you for showing me such a great time!
Cynthia