<<<I am tired of managing volunteers- THAT is a task akin
to herding cats- it takes a real DICTATOR to do it and that
is not me, nor you, obviously.>>>>
X, in fact, if you think about it for a minute, a dictator is not at all what it takes to manage volunteers! I can tell you from much experience, that the reason it so so infernally difficult to manage volunteers, is that you can't dictate to them at all-- you have to persuade them and inspire them and even see to it that they are having some sort of fun, or at least that they experience the work they are doing as meaningful and beneficial to themselves in some way-- maybe spiritually, maybe socially, maybe for a resume, maybe to learn something they need to know...
It stands to reason. You can dictate to employees who get a salary and perks and have families to support, etc. They aren't going to ask, "Why am I putting up this?!" They know why. And if they do leave, they'll likely leave in a civilized way, giving you the required notice, so that you won't screw them on their recommendation.
But a volunteer?... You must give them a whole lot of respect, fun, and a few other good and deserved things, and ask very, very nicely indeed, if you want them to work hard for you next week, too.
BTW, X, I can't help but wonder why you keep your mouth shut in the real world. It's America-- we are incredibly lucky, and don't have to do that, so I wonder why you, personally, prefer to. |
