Hot
Topic Archive
March
2005
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So
just what is 'advanced' anyway?
by
Andy Fryar
Director
& Founder, OzVPM
Later
this month, I’ll be involved in co-hosting the
first ever ‘Australian Retreat for Advanced
Volunteer Management’. It promises to be three
days of thought provoking dialogue with volunteer
managers who consider themselves to be at a point
in their professional development, where they are
past the ‘basics’ of their craft - and
who want to be challenged at a whole new level.
As
a faculty member with the ‘Institute of Advanced
Volunteer Management’ (IAVM), a three day residential
conference held in the United Kingdom each year, my
appetite for providing advanced level volunteer management
training has already been well and truly ignited and
the opportunity to share with and learn from volunteer
program managers (VPM’s) in the Australasian
region, through the retreat experience, is indeed
an exciting prospect.
However,
my involvement with both the retreat and the Institute
have led me to ask myself (and others) just what it
is we mean when we refer to ‘advanced’
volunteer management?
-
Does it mean that we have a few years on the job
under our belt and a diploma hanging on our wall?
-
Is it something for which you automatically qualify
once you reach some unspoken but predetermined length
of service?
-
In Australia it is possible to study for a ‘Diploma
of Advanced Volunteer Management’ –
so is it something you can learn?
-
Can you only ‘get it’ by managing large
scale volunteer programs with many hundreds of team
members?
-
Do you need to have managed volunteers at all in
order to be considered to have an advanced level
of understanding in our field?
-
Where does ‘basic’ end and ‘advanced’
begin? Indeed, is there an intermediate stage and
what the heck does that look like?
The
usual response I receive when asking, ‘so what
is advanced?’ commonly revolves around two concepts
and two concepts only – longevity and program
size. Occasionally I’ll hear comments about
qualifications and the need to be educated more formally
in the field, but as a general rule the feedback I
receive suggests that a person working at an advanced
level is simply someone who has managed large scale
volunteer programs over a protracted period of time.
While both of these are indeed important characteristics,
neither of these qualities alone, in my opinion, are
enough to justify a status considered to be advanced.
So
just what are the characteristics we might look for?
Below
I have listed what I believe to be the ten key attributes
that a VPM should be able to demonstrate in order
to be considered as operating at an advanced level,
along with a brief discussion about each.
Quality
# 1 – Previous Experience
Having
previously managed volunteer programs would seem an
automatic prerequisite to the development of an advanced
level understanding in the field of volunteer management
– and indeed, there is no doubt that having
had a direct exposure to managing volunteer resources
in a ‘hands on’ capacity certainly helps
to put theory into practice.
But
just how important is it to have held a volunteer
leadership position or more importantly, ‘Do
you need to have managed a volunteer program at all
in order to gain an advanced level understanding of
volunteer program management?’
Now
I am sure many of you are sitting there nodding and
thinking ‘…but of course you do!’
however, the question may not be as straight forward
as it may first seem. To date I have framed this article
specifically around determining the operational level
of volunteer managers themselves - and I’ll
continue to make that the focus for the remainder
of this essay. However it is necessary to digress
at this point and ask the question posed above without
volunteer managers being our sole point of reference.
So let me ask it again. Can someone who has never
managed a volunteer program operate at an advanced
level of understanding in our field?
Well
yes of course they can!
Consider
trainers who teach ‘advanced level’ volunteer
management diplomas, academics who research volunteer
management practices or consultants who have dedicated
their lives to furthering volunteerism, but who may
have never managed a volunteer program in their lives.
What of doctoral students who may have just completed
a thesis on the subject? Let’s face it, many
of these very people mentioned are the ones who have
educated and assisted you to get to where you are
today!
The
first thing that this understanding does is destroy
the theory that being advanced is only about having
operated in the field for a long time in a ‘hands
on’ capacity, and from that point of view, previous
experience is only useful to a certain degree in determining
whether or not a volunteer program manager is advanced.
The
second realisation it brings home, for me at least,
is a reminder of just how broad volunteerism really
is, and the need for us to be able to embrace trainers,
consultants, researchers and academics as a part of
the broader ‘whole’, rather than seeing
ourselves, as practitioners, as being somehow in a
separate category.
But
for now, let’s agree that for the remainder
of this article we are talking specifically about
VPM’s and what makes them advanced.
Quality
# 2 – Longevity
Like
previous experience, longevity in our field can be
a great indicator of a VPM’s level of operation.
It can also be tremendously unreliable, especially
when taken as the sole measurement, in isolation from
other factors. I am sure most of us can think readily
of examples where a relatively new VPM has joined
your local volunteer management network, and who in
no time, is running rings around many of those who
have been sitting around the table for a much longer
period.
What
longevity in our profession does do, is offer VPM’s
a greater opportunity to experience a broader range
of situations, people and problems which in turn (hopefully)
shape their understanding of the nuances associated
with successful volunteer resource management. After
all, it is through problem solving and being exposed
to a variety of situations that we often do our best
learning and undertake our quickest professional growth!
Quality
# 3 – Program Size
While
many people will swear black and blue that size does
matter –I am not convinced that bigger is necessarily
best!
Like
longevity, managing large scale volunteer programs
does offer VPM’s the opportunity, by sheer weight
of numbers, to be exposed to a greater range of people
and situations than someone operating a much smaller
program. It also offers logistical circumstances that
can only be found in large scale programs such as
operating across multiple sites.
However,
the opposite is also true, as programs with fewer
workers also have peculiarities, strengths and benefits
only found in smaller programs. Consider too that
many small programs often deal with specialised causes
which often come with their own sets of unique support
needs. For example, how can anyone suggest you gain
more advanced level skills through managing 500 hospital
based volunteers as opposed to leading a team of 25
volunteers working in a hospice setting or battered
women’s shelter?
So
managing only large scale programs is not necessarily
a good indicator of having developed cutting edge
skills and knowledge. Having a broad range of experiences
is what counts, and the opportunity to have managed
a variety of programs of different sizes – in
a range of settings, would provide the best grounding
for the development of advanced level practices.
Quality
# 4 – Professional Development & Education
I’m
a strong advocate for new VPM’s getting involved
in both formal and informal volunteer management training
and educational opportunities, as I believe it is
here you can quickly and easily gain a grounding in
the basic skills and philosophies behind operating
as a successful leader of volunteer resources. However
I don’t for one minute believe that earning
a Certificate or Diploma alone, makes you any more
‘ advanced ’ than someone who has never
had the chance to undertake formal education at all.
For
me, the most important quality to be demonstrated
is an appetite and desire to undertake either formal
education or professional development opportunities
on an ongoing basis. Wanting to learn indicates a
willingness to grow and an admission that you don’t
know everything – both good qualities in their
own right.
Volunteer
Managers who understand this need are certainly on
the road to developing an advanced attitude towards
their profession.
Quality
# 5 – Networking
To
be considered advanced I believe it is imperative
that VPM’s choose to network regularly with
as wide a circle of peers as possible. In this day
and age, networking doesn’t even need to take
you from your computer – yet I remain amazed
at the relatively small number of VPM’s who
don’t make contact with others doing the same
work as them – even in their own town.
Becoming
a member of your country's professional association
(if there is one), such as AVA or AAVA is also a good
step in the right direction to achieving this goal,
as it demonstrates not only a desire to network, but
a commitment to doing so in a structured way that
is empowering to the broader sector.
Remember,
the wider the range of networks, the more exposure
you’ll get to differing opinions.
Quality
# 6 – Giving back to the sector
As
an extension to networking, I believe another quality
that shines through in the truly advanced is a willingness
to give back to the volunteerism sector in a variety
of ways. Indeed, advanced VPM’s understand that
this is not a choice – it is a necessity, imperative
if we are to continue to grow volunteerism.
Being
advanced is about far more than holding a bucket full
of knowledge – it’s about understanding
the potential that you hold and finding ways to assist
others to share in the experience you have gathered.
Involvement
in mentoring schemes (either formally or informally),
contributing to newsgroup discussions, being active
in your local volunteer centre or VPM network or even
writing a journal article are all simple ways that
every VPM can contribute back to the world of volunteerism.
Quality
# 7 – Remaining on the cutting edge
Another
key quality exhibited by advanced practitioners is
a willingness to keep up-to-date with the latest research
and trends. Subscribing to journals, reading newsgroup
postings and attending conferences or seminars are
all ways that this particular trait can be demonstrated.
Quality
# 8 – Understanding the evolution
Advanced
level practitioners also have an ability to see some
of the big picture issues affecting volunteerism.
That is, they are able to look outside of their own
program and make observations about broader trends
and issues. They’ll read the paper and understand
how demographics may impact on their volunteer program.
They’ll learn of new trends and proactively
apply them to their program. In short, they understand
that volunteer management is evolutionary –
that what works today won’t work in 10 years
time – and they are always on the lookout to
make sure their programs are ahead of the game.
Quality
# 9 - Self belief
Another
important intrinsic quality is a quiet confidence
and self belief. Advanced level practitioners don’t
simply hang their hat alongside the ‘Advanced
Diploma’ that hangs on their wall - they are
actually comfortable with the thought that they ‘know
their stuff’. They have thought through the
issues and know why they believe what they believe.
Quality
# 10 – Advocacy
The
final quality that I believe shines through is an
almost automatic ‘advocacy response’ to
dealings within volunteer management. Regardless of
whether this occurs at an operational or a personal
level, you’ll not hear advanced level practitioners
responding to career questions with answers such as
‘Oh I just manage volunteers!’ Rather,
they will take every opportunity to talk up not only
their own jobs but the importance of volunteerism
as a whole.
Summary
So
there are the ten factors I believe should be evident,
to at least some degree, for volunteer program managers
to consider themselves to be operating at an advanced
level! Of course the reality is that some of us will
exhibit more of these traits or be stronger on some
points than others, but an attainment of all of these
factors to at least some degree, is a good indicator
of an individual’s level of expertise.
The
most important point to understand in all of this
is that being advanced is about more than simply having
some broad head knowledge and practical hands on experience.
Rather it is really about taking that next important
step of having volunteer management become something
more than simply what you do on a weekday between
office hours. It’s about understanding the changing
power of volunteerism as a societal force and of appreciating
our role as volunteer management professionals as
a dynamic part of that process.
So
what do you think?
-
Do you agree that the ten points outlined
in this Hot Topic are all important?
-
Are there other identifying factors that you think
should be added to the list that hasn’t been
mentioned in this article?
-
Do you have any other thoughts about this important
topic that you would like to share?
IAVM
is hosted by CSV Consulting, the UK ’s largest
provider of volunteer management training. To learn
more about them and IAVM, please visit their website
at http://www.csv.org.uk/
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