EP #163: Leading and Attracting Volunteers with Karen Knight
The best organizations have the most committed people involved. It doesn’t matter if it’s a non-profit group or a money-printing corporation.
The most generous cultures attract the best talent (and the more loyal customers). It’s important that you create an environment in which people want to participate.
Karen Knight is a mentor, consultant, speaker, and lifelong volunteer herself. She has quite an eclectic mix of skills but her self-proclaimed “wiggle” career path has led her to training organizations and people on how to lead and attract the best volunteers. You’ll be sure to notice the parallels between recruiting volunteers and hiring great people in a for-profit business.
What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:
About Karen’s career path
How the pandemic affects volunteerism
How volunteers want to be involved these days
The importance of learning
How do you keep people enthusiastic
The relationship between skills and attitude
What Karen thinks of leaders of volunteers
An example of how Karen trains organizations
About Karen’s mentoring
The importance of organization and planning to volunteers
A story about Karen volunteering and being frustrated by the experience
How to give people purpose in their work
Examples of ways for-profits can attract more talented workers
What a good corporate volunteer program looks like
What’s next in Heidi’s world of impact
A story about a volunteer getting to meet his hero
How Karen learned about appreciation from BINGO
What made Karen a lifelong volunteer
What a “volunteer passport” could be
Ideas Worth Sharing:
“I’ve had a very wiggly career path.” - Karen Knight
“I’m a trained cabinet maker.” - Karen Knight
“My purpose in life seems to be to make rich people’s houses fancier.” - Karen Knight
“I’ve led volunteers.” - Karen Knight
“People want flexibility now.” - Karen Knight
“They want to get more out of their volunteering than just satisfaction for helping.” - Karen Knight
“It’s not going back so we have to change with them.” - Karen Knight
“They want more adventure.” - Karen Knight
“I love to learn.” - Karen Knight
“As long as they’re learning they’ll keep coming back.” - Karen Knight
“You recruit for attitude not for skill.” - Karen Knight
“It’s easier to teach someone a skill than change their attitude.” - Karen Knight
“The leaders of volunteers - it’s a leadership position.” - Karen Knight
“If you can lead volunteers you can lead anyone because they’re not tied to you with a paycheck.” - Karen Knight
“I talk a lot.” - Karen Knight
“Do the strategy first..” - Karen Knight
“The woman I was told to report to had no idea I was coming.” - Karen Knight telling a story about a disorganized and annoyed volunteer coordinator
“Only bring in the best. Only bring in what you need.” - Karen Knight
“I wrote a blog once called “Set Up a Volunteer Buffet.” - Karen Knight
“The best way to get volunteers is to let your current volunteers be ambassadors.” - Karen Knight
“A lot of people are looking for more purpose in their work.” - Karen Knight
“You're changing your community for the better and people see and value that.” - Karen Knight
“Always be open to what opportunities are out there to make your volunteer’s life a little bit better.” - Karen Knight
“When somebody says ‘You’ve made my day it makes my day.” - Karen Knight
“In the course of a year, I had four criminal background checks done.” - Karen Knight
“Just do it.” - Karen Knight
“Find an organization that treats you well.” - Karen Knight
“So people can actually learn while they’re volunteering?” - Bob DePasquale
“We taught a young man how to make a sandwich.” - Bob DePasquale
“I call it a culture of generosity.” - Bob DePasquale
Resources In Today's Episode:
Karen’s Book - The ABCs of Leading Volunteers
Kamloops Therapeutic Riding Association - Website
Bob’s Book - Personal Finance in a Public World
This week’s E-Impact Blog Entry
Episodes Referenced:
