HUMAN PHILANTHROPY MANAGER

Who are we again?

There is a perverse irony in who we are, what we do, and who we represent; in so much as, and as many are already familiar with; when the word “volunteer” features anywhere in the job/role title, then to the lay person this infers that we are the ones volunteering.

I’m sure many have experienced for example when you try getting car insurance, and are asked

“What is your job, what is it you do?” , just how unnerving this perfectly reasonable and logical question can be.

I was asked this very question, to wit I replied I’m a volunteer co-ordinator; and which after a period of silence the guy on the other end of the phone then said.

Ok, “but what do you do for a real job!?”

At which point, he was left with no doubts as to what I did for a “real” job.

Now, having had his road to Damascus moment, we then had to find ways to legitimately circumvent a computer system/data base that didn’t have volunteer co-ordinator/manager on it!

“How about HR manager?” he said…which I felt was almost as bad as not being on the system at all…

Not that I have anything per’s a against HR managers; just I/we are not such.

Hmmm…Customer service manager!?, …NO!

General Manager?, …NO!

Futures Manager? …NO

Hedge fund Manager….. err definitely not!

Ok, how does Operations Manager sound?...NO!

This continued ad infinitum, ad nauseum; until tired and weary we both agreed that I did not exist!, and at which point we settled on Astronaut; a job/title which actually felt strangely appropriate, and comforting; in that as a volunteer co-ordinator I did often feel like I was an Alien from a different planet; speaking an entirely different language, and which of course nicely links into our collective identity...

Having considered the many options available to us following on from Johnr’s recent and salient blog entry;

“Responding to my mini-manifesto for volunteer management - part one” ...and in assessing my own thoughts and feelings on the main suggestions, as to name, I would like to offer them for further debate/discussion.

Volunteer Co-ordinator:

Having this title, may infer that you are the person responsible for co-ordinating placement of volunteers, where, what department, role etc.

However the title says little else in respect of the many other duties, responsibilities of the role; thus inferring that when a person is currently not doing, or has finished distributing volunteers, then their work is done, and demands often unrelated to the role can then be made of the volunteer co-ordinator, equally it can be seen as an underling position/role, and one whereby the person aspires to be a “real” manager someday!

UC Score: 4/10

Volunteer Leader

The title Volunteer Leader certainly sounds good; and the term has been promoted a great deal of late.
Equally it seems very contemporary, which is also appealing to some.

However, having worked in the sector for over a decade, I have to say that I have come across very few genuine leaders…I have however, as mentioned in previous blog entries come across many self publicists, people with large egos, the deluded, and/or those who for example have written a book or two on volunteering, on how to “lead” volunteers, subsequently feeding off such publications long after the theory has become out moded/out of date…but true leaders, real true leaders!?

For before adopting such a blanket title; as volunteer leaders/leader of volunteers, one should presumably ask; are leaders born or made; is leadership nature or nurture, was for example, Churchill a made or born leader?

Equally, our role is not just about leadership per’s a, for our role is multi faceted and leadership is only one part amongst many; e.g. perfunctory, pragmatic and diplomatic elements/skills/attributes.

For example, our role involves appropriate recruitment and selection, as such if this skill, attribute were lacking, amongst the many others which could fall short, then there will be no “followers” to lead.

I would not argue that the role of Volunteer Leader sounds very elevating.

However, self proclaimed leaders?

In so much as, today I am mindful of the death in North Korea of Kim Jong il, who was referred to as the “Dear Leader”, and his Father before him was referred to as “The Great Leader” with Kim Jong ill's Son and successor “Kim Jong-un”, now being referred to as “The Little Leader” (aka "The Great Successor")

See the common thread?

Now of course, I am in no way inferring anyone amongst my peer group is akin to these three characters, but “leaders” such as these will hopefully demonstrate that just having the title leader, especially when engineered into existence, does not mean you are one, e.g by genuine consensus; in other words a natural leader.

Equally, and importantly, who says...and indeed who has the right to say, that people in this case volunteers wish to have a "leader"...espescially an unelected one where volunteers dont have a vote...!

As such it all seems rather patronising/parental to me.

For it maybe that in the modern age of volunteering and digital media, that a flat democratic hierarchy including volunteers and other stakeholders may be preferable and more desirable; as such there is no need for a “leader” in the traditional sense.

UC Score: 3.5/10

Volunteer Manager

As mentioned at the beginning of this blog; my ongoing experience is one where in many ways I appear, as I am sure many others do, to be constantly talking alien to those who do not “get” volunteering, volunteerism, volunteer management; as such in an anthropological sense, I feel we need to go native, and learn to speak the language of the receiver, in this case managers from other disciplines, i.e. project, HR etc.

For currently, regardless of what we wish in the long term; the old maxim applies, in that “Birds of a Feather, stick together”, and as a result Managers will flock to Managers; after all it is their comfort zone, and a place for example where they will not feel threatened by new ideas, and concepts, or the shear energy of the volunteer managment movement (as will be)?

So pragmatically the first step is to be seen as Managers, by those “Managers” who currently see us as less than; (of course we know different!).

Non the less, to this end; any other title we feel is more appropriate, is not one that traditional Managers will identify with, and so it becomes just as easy to diminish, discredit, devalue any other title, i.e. Co-ordinator, Czar, Ambassador, Champion, Leader etc, as being a bit fluffy, meaningless, or twee, (Bless’ em)

The crux of the matter is that we should be looking to change from within.

Management in the traditional sense is for want of a better term an institution, a club, and a club that by enlarge we are currently not members of, and excluded from; but the reality remains whether we like it or not, this is where we will have the best opportunity to change things, to influence, promote and educate; as such I do not feel we are going to do ourselves any favours by giving ourselves titles that others do not easily identify with, and/or understand, and as such will not open the door to parity/equality, within individual organisations.

UC Score 6/10

And Finally:

Regardless of the title, be it “leader”, “Ambassador”, “Czar” etc, we currently still have the ironic misfortune of having the “millstone” pre-fix of “volunteer” accompanying any of them; something which John eludes to in his blog, and which as mentioned, in itself causes us so much frustration, re our role.

So is the “ING” as John suggests the answer?

Well its closer to what we want, but going back to our insurance salesman, our yardstick; would he know the difference, I think not, and such lay people would still see it as a “volunteer” role, not paid, “volunteer” and “volunteering” being seen as unpaid “work”.

So here’s a few created suggestions of my own
(Which of course are there to be shot at)

NB You can by all means replace Manager for Leader etc if you wish

Community resource Manager
Volunteerism Manager
Community Volunteerism Manager
Manager of volunteering
Volunteering resource Manager
Community engagement Manager
Big Society Boss (One for the “BS” people out there, think about it!) ;)

And my genuine personal favourite for the modern age, and which I feel addresses the ongoing problematic prefix “volunteer” is:

"Human Philanthropy Manager"

UC for VMC 2011