The Value (and How To's) of Giving and Receiving Volunteer Feedback

1. The Value (and How To's) of Giving and Receiving Volunteer Feedback

2. Introduction Receiving feedback on • your effort • your attitude or • your performance is the way that you - learn - improve or - are motivated to maintain a good performance. Volunteers are part of your Team • they WANT and NEED to receive feedback • they have valuable input to share

3. What we will Learn Today • How to help volunteers be successful • How to give positive and challenging feedback • How and when to ask for (receive) feedback • How giving and receiving feedback is a form of recognition • Ways volunteers like to be recognized – what they are saying works & doesn’t work

4. Who is Here today? - Name - Volunteer group(s) you work with • one thing you are hoping to walk away with OR - an example of a difficult or positive situation you had giving or receiving feedback

5. Agenda • Volunteer management cycle - quick review, where feedback fits in • What we heard in the Volunteer surveys and focus groups • Giving positive feedback • when, where, why and how (some examples) • Giving challenging feedback • when where, why and how (some examples) • Asking for / receiving feedback • when, where , why and how (some examples) • How feedback= recognition

6. Giving and receiving feedback is part of the cycle of good Volunteer Management Position Description Policies Mandate of the organization Screening Selection Recruitment Recognition Orientation/ Training Feedback

7. What we Heard from our volunteers, staff and the community • Through telephone surveys with random community members • On-line and pen and paper surveys with our current volunteers • Focus groups with staff and vbolunteers

8. Key Motivation – Making a Difference • The most common motivation for volunteering today is altruistic reasons • caring about the cause or issue involved • having been personally affected by the cause • wanting to give something back, or • for religious reasons. • Reasons that are rising in importance: • improving job skills • personal growth • to explore strengths

10. When asked what motivates people to volunteer… Top responses were: • Believe in cause supported by organization (95%) • To use skills and experience (81%) • Personally affected by the cause (69%) • To explore one’s own strength (57%) • Friends volunteer (30%) • To fulfill religious obligations or beliefs (26%); • And to improve job opportunities (23%)

11. Why Volunteers Leave From 2005 to 2006, the proportion of residents who did not volunteer at all increased from 32% to 36%. Why are volunteers leaving?...primarily due to management practices: • Not matching volunteers’ skills with assignments • Failing to recognize volunteers’ contributions • Not measuring the value of volunteers • Failing to train and invest in volunteers • Failing to provide strong leadership

12. Rating Aspects of Volunteer Experience

13. Rating Value of Actions to Improve Volunteering or Encourage More

14. Focus groups- Summary of responses re: Feedback and Evaluation • Current Practice: • Sporadic and inconsistent opportunities for volunteers to provide feedback to staff on their role as volunteers • No standard practice for soliciting feedback from volunteers • Opportunities for volunteers to evaluate their experience virtually nonexistent

15. Respondents who responded “needs improvement” to any of the statements above were asked to provide any suggestions or improvements.. 30 responded. The most common response was: “Provide Better Feedback” (8) Other responses were: • Earlier/More In-depth Training (3) • More Publicity/Advertising (3) • Approach People about Getting Involved (2 • Provide Manuals/Guides (2) • More Positive Interviews (1) • Recognize Volunteers as Partners (1)

16. Giving Positive Feedback Why? • Volunteer is encouraged to repeat this behaviour and is also motivated to improve. • Builds self confidence and self esteem in the volunteer team member • Helps the volunteer know (and shows others) what is expected

17. Giving Positive Feedback What? • Where we praise a desired attitude, behaviour or performance When? • any time Where? • either in public or private.

18. Giving Positive Feedback The reverse is also true! Lack of positive feedback is • discouraging • de-motivating and • will lead to a poor performance level. The volunteer gets the impression that no one cares whether they do well or not, and that their work has no value!

19. Example? • Look the volunteer in the eye • Speak to an individual’s contributions • Be specific • Be real, sincere • Don’t overstate, exaggerate • Examples • improvements they have made in their ability to perform the role • the difference they have made to the group • why the role they are playing is important - what you have learned from them

20. Giving Challenging Feedback • YES, it’s okay! • Essential to performance and motivation (and volunteers WANT to know) • Do not think of it as NEGATIVE feedback

21. Giving Challenging Feedback What? • TRAINING the volunteer to change or improve. • Identifying an area for improvement and working out solutions to improve or correct this • The key is to talk about the behaviour, performance or attitude rather than the person. When? • as soon as possible after observing area for improvement Where? • always in private

22. Giving Challenging Feedback • First, identify the current goal or task and why this is important to the program and to the role. • Secondly, state clearly the undesirable attitude, behaviour or performance, with factual evidence. • Thirdly, state the desired attitude, behaviour or performance, or better still, ask encouraging questions to help the other person make constructive suggestions. • Lastly, work with them to put a strategy in place for achieving the desired goal.

23. Giving Challenging Feedback This is difficult -- why?

24. Giving Challenging Feedback • Know your own limitations • Start with positives • Look at the individual • No apologies • Give constructive feedback in an honest and diplomatic way • End with a positive • Ask if they have any questions • Check in with them- don’t treat them differently

25. Receiving Feedback • Ask for input!!! • Why? • Ensure a positive experience for the volunteer • Improvements for future volunteers • Volunteers feel that the organization cares about their experience

26. Receiving Feedback When? • Shortly after they have had a couple of shifts, then regularly check in for input Where? • Up to the volunteer but private may make it more comfortable for them to share any difficulties they may be having

27. Receiving Feedback What? • “Is this the volunteer experience you were looking for/ you thought you signed up for?” • “Is there anything that we can do to improve your volunteer experience with us?” • “Is there anything that you experienced when volunteering today that WE did not adequately prepared you for?”

28. Receiving Feedback • At least annually • time at board meeting set aside • briefly discuss what volunteers do or can do for the organization beyond faithful participation in board and committee meetings. Check in with board members re: training needs, expectations, difficulties ADDRESS it!!!!

29. How is Giving and Receiving Feedback a Form of Volunteer Recognition?

30. Summary • Giving and Receiving Feedback • part of the volunteer cycle of GOOD volunteer management • helps the volunteer and the agency be successful and improve • good for volunteer and for agency • -what volunteers want

31. Tell me how you might apply this training? • Feedback form- please give us feedback!!! 

32. More Information • More training session every year through Volunteer Resources • janice.ouellette@kitchener.ca 519-741-2227 • VoluntEer-news –on-line e-newsletter • web-site listings • Volunteer Action Centre www.volunteerkw.ca