Association Volunteer Leaders play an important role in fostering effective leadership among the volunteers and staff who work with them to achieve the association’s goals.
Leaders must understand their responsibilities and trust their team. This allows volunteers and staff to thrive in their work without feeling limited or constantly monitored by micromanagement or disconnected by the monotony of not being able to do anything or make any decisions independently.
In this article, we’ll explore different ways association volunteer leaders can delegate tasks, empower their teams effectively, and get their work done without micromanagement or pressure.
Understanding the Importance of Empowerment
Delegating tasks to a volunteer team or staff isn’t just about telling them what to do. It’s about demonstrating confidence in their abilities and empowering them to take ownership of the goals.
Empowerment in the context of volunteering means creating an environment where team members feel safe making decisions and taking initiative, without feeling judged or constantly monitored. This approach generates trust and a greater sense of belonging to the association, fostering commitment to its growth.
Therefore, if you want to have an empowered team, you must move from overseeing every detail to training and supporting volunteers, allowing them to propose and contribute new visions and ideas. Also, strengthening the leadership of volunteer leaders transitioning from “doer” to “strategic leader.”
Clear Communication of Expectations
The best way to begin trusting and delegating is to have clear communication, manage priorities, and set achievable expectations. If everyone knows the most important things (what, when, how, where, and who, as the case may be), volunteer leaders won’t have to oversee every step of the development process and can let their team do things.
Likewise, throughout the project or whatever is being developed, communication helps ensure everyone is on the same page and that volunteers feel connected to the goal. Keep in mind that regular communication doesn’t mean oversight. The idea is to assess the project’s progress and determine if adjustments are necessary, rather than seeking authorization for every step that needs to be taken.
Remember that it’s also important not to impose strict guidelines; it’s better to provide a general outline of what success looks like and encourage creativity and innovation among volunteers, allowing them to develop their methods to achieve the established goals.
Promoting Autonomy and Decision-Making
When we talk about “decision-making,” there is always confusion about how much power this refers to.
Decision-making in this case does not change the association’s objectives or make them stakeholders; it allows them the autonomy necessary to accomplish their tasks without pre-approving every step. This is one of the most effective ways to empower teams, and leaders must recognize that volunteers possess valuable knowledge and skills that can be vital to the association.
By allowing volunteers to make decisions, leaders not only demonstrate their trust but also encourage them to take ownership of their roles.
When volunteers are empowered to take ownership of their roles, they are more likely to be involved in the outcome of their projects. This sense of responsibility fosters a motivated and enthusiastic team, which benefits the association as a whole.
Provide Support and Resources
However, empowerment doesn’t mean abandoning or leaving volunteers to do everything on their own. It requires a balanced approach where support is readily available and accessible.
Association volunteer leaders must ensure that the teams they coordinate have access to the resources and guidance needed to perform their roles successfully. This could involve providing professional development opportunities, access to relevant tools, or budgeting for projects.
Regular Feedback and Recognition
Another key component of empowerment is constructive feedback and recognition.
Association volunteer leaders should provide feedback to their teams to assess their progress, encourage them, and recognize their achievements. Positive reinforcement goes a long way toward motivating volunteers to continue their work with enthusiasm.
Furthermore, implementing a structured feedback loop enables continuous improvement. By listening carefully to volunteers’ input and suggestions, associations can adapt their strategies to support leaders better, thereby improving everyone’s experience.
Adapting to Change and Innovation
Associations must be adaptable. Boards of Directors can empower association volunteer leaders by encouraging innovative thinking and being receptive to change. This will carry over to the rest of the teams.
This openness to change includes allowing them to experiment with new initiatives or processes without fear of scrutiny or immediate rejection, often due to the belief that “we’ve always done it this way.”
Supporting trial-and-error approaches allows organizations to evolve and improve, continually fostering a culture of innovation.
Trust and Communication: The Foundation for Empowering Volunteers
When you are a perfectionist and want the best for the association, it is difficult to empower volunteers without micromanaging or creating disengagement.
It’s a fundamental responsibility of any association’s volunteer leaders to promote clear communication, encourage autonomy, provide support, offer feedback, and foster innovation.
The responsibility of creating an environment where volunteers can thrive is a constant mission for these leaders. The key is to strike the right balance between guidance and freedom, ensuring that volunteers work with confidence and enthusiasm, thus benefiting the entire association.
If you’d like to read more about Association Leadership, you can read some of our related articles on our website: www.strauss.ca.