Moody Monday: Being A Good Volunteer

 There is principle that 20% of the people do 80% of the work. That won't work  on a car assembly line, everyone has a job and if 80% of them didn't really do their job, it would be like American Motors in 1975, when parts fell off of the cars on the showroom floor because no one put the screws in. It sometimes happens in offices. It happens often in volunteer groups. In fact it is probably even more extreme, with 10% of the volunteers doing 90% of the work. I have done a lot of the work over the years. 

There is a saying, if you want to get a job done, find a busy person and ask them to do it. There is a grain of truth in this, a busy person who gets things done, and not just looks busy, but knows how to get things done. How to organize a project, how to put aside the hours and be productive. That has often been me. 

So what is a good volunteer made of?

They show up, even if it is inconvenient. 

If they say they are going to do it, they deliver. 

If they are critical of the work that is being done, they are willing to take on the task of doing it better. 

They are not concerned with their name on the project. They want to see the work get done. 

They don't need another listing on their resume, they want to see things done. 

They accept the work of others, even if it is not the way they would have done it. 

If they ask others for help, they are clear in what they want done.

If there are no instructions, all work that was done is just what was asked for - in fact more than what was asked for. 

Good volunteers, burn out. They need time off. They need to be supported. Recently I have been deep in several volunteer responsibilities, and at times wondering why I do this. 

Friday's Hanging. 

Every few weeks, I spend several hours on a Friday morning at a hanging. It is exhausting, three or four hours on my feet, double checking details, trying to make sure we get the names right. I have a volunteer who helps with the hanging, he is really good at it, he has been doing this for decades. In the end, it is nice to look at it, and see a job well hung. 

Another major art show on the walls.