COURSE OUTLINE
MOTIVATING AND RETAINING VOLUNTEER FACILITATORS
Over the Long Term
Prepared by Pat Ford
Course Description
Concerned about how your volunteer “trainers” are taking the shift from “training” to “learning” and from “trainer” to “facilitator”? How are your facilitators feeling about their role given all of the changes taking place in Girl Scouting? How responsive are your volunteer facilitators to filling the educational needs of your council? This workshop, intended for those whose responsibility it is to develop and provide ongoing support to volunteer facilitators, will focus on workable strategies that tend to motivate and retain volunteer facilitators over the long term even when rapid change is taking place.
COURSE GOAL
To assist those who work in adult development departments to identify strategies that will both attract and retain volunteer facilitators.
MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT AND HANDOUTS
MATERIALS AND equipment / HANDOUTS and Preprinted charts / preprinted chartsEasel
Pad (preferably sticky pad)
CD player
Music CD – (Title to be determined) *
Multiple colored Felt Pens
Sticky Notes – 4-5 sets
3 x 5 cards
Blue Masking Tape
Timer *
LCD Projector
Lap top
CD for each participant on “Transitions” / GSLE Worksheet
Outcome Handout
Maslow’s Hierarchy Worksheet
McClelland’s Motivation Worksheet
Motivation Descriptions / Course Content and Issue Chart
Parking Lot Chart
Train Graphic
Small Group Directions
Step One: Introductions and Course Overview – 10 Min
The purpose of this step is to have the participants compare relate the content of this course to dealing with the issues/concerns/frustrations they may have regarding the recruitment, motivation and retention of volunteer facilitators.
Time / Objective / Strategy / Resources8 Min / Participant will:
List major issues regarding working with volunteer facilitators in today’s Girl Scout world. /
- Introductions and Issue Identification
Ask the participants take some sticky notes and a pencil or pen, stand and find a partner in the room.
Give the following instructions:
When I say “go”, please introduce yourself to your partner by;
-Name – council and council location, position in your council
-Write up an introductory mingle that includes issue identification in sticky notes that are then posted on ½ of a preprinted Course content and issue chart.
-Share at least one issue, concern or frustrations you currently have when working with volunteer facilitators in your council.
-Write the concern you both share on a sticky note.
Play music. After a minute, stop the participants, tell them to find a new partner. Ask them to take a new sticky note. Instruct them to identify two new concerns. If there partner shares a concern they already discussed look for a new one.
Do this process two to three times.
Have the participants put their sticky notes up on the right hand side of the preprinted easel under Issues/Concerns/Frustrations.
Take a moment and categorize the sticky notes using the following categories: Knowledge, Skill, Attitude, Logistical.
Step One continued on next page / -Easel
-Pad
-Preprinted Course Content and Issue chart
-Sticky notes
-Multiple felt pens
-Blue masking tape
-CD Player
-Music CD
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COURSE OUTLINE
MOTIVATING AND RETAINING VOLUNTEER FACILITATORS
Time / Objective / Strategy / Resources2 Min / Review the course content and compare relate this to the issues they raise. /
- Course Overview
The GSLE and Outcomes for Facilitators
Needs and Retention
Motivation and Retention
Expectations / Accountability and Retention / -Preprinted course content and issue chart
-Parking lot
End Step One: Introductions and Course Overview
Step TWO: The GSLE and outcomes for facilitators – 15 Minutes
The purpose of this step is to emphasize the GSLE by identifying how what we want our focus to be with girls also can relate to our focus with adults and more specifically our facilitators.
Time / Objective / Strategy / Resources5 Min / Participant will:
Review the GSLE.
Relate girl outcomes to potential adult outcomes /
- GSLE Review and Facilitator Outcomes
Review the major parts of the GSLE by using the train graphic and have them check their results.
Discuss the importance of developing facilitators as leaders in their council. (relate to developing leadership in girls)
Give participants the “Three Keys to Leadership Outcome Handout and remind them how these outcomes relate to the GSLE. Discuss how the outcomes for girls could be adjusted so that they might relate to outcomes they would want for adults and/or their facilitators.
Step two continued on next page / -Train Graphic
-GSLE Worksheet
-Outcomes Handout
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COURSE OUTLINE
MOTIVATING AND RETAINING VOLUNTEER FACILITATORS
Time / Objective / Strategy / Resources10 Min / Identify strategies that could support a focus on accomplishing identified outcomes for facilitators.
Relate outcome focus to retaining facilitators. /
- Outcome Strategy Identification
Assign each group an adjusted outcome. After giving the directions, assign one person in each group to help them keep track of the time. Stress they have 8 minutes to complete the assigned task. Help them keep track of the time.
SMALL GROUP DIRECTIONS
-Write the outcome you have been assigned on the easel. Do it quickly.
-List at least three “indicators” / “behaviors” that would indicate that facilitators this outcome was happening for them.
-Identify at least one strategy that you could use that would focus on strengthening this outcome in your facilitators.
-Post your Results
Debrief this step by discussing how focusing on outcomes for facilitators can support their retention over time. Let them know they will have time to look at everyone’s ideas a little later.
Handout a list of potential adjusted outcomes for all of the Girl outcomes. / -Adjusted Outcomes for Facilitator’s handout
-Easel paper per group
-Felt pen per group
-Preprinted Directions
-Preprinted example
End Step Two: The GSLE and Outcomes for Facilitators
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COURSE OUTLINE
MOTIVATING AND RETAINING VOLUNTEER FACILITATORS
Step THREE: MEETING FACILITATOR NEEDS – 60 Min
The purpose of this step is to assist the participants in developing strategies that will strengthen facilitator motivation through meeting their individual needs.
Time / Objective / Strategy / Resources15 Min / Participant will:
Identify what strategies they believe help to retain facilitators believe retains /
- Strategies for Retaining Facilitators
Ask: What do you think how working with paid staff and volunteers is similar or different? (In reality it is not significantly different.)
Ask them the participants (on their own) to write down three strategies they believe helps them to retain their facilitators (or volunteers in general) for that matter. (3 min)
Ask each table to make a list on a new sheet of easel paper of ideas they have generated. If there is repetition, only write the idea once. Have them post their ideas near their table. While they are making your list, make your own.
15 Min / Relate facilitator retention to meeting the needs in Maslow’s Hierarchy. /
- Maslow
Discuss possible answers to the following question: How would meeting these needs help to retain facilitators?
Ask the participants to work at their tables and match the strategies they developed in the last step to how those strategies might work towards meeting the needs we have defined according to Maslow’s hierarchy. They can add strategies if the think of more.
Step Three continued on next page / -Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Dual Handout
-Preprinted Dual Maslow Chart
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COURSE OUTLINE
MOTIVATING AND RETAINING VOLUNTEER FACILITATORS
Time / Objective / Strategy / Resources20 Min / Develop at least one strategy that will support all three motivational needs. /
- McClelland
Using questioning strategies, conduct a discussion relating the three areas of motivation to Maslow’s hierarchy, personal fulfillment and retention.
Have the participants do subjective assessment as to what they believe is their primary source motivational need.
Break into three small groups by motivational area. Have each group decide what types of things actually support their particular motivational need for them (extrinsically and intrinsically). Then have each group share their ideas.
Ask the participants to work in their original table groups and match the strategies they developed earlier to how those strategies help to support the motivational needs of their volunteer facilitators. They can add more strategies to their easel list.
Have them relate each to what it would look like if these needs are being met for facilitators. / McClelland’s 3 areas of motivation handout
10 Min /
- Sharing Strategies
Do a gallery walk. About 2 minutes per station. Tell them they can add strategies to each list if they like. / -
End Step Three: Meeting Facilitator’s Needs
Step FOUR: closing – xx Min
The purpose of this step is to assist the participants in developing strategies that will strengthen facilitator motivation through meeting their individual needs.
Time / Objective / Strategy / Resourcesxx Min / Participant will:
Summarize points that “spoke” to them.
Identify their personal next “action Step” as regards to motivating and retaining volunteer facilitators. / .
SOME MAJOR KEYS TO MOTIVATING AND RETAINING FACILITATORS
- Treat them professionally as you would a staff member
- Establish clear expectations as you would for a staff member
- Hold them accountable as you would a staff member
- Insure the position is a fit for them.
- Do they have the skill set, or the potential to develop the skill set necessary to be an effective facilitator?
- Do they like working with adults?
- Do they prefer being a “sage on the stage” or a “guide on the side?”
- Do they have a comfortable presence?
- Time is not necessarily an issue – If an individual
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