By Margaret E. Puckett
Volunteers are very special people. They also can be pretty passionate, diverse, independent and unique. The reason they decide to volunteer is as diverse as the individuals themselves. It may be just because they want to help. Or maybe they want to learn a new job skill. For some, volunteering is a way to escape loneliness. For others, it is the needed assurance that they still have something of value to give. But whatever their reason, I have generally found that some of our best volunteers are those that have a sincere belief in the mission, values and goals of the organizations in which they volunteer.
I love people. I love their differences and the richness those differences bring to our life’s experiences. Those differences can open the doors to a better, stronger and more focused organizational mission. But because our basic human nature is to fear anything or anyone who is different, those differences also have a great potential to divide and weaken us. Interaction between staff, volunteers and the individuals we support is a key element in the effectiveness of our organization’s mission.
This is why diversity training is so important. My hospital’s annual employee and volunteer training has focused on understanding generational differences for many years. Generational differences are important to understand. They represent a type of diversity that each of us comes in contact with every day. But with advent of increased mobility, the world has become a much smaller place. It becomes critical that we understand how cultural and economic diversity also impact on our ability to effectively interact with others.
My hospital has now incorporated cultural and economic diversity into its diversity training. Based on my review of our annual training testing results among volunteers, I’d have to say we still have a ways to go to accomplish our goal of improving our understanding and acceptance of diversity in the workplace. But the effort will be worth it. Misunderstanding and non-acceptance of others is almost always a major factor when conflict occurs between volunteers, staff or the individuals our organizations support.
So what’s the secret recipe for successful volunteer program? Take some passion; add a little diversity, throw in some individualism, personality, independence, understanding, and maybe even add a touch of eccentricity, to the mix – but beware – you just might find yourself facing some really unique and exciting challenges! Are you ready?
Margaret E. Puckett is a featured blogger and is the Volunteer Services Coordinator at St. Joseph Hospital in Bangor.
Margaret, I’d love to know more about how this training is structured. Do you combine employees and volunteers into one training? Do you have someone on staff facilitate, or do you use an outside trainer? Do you have any recommendations for websites or sources I could look at to find more information on diversity training?
I am so impressed that you are focusing on economic and cultural diversity as well as generational. Even if you have a ways to go, you are surely light years ahead of the rest of us!