Energize Book Blog

Now we want to hear from you, since a blog is all about interaction.  So we’ll pose a question that we plan to continue as a feature of this blog:

What book that is not specifically about managing volunteers has helped you most in your work?

To put it in another way – we all know volunteer management is as much an art as it is a science. You can have a targeted recruitment campaign, airtight interviewing and screening, and a perfect policy and procedure manual…and still have reluctant or dismissive paid staff, personality clashes and power plays among volunteers, and a headache at the end of the day. What books have helped you with the “art” of successfully leading volunteers, even if the author didn’t know that would be what you would take away?

Here are some starter suggestions, along with links to where you can learn more about each book on Amazon.com.

In her newest book, Visionary Leadership in Volunteer Programs, volunteer management pioneer Marlene Wilson recommends several books that helped maintain her passion for service and leadership in difficult times:

• Leadership in a New Era
  
• Servant Leadership
• Leading with Soul: An Uncommon Journey of Spirit

Energize president Susan Ellis likes Roger von Oech’s A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative, which is in its 25^th anniversary edition, and A Kick in the Seat of the Pants to help in discovering creative, innovative solutions for tough problems.  These books also have great exercises for group training.

And I, personally, would recommend Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life, as a reminder to be present in and appreciate each moment – the accomplishments of the volunteers we lead are truly amazing, but it’s easy to get too preoccupied to see that.

Please share your favorite book that helps with the “art” of volunteer management in the comments.

Do you have a question about risk management or policy development in your volunteer program? Post your question as a comment (or email it to ask-an-author@energizeinc.com) by Monday, August 17th. Linda Graff (the volunteer field’s leading authority on all matters risky) will pick one question to answer on the blog later this month, and we’ll try to provide some advice for everyone who writes in.

Special offer! Linda is the author of numerous books on volunteer management which the Energize online bookstore carries in electronic (PDF) format. We currently have a limited number of Linda’s books in paperback — so if you’ve been waiting to purchase a hard copy of Best of All, Better Safe…, or By Definition, now’s your chance! Just be sure to click the button for the paperback version when placing your order.