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After years of training thousands of Directors/Coordinators of Volunteer Programs, I am convinced that the ability to persuade and influence is at the heart of successful leadership of these endeavors. Many leaders of volunteer programs or groups have learned the technical skills of good volunteer management but continue to say, “It still isn’t working and I am burning out in the attempt.”

Good, skilled people in the field of volunteer management are often unsuccessful because they function reactively in programs where there is little or no true commitment, understanding or support for developing and sustaining a healthy, cutting-edge volunteer program. Individuals leading volunteer programs must not only be excellent technicians but also be able to proactively influence individuals and systems to work effectively with volunteers.

This being said, the reality is that most people coordinating volunteer programs are positioned in the middle level of an organization and rarely have any authority over the people they must influence to ensure an effective program. Thus, they must have superb persuasion skills and strategies to garner the support they need to manage an excellent program.

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