No Time for Door Mat Volunteering

Leadership...not a word to take lightly. Leadership trickles up..it doesn't trickle down I'm afraid. Roles that get the wheels turning start out in small organizations and generally filter in throughout the bigger ones. I was reading an excerpt the other day about volunteerism and why there is such a huge drop in volunteering. The following I'm paraphrasing from the book "The New Breed" until after reason number 7. If we were honest about why we don't volunteer this would really be the top seven reasons why and not because "we just don't have the time." 1. The volunteer leader that doesn't know how to lead 2. No feedback from leadership on how the volunteer was doing 3. The feeling that the volunteer doesn't feel like they are making a difference 4. Lack of professionalism 5. Lack of Communication ( in my opinion this should be number one) 6. Too much time in wasted unproductive meetings 7. No flexibility in scheduling in volunteer opportunities. This all being noted I just want to affirm the reasons above coming from someone that has volunteered many hours and days in different organizations and I can say that the most successful ones have leaders that know how to communicate and follow through. When I sit here and look at these reasons I can also fit that into why people would leave their jobs. Replace the word volunteer and fill in employee and there you have it. I'm frankly at a point in my life where I can just not afford to volunteer or work for any organization that has leadership that cannot communicate effectively. My life has to run like clock work these days with the exceptional unexpected quirks along the way that life will throw my way but I have to pick up, tweak it, and move on. So, without effective communication, a plan, and clear expectations.. three strikes and I'm out. I think I'm being generous on the three strikes though but that's just because I like to also give the benefit of the doubt. "The world is hugged by the faithful arms of volunteers" When good volunteers are lost it's like losing two good arms.