How do you use goal-setting theory with volunteers?

1 Understand your volunteers' motives

Before you set any goals for your volunteers, you need to understand why they chose to volunteer for your organization, and what they hope to gain from their experience. Different volunteers may have different motives, such as learning new skills, meeting new people, contributing to a cause, or fulfilling a personal or professional requirement. By knowing your volunteers' motives, you can tailor your goals to align with their interests, values, and needs. For example, if your volunteers want to learn new skills, you can set goals that involve training, mentoring, or feedback. If your volunteers want to meet new people, you can set goals that involve teamwork, networking, or social events.

2 Involve your volunteers in goal-setting

One of the key principles of goal-setting theory is that people are more likely to commit to goals that they have participated in setting, rather than goals that are imposed on them. Therefore, you should involve your volunteers in the goal-setting process, and make them feel that they have a voice and a choice in their tasks and responsibilities. You can do this by asking for their input, preferences, and feedback, and by giving them options and alternatives. You can also use a collaborative approach, where you and your volunteers work together to define and agree on the goals, rather than a directive approach, where you tell them what to do.

3 Make your goals SMART

Another key principle of goal-setting theory is that goals should be SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. This means that your goals should be clear, concrete, and quantifiable, so that your volunteers know exactly what they need to do, how they will be evaluated, and when they need to complete their tasks. Your goals should also be realistic and achievable, so that your volunteers feel confident and motivated, rather than frustrated and discouraged. Your goals should also be relevant and meaningful, so that your volunteers see how their work contributes to your organization's mission, vision, and values. And your goals should also have a deadline or a timeframe, so that your volunteers have a sense of urgency and accountability.

4 Provide feedback and recognition

Feedback and recognition are essential components of goal-setting theory, as they help your volunteers monitor their progress, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and celebrate their achievements. You should provide regular and constructive feedback to your volunteers, both formally and informally, and both individually and collectively. You should also recognize and reward your volunteers for reaching their goals, or for making significant efforts or improvements. You can do this by expressing your gratitude and appreciation, by giving them certificates, badges, or tokens, by highlighting their success stories, or by nominating them for awards or incentives.

5 Review and revise your goals

Finally, you should review and revise your goals periodically, to ensure that they are still relevant, appropriate, and challenging for your volunteers. You should also check if your volunteers are still satisfied, engaged, and committed to their goals, or if they need any support, guidance, or adjustment. You can do this by conducting surveys, interviews, or focus groups with your volunteers, or by observing their behavior and performance. You should also be flexible and responsive to any changes or challenges that may affect your goals, such as new opportunities, priorities, or resources.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?