You're organizing a community event. How can you harness each volunteer's unique skills for maximum impact?

It is very important to hold meetings several times before events. Also, when training your volunteers keep a log of who was maintaining which position so you are able to know the best position setup. Some volunteers aren’t able to work outside, some cannot handle being inside, others are able to be anywhere, this comes up more than some think due to mental health issues.You want to be sure the volunteers are comfortable with their position as well as who they are working beside. We have the men parking, directing traffic, grilling, and arranging heavy objects due to not wanting our volunteers to get hurt. The women usually set up the tables, prizes, information, merchandise, greet people while they are signing in. Each has a place.

Know your volunteers and play to their strengths - give them an opportunity to get involved in what they want to do, then they will take ownership of the project along with you, and you'll have a team who are invested in the project.

Everything listed for "Volunteer Inventory" here is important. I'd like to add one more thing to be covered in the early stages of dialogue, even they are still considering volunteering. That is the expectations they have for their responsibility and overall experience with you and your expectations for their responsibility, tasks, behavior, etc. Working through that addresses the psychological contract for volunteering and it is important to ensure expectations are met for both parties and that the volunteer receives the proper support to carry out what is asked of them.

A good fit is important but that is not always so obvious nor is it simply matching based on their skills and experience. I remember years ago when I volunteered for a Habitat for Humanity house rehab, and the hospitality (snacks, beverages, etc.) was taken care of by an experienced carpenter. I asked him why he wasn't doing carpentry on the house and he explained that he does that 50-60 hours per week, so on weekends, he'd like to help in different ways. I share that story to remind us not to 1) rely on what looks like good matches on paper and 2) defer sometimes to their desires to do something different which may even involve learning a new skill.

I have followed the three step model for developing training - 1) Needs assessment, 2) Establish learning objectives, and 3) Design the training. It has served me and the volunteers I have worked with well. You want to balance accessibility and convenience with what is necessary for the volunteers to have to be able to carry out their responsibilities but also maintain safety standards and protocols. When I was a mentor for a young man I was matched with by Big Brothers Big Sisters, I was required to take two whole days of training. For events, we expect training to be lighter than that but it depends on the parameters of the event and what safety requirements exist.