Why volunteering improves our life

The three sectors that influence our life

The three sectors of society influence us all:

• the public sector, for which we can vote if we live in a democracy, and which may have the monopoly for exerting power on the individual in society by establishing laws and administration of life, including enforcement.
• the private sector may give us work and money, and provides services and goods if we give that money back to them.
• the plural sector, where we collaborate pro bono for the benefit of many (social good) - this is the sector of volunteering.

The third sector of societal activities is the social, voluntary, non-profit, civic or plural sector, where NGOs, not-for-profits, churches and other volunteer groups create value for groups of humans, as part of a society, the whole society or even humanity. This value is mostly non-monetary, though monetary resources are used and created too, in each case as a means and not and end.

?Creating value for others is seen by most as inherently good. Being good is typically associated with life , charity , continuity, happiness , love and justice (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good ). Creating value is mainly concerned with providing benefits to society, being benevolent and altruistic, and increasing happiness for many, sometimes called social good.?Providing value to one or a few individuals is not seen as an example of being good if good is only provided in exchange for something else.

Volunteers as part of the third sector are manifold: firefighters, supporters in schools, hospitals and churches, municipal government, seniors helping abroad, supporters for refugee integration etc. A 2016 study estimated 31 million out of 80 Germans are volunteering, about 50% of them up to 2 hours a week and the remainder more. The US has about 800K volunteer firefighters, and US non-profits control assets at the value of 3.5 trillion USD, 6% of the US GDP and 11% of the workforce (www.philanthropyroundtable.org/almanac ). The US Council of Non-profits provides that in California, 160K NGOs are registered, nationwide, more than 1.5 million.

Volunteering is a human need

Why would individuals volunteer? One answer is because we are genetically inclined to do so. We feel good if we work in teams, based on trust, if we help others, based on empathy and compassion and we react with pride and self-esteem on being respected as a valuable contributor. Volunteering satisfies the basic human values of respect, responsibility, honesty, fairness and compassion, which can be observed everywhere on the world, according to Rushworth-Kidder, www.journal.forces.gc.ca/vo7/no1/book-livre-02-eng.asp.

My personal experience

I came late to volunteer, in 1998 at the age of 44. But it changed my life and myself. I was awarded being a volunteer in 2012 and extended my volunteer activities after retirement. I belief what matters as we get older, is to be connected and known by many as a humble servant. Thru volunteering I learned much about leadership, which also changed my compensated life.

When meeting fellow volunteers at project management events, I seem to be able to smell the dopamine. It is smiles, acknowledgements, hugs, offering help and friendly talks all around. I am very pleased to meet people from other countries and cultures again and again, year over year, and even after years there is a feeling in me of belonging to a special group of human beings. We all have achieved small successes, helped on volunteer projects and assisted other volunteer teams to bind together, but the long term feeling of belonging to the many is what really counts. I experienced this at many PMI and some IPMA events equally. We are family.

Perikles said ‘whoever does not participate in the matters of the city, is not a quiet but a bad citizen’. Volunteers participate on their free will, if that exists, and without being payed, pro bono, altruistic, even if some economists describe this behavior as irrational.

There are many reasons why people volunteer and few of them are rational, for example

1. volunteers live longer and healthier

2. volunteering establishes strong relationships (and trust), mitigates the risk of loneliness

3. volunteering is good for the career

4. volunteering is good for society

5. volunteering gives you a sense of purpose

(www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-third-age/201403/5-reasons-why-you-should-volunteer)

?A survey of seasoned volunteers

Being a volunteer for project management myself since 1998, I grew a list of peer volunteers, some of them volunteering 50 or more years. So I sent out an email survey to 75 of them and received 18 textual responses (not just boxes checked), which is an exceptional outcome of 25% replies. Try to beat that with any other audience.

Most of the participants were willing to be a mentor, so if you need an outstanding project management volunteer to help you in your career or life, consider to ask any volunteer leader. Don’t be shy, if you do not ask the answer is always no. A real leader does not put you off.

The volunteers I asked answered these 6 questions:

1???Do you remember why and when you started volunteering and what your expectations were back then?

2???When did volunteering become addictive for you and do you know why?

3???What has volunteering given you overall?

4???Any plans to give up volunteering?

5???One short advice for new volunteers?

6???Would you be willing to consider mentoring new volunteers if they ask you?

The replies are summarized here

1???Do you remember why and when you started volunteering and what your expectations were back then??

Some remember the time very well, like starting as early as 1968 or 1969. A few started volunteering outside project management, like for a fishing club, a youth group in school, the boy scouts, in college, during military service and a business association.

The majority though started volunteering with project management, e.g. as a PMI Chapter leader/volunteer. Many had an initial reason like giving back, helping others and being part of something bigger. Others, like myself, just accidentally became a volunteer without such a reason, but stayed a volunteer for 20+ years nevertheless. It changed my life and who I am.

In 1998, I attended a Chapter meeting as a regular member and was surprised when the sitting president asked who wanted to succeed him. Three attendees raised their hands, and we divided the work among us. And I still have positive feelings for Petra Nemecz and Rolf von Roessing and the many more co-volunteers for the Chapter. I stayed president until 2005, also because I learned that I should develop potential successors early.

Some quotes from the replies.

·?????“it was a way for me to have access to other people who did work similar to mine, and to learn from them”

·?????“It was immediately rewarding for the firm’s work, our clients and my personal consulting growth”

·?????“I was very impressed the first time I attended a PMI Global Congress”

·?????“doing voluntary work was fascinating and challenging at the same time”

·?????“thrown into the role of VP Finance/Treasurer with no idea what I was getting into, and have never looked back”

·?????“to get knowledge and to network”

2???When did volunteering become addictive for you and do you know why??

Four respondents said they would not say it is addictive, most agree though that is addictive. Volunteering is rewarding and creates passion for all.

For me, I meet excellent people and make friends, it is an opportunity I would not have elsewhere (I tried). And the opportunities at PMI are great to extend your network, responsibilities and achievements: from local Chapter, to regional projects, global groups and so on. Besides the Chapter work, I started to attend item writing sessions for the PMP exam questions, review REP applications, provide input to standards development, assess project of the year applications, giving pro-bono workshops and presentations at PMI and IPMA meetings.

Some quotes:

·?????“The endorphins were flowing from the very beginning”

·?????“The people I met were smart, helpful, and passionate, and it became addictive to be around them”

·?????“I have never looked back nor doubted the value of my PMI involvement and the benefits of volunteering”

·?????“it did, and very early on in my PMI experience”

·?????“I don’t believe volunteering is addictive … the ethical value in volunteering is that it is a choice”

3???What has volunteering given you overall?

Several themes come out of this open question, like personal satisfaction, wider understanding, global network, friends, self-confidence, sense of belonging, recognition, practice in leadership, learning and opportunities - all very helpful to develop a mature personality.

I can agree to all of them, but might add that I experienced volunteering also as a sandbox to develop skills I could not develop as an employee, like founding a legal entity, doing taxes, negotiating contracts. And more importantly, making a team of 8-12 volunteers to become a team that continually delivers, without any positional authority can be tried excellently in a Chapter Board.

Some quotes:

·?????“the reassurance that "others cook only with water" and also have a lot of problems in front of them”

·?????“a sense of fulfilment and satisfaction”

·?????“More open mindset, reinforced my positive attitude and my strong belief in the profession”

·?????“It has given to me knowledge, different perspectives, cultural discernment and global perceptions“

·?????“lot of satisfaction and visibility”

·?????“given me a new family”

·?????“I received a lot, very often unexpected”

·?????“sense of contributing to something meaningful”

·?????“Motivating people in such an environment is something special and that was and still is a great learning experience for me“

·?????“Oh god, this is so many things”

4???Any plans to give up volunteering??

Only 3 of the 18 participants said because of them retiring, they might slowdown or stop?volunteering. The vast majority clearly said that they continue to volunteer actively.

Personally, I continue to volunteer even though I am retired. I even took on new volunteer tasks outside PMI, with Germany’s Senior Expert Service (SES), where I am now helping young apprentices to overcome hurdles in their development and also help foreign organizations in governance, project management and marketing.

Some quotes:

·?????“The day I stop will be the day I just can’t physically or mentally meet the challenges of volunteer activities”

·?????“I will adjust to ensure I contribute effectively”

·?????“I plan to continue, if only to keep the relations and friendships developed over time and to give back to the profession”

·?????“I cannot give it up”

5???One short advice for new volunteers?

Start slow and allow it to increase over time. Do not overcommit. Give and you will get rewards.

These are also my personal views. And I share some of my beliefs with you, because they helped me to get the most out of volunteering:

·?????I believe that my life is my time is my responsibility to spend (no work-life balance, can say no)

·?????I believe that meeting other people from different cultures and geographies, listening to them and respecting them is the key to diversity and getting rid of racism and xenophobia (somebody said travel is the cure for racism).

·?????I believe in accepting the consequences of each decision I make is key to happiness, it helps to avoid shame and regret, and helps looking forward, not backward. Once a choice is made, deal with it.

Some quotes:

·?????“Build your volunteerism on intrinsic motivation”

·?????“Start slow and don't over commit”

·?????“Constantly learn and gain valuable knowledge”

·?????“GIVE, GIVE, GIVE and you will see. Always get involved”

·?????“It is like exercise. One needs to start small and work up to bigger efforts”

·?????“Volunteering is a great way to learn how to work well in a diverse team”

·?????“Don’t look at what is in it for me, look at what you can do for the association, group or cause”

·?????“Volunteering is genuine art of giving”

·?????“I can acquire quite different qualifications and expand them than on the job”

6???Would you be willing to consider mentoring new volunteers if they ask you??

Overwhelmingly most (15) said they are willing to become a mentor for new mentees.

Me too.

Some quotes:

·?????“Mentoring is a very rewarding experience”

·?????“Absolutely”

·?????“Yes of course”

If you now think to try out volunteering, and are looking for a mentor, send me a email to [email protected] - I will forward it to the 15 people who agreed to become a mentor.

(Part of that article was published by PMIToday December 2018)