Posted: July 21st, 2015

Rewarding and Recognizing Volunteers/ Changing Negative Behavior

1. You are a new Volunteer Manager who is managing a group of volunteers. You are having a very difficult time with Sally, a longtime volunteer with the organization. Out of the blue, Sally explodes, becomes furious, and throws embarrassing tantrums. You have received numerous complaints about Sally from other volunteers, staff, and clients. Your director has asked you to handle the situation. Using this week’s website resource, http://nationalserviceresources.org/about, along with any addition research you have done, describe the techniques you think would be most useful to come to a resolution that will be best for everyone involved. 2. Using support from the text and your own outside research, discuss the pros and cons of rewards for and recognition of volunteers. How do you see coaching as playing a part in rewards and recognition? How might rewards and recognition undermine volunteer motivation?

3. Read the Lesson 2: Don’t Reward Bad Behavior and pay close attention to Six Steps to Change Bad Behavior on pp. 53-55. Reflect on which of these six steps would be most challenging for you in regards to your personality (EX: standing your ground and not letting the person bully you, which pertains to item #5, lacking patience and being reactionary at times, which would pertain to item #1). Write 1-2 fully formed paragraphs on which of the six steps could be a challenge for you and how you can work to improve in this area when you are working with a difficult volunteer.