Membership

Tuesday Buzz: Keeping Volunteers Engaged

Strategies to ensure volunteers don't lose interest or suffer from burnout. Also: A tech giant embraces a major revamp of its logo.

Sometimes, the volunteers you rely on don’t quite meet your expectations. They may get busy, burn out, or run low on enthusiasm, leaving tasks unfinished and volunteer managers holding the bag.

How can you avoid this situation? It comes down to framing and collaboration, according to MaryAnn Wohlford of Fairfax Court Appointed Special Advocates, who has had much luck keeping her own volunteers focused on their mission of advocating for neglected children.

“The bottom line is that the relationship between the volunteer and the supervisor needs to be collaborative. When there is frequent communication, a volunteer feels supported and valued,” Wohlford told Twenty Hats blogger Elisa Kosarin.

Wohlford recommended adding accountability into the process by using check-ins and other forms of oversight. “Some volunteers drop the ball because they think no one is looking—or they think what they are supposed to do is unimportant because no one is asking about it,” she added.

Check out the full blog to get ideas for preventing burnout or disinterest from creeping into your volunteers’ routine.

Branding Evolution of the Day

0901_google

It’s a logo you see often, possibly more than any other, and it’s getting a major revamp. Google is ditching the serif typeface that has long defined its look and is going for something a little goofier and more streamlined. (The colors remain just as vibrant as they were when they were first used in 1998.)

“This isn’t the first time we’ve changed our look, and it probably won’t be the last, but we think today’s update is a great reflection of all the ways Google works for you across Search, Maps, Gmail, Chrome, and many others,” the company said in a news release.

It is the company’s biggest logo change since 1999, when the current typography was chosen, and it comes just weeks after Google announced it would restructure under Alphabet, a new holding company.

Other Links of Note

If your office is a Mac, good news for you: Apple is formalizing its enterprise efforts, thanks to a new deal with Cisco.

Are your employees eyeing the exit these days? Over at RevvCrew, Garth A. Jordan discusses the deeper problems turnover exposes.

If you need to accommodate the food allergies of event attendees, this MeetingsNet quiz is a good starting point.

(iStock/Thinkstock)

Ernie Smith

By Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. MORE

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