Your Toolbox for Volunteer Support and Man-Management

1. ‘Personal Project Planning’ (PPPs) / 1 to 1 Chats

PPP’s are 1:1 chats that take place between a leader and a volunteer on every Sunday of each week during the project; they are a core component of the Leadership role. Their purpose is to provide a space for volunteers to reflect but also confidentially raise any concerns. They must be viewed as an opportunity to support your team as much as you can. PPPs are a great tool to really understand different perspectives and provide you that chance to maximise your targeted support and team management as a leadership unit.

Key points in delivering PPP’s are:

1. Key point of reference for each volunteer’s experience and impact. It is vital to utilise it effectively.
2. Must be completed by Sunday PM, and can use Saturdays if large team numbers. If unable to complete on Sunday, you MUST let the volunteer know in advance and advise them you shall complete their PPP on Monday.
3. Always insist each volunteer gives you time for a PPP, even if brief. If ‘optional’ people may feel shy to request, and you may miss something that would otherwise have been noted.
4. Find a quiet and private place to conduct the chat. Take a short walk with the volunteer to a suitable spot if it is worth it.
5. Key points to cover include: the family environment, team dynamic, project areas and health. Once PPP is completed make brief notes to ensure discussion with the Leader Unit is efficient and constructive.
6. Use PPP as a reference point for the week ahead, and plan interactions around points raised. Eg If someone is struggling in the family environment, a Leader would eat at the home on Monday / Tuesday. If they are nervous about delivering a workshop that week, ensure a Leader actively supports and encourages the individual in the planning stage and be ready to engage in that session to assist if necessary.
7. Timings are key. Ensure you invest in discussion, without spending significant time as consistency across the team and remaining mentally fresh and engaged is key. Approx 15-20 mins should be sufficient.
8. Also use a PPP to motivate and highlight successes. It does not need to be a ‘negative’ discussion focused only on challenges / problems.

After each leader has completed all of their PPPs, meet as a leadership team and discuss any points of interest for the whole team and brainstorm outcomes from discussions.

NB: A PPP should be entirely focused on that individual volunteer, and never discussed with other volunteers and villagers. Never enter into rumour or gossip and never share confidential information with anyone other than your fellow leaders if required.

2. Visiting the Homes

This is a great chance to take steps towards establishing your presence and connection to the community as a leader, and providing support and confidence to the host families and volunteers in the household simultaneously. Some key points are:

1. A Leader MUST visit every volunteer home for dinner within week 1, and each Leader must revisit ALL host families within the project period.
2. Invest time in that interaction. Arrive early and spend time with the family / volunteers to create that connection.
3. Create a positive energy in the home and ‘bridge the gap’ between the family and the volunteer where needed.
4. Reinforce key elements for the volunteer experience and project. Eg Fijian foods / evening activities.

NB: Always go on your own to visit host families, and not as a leadership unit, to ensure you can be more invested and effective in your interactions.

3. Activities

Managing a team’s energy as a collective is an art form, but there are some tricks that you utilise to raise morale. If the team has had a tough day or a challenging week, planning an activity for all to join and have fun can be a gamechanger. If an individual in the team is particularly struggling, this also provides a platform for them to interact with others rather than feeling isolated at home.

• Village sports are a quick and easy way to boost some energy and have fun as a group.
• Organising a games night in the community hall with the village.
• A team quiz night is always a favourite.
• If a movie night is possible, these can be real mood changers.
• Use Music: This is a very handy trick if you or anyone in the team has a speaker. Background music is a very subtle but effective way of controlling the mood in a room and can take a fun activity to the next level.

4. Briefings and Debriefs

Team meetings, particularly regular briefings and debriefs, are a fantastic opportunity to re-ignite energy and reconnect people to the big picture; the aims of the project. When reflecting on wins and challenges, you as a leader have a real chance to use that reflection to motivate the team or assess the mood of the room in general. 

5. Drive People’s Passions

If the team is having a bad day, reminding them to remember their motivation to join the project and to ask them what they are passionate about helps them recalibrate and reconsider their mindset for the rest of the project. If you as a leader are encouraging people to pursue their passions during the project, you should have a team that is striving towards them and gaining energy and enthusiasm from them.