Leader Etiquette and Standards

Leader Etiquette and Standards

“It is important as a Leader to be the very best version of yourself”

At Think Pacific, we ask everyone associated with our organisation, staff members and volunteers,  to uphold and manifest our values. These values guide how we may think and interact in team settings, hold ourselves and in decisions we may make:

TP’s Values: 

If these values are upheld and internalised in all situations, we believe that our leaders are holding the highest standards and applying themselves in the best possible way to the role of leadership. However, there are some key areas that are worthwhile intentionally considering to provide consistency across all leadership teams.

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Below are some key areas to consider and be intentional about in your role as a Think Pacific leader. Honing in on these skills and being aware of their impact and use in nurturing a strong, stable and trusted general ownership of your team but also to be remembered when challenges arise and when dealing with difficult situations.

1. Energy

It is vital as a leader to bring energy across all areas of a project, it maintains your focus and the visual commitment leads the team from the front. Your energy sets the tone and the standard for the team, and the project as a whole.

NB: Read the room and provide the appropriate energy for that situation/environment.

It is important however, to conserve your energy, leaders have long days! This is a demanding role and we do not want you working yourself to the point where you have nothing to give; you can’t pour from an empty glass. Although it is expected that at times you may have to dig deep, if you are seriously ill or know that you need a break, at your discretion, discuss as a leadership team and lean on each other if necessary – this is the strength of working in a unit. If you take a break and feel refreshed and commit 100% afterwards, that is far more preferable than persisting with work at 50%.

2. Leader-Volunteer Relationship

It is crucial to ensure the team respects you by remaining professional at all times, this is fundamental to your role within the project. This does not mean compromising your personality and energy, everyone finds the balance here differently, but it does mean that you should be confident that the team trusts you fully and would turn to you for advice and guidance in difficult situations and feel comfortable they would receive appropriate support.

Do not worry about volunteers ‘liking you,’ friendships will organically grow and it is healthy and desired that volunteers have a different relationship with their leaders than with the rest of the team.

NB: Keep the personal private, and focus on the professional.

This point extends to your relationship with the community too – if you are seen to be unprofessional in the eyes of the village, you will quickly lose respect and this may damage the project and your control of it. 

3. Communication Skills

Good communication is absolutely essential to an effective Leader and Leadership Unit. Effective communication skills are vital as they help you assert authority, manage team relations and enhance professional reputation. If not communicating effectively, gaps will quickly appear, so ensure you are focused on this component of the role from the very start. 

Key Points to consider on project:

1. You must make Leader Discussions / Meetings a part of your daily routine, and ensure adequate time is allocated for this in the AM and PM (refer to Section 4 of the Leader Manual for how to conduct these meetings according to their purpose)

NB: These meetings are essential, and should be protected. If a team or community member comes to you during this time, kindly let them know you’ll get back to them after the meeting unless urgent.

2. Key points to discuss / review daily are: Volunteer Health Care, Project Areas, Evening Activities, Customs & Culture, Village Interactions / Families.
3. For any briefing or meeting with the team, TNK or Youth Reps, ensure your discussion points are clear and agreed before starting, and you know exactly who is saying what point.
4. During team meetings or briefings, ask them to wait until you have finished all points prior to raising questions, as often questions may be answered in what you will say, and otherwise the discussion can become disjointed and confused.
5. Always maintain ownership of communicating points to the team / village to ensure it is done. Avoid asking volunteers / villagers to ‘pass messages’.
6. When raising points with the Project Coordinator, ensure you have first discussed the issue to highlight your thoughts / suggestions so that the communication is more efficient.
7. Ensure when discussing points that you are in a private space where volunteers and villagers cannot overhear you. Be careful of discussing during meals at your home as an example when the family may be present.

NB: Any conversation or communication with a volunteer’s parents, family or friends overseas should be managed entirely by TP UK or Fiji Management, and NOT by Project Leaders. If requested for you to speak kindly refuse, and update the Project Coordinator asap for further action by Management.

Top tips on communication:

1. Body Language: When used effectively, in compliance with both situation and setting, facial expressions, gestures, posture, and eye contact can greatly improve the listener’s understanding of the verbal message transmitted. Such actions can further build credibility by demonstrating that you care about your listeners and their reactions. Stay open and relaxed and your team will be far more inclined to listen, respect and confide in your authority.
2. Active Listening: Allow for the person whom you are communicating with to talk, encouraging them by offering your full attention whilst listening. This willingness to hear the other person’s point of view establishes respect and encourages more open and purposeful engagements. 
3. Stay Intentional: Any professional interactions with others must have an element of clear purpose with a desired outcome. 
4. Take notes: Note taking allows you to have a reference point for the delivery of team briefings/debriefs and allows for clear, consistent and well-thought through communication across the board. They can be reviewed with the leadership team together and it also prevents you from forgetting anything during a busy day.
5. Listen to feedback: Comments or requests from the team or the community are part of a two way conversation between themselves and the leadership unit… listen to them, validate them and discuss carefully with the leadership unit / PC before giving an abrupt answer.

4. Timings

It is vital as leaders to always be first / on time and prompt to all activities to set professional standards for the team. This begins from day 1! If your standards slip, so will the team’s. 

NB: ‘A team reflect their leaders’

5. Sincerity

Always be sincere when talking and discussing with the volunteer team, both collectively and individually. If they believe you are putting on an act or show, you will quickly lose their trust and confidence.

If you do not know the answer to a question they may have, be honest that you do not know but assure them that, if necessary, you will follow up with finding the answer if you can. This maintains trust and an assured and sincere support. 

NB: When providing feedback / de-briefs it must be honest and constructive.

6. Respect the Role

Treat the role with respect, and understand each volunteer is a ‘client’ without whom the role would not exist. It is a job, not a holiday, and mindset is key.

NB: Must invest time and energy in each volunteer’s experience and impact.

7. R&R / Post Project

It is extremely important to maintain our professionalism throughout R&R and within post-project interactions with the team. R&R carries exactly the same level of duty of care and liability when leading the volunteer team and slipping standards here can marr the entire experience for the team.

Resorts we collaborate with through our projects are our partners and we ask that leaders lead from the front in ensuring maintaining good relationships with them.

NB: A consistent presence is key, and ensuring we continue to offer support and engagement where needed. R&R is not a holiday

8. Prioritising Volunteer and Community Experience

As a Leader, the volunteers’ and community’s experience must come before your own at all times. We ask you to live by the mindset of ‘leaders eat last.’ Ensure they are first on activities or excursions, and maintain a professional duty of care at all times. If one or two volunteers are not keen on an activity, one leader may suggest they are heading back/not participating so that the volunteer feels more comfortable saying no also. If the community is not comfortable with a plan that has been arranged, listen to them and prioritise them even if you think it would be really fun. 

NB: On the 1st Day in the village, ensure all volunteers and community members know where the Leader’s House is located in the community, so that they can reach you whenever needed on project.

9. Tone

It sounds simple, but tone of voice and phrasing is key in any interaction in a leadership position… it frames how the conversation may be received and paints a picture of how you want to be perceived in your role. 

In general with the team, it is very important to “ask” when things need to be done rather than ‘tell’, to allow a discussion and to gain a positive response and engagement. In smaller and personal conversations, displaying empathy with a calm and supportive tone fundamentally changes how the conversation unfolds. And likewise, knowing when to be firmer and how to do that is another tool in the toolbox of utilising tone.

NB: Remember when speaking to volunteers that this is not a school environment, and that ultimately many are your peers.