VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES

Volunteer Managers' Learning Circle

"MANAGING DIVERSITY"

Our next Circle will be held at Belconnen from 11.30am to 1pm on Tuesday 6th March.

This Circle focuses on one of the most significant challenges encountered in managing individuals today - diversity.

You will learn how to manage people who are different from yourself by examining the sources of perceptual distortion in the workplace, with a strong focus on individual relationships (although problems between groups are also addressed). Managers identify sources of conflict which can become barriers to improving quality and productivity, and then explore ways to reduce the unhealthy aspects of the conflict.

We also explores the role of attitudes and values in the decision-making process, supported by a case illustrating how different organisational perceptions can get in the way of a manager’s effort to produce a new product or service and meet new market demands.

I look forward to seeing you at the Circle.

Regards,

Roger

VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES

MANAGERS' LEARNING CIRCLE

TUESDAY 14th FEBRUARY 2012

Our first Circle for 2012 will introduce Organisation Development, and will be followed up each month with tools to implement an OD program.

Organisation development is an educational process by which human resources are continuously identified, allocated, and expanded in ways that make these resources more available to the organisation, and therefore, improve the organisation's problem-solving capabilities.

The most general objective of organisational development - OD - is to develop self-renewing, self-correcting systems of people who learn to organise themselves in a variety of ways according to the nature of their tasks, and who continue to expand the choices available to the organisation as it copes with the changing demands of a changing environment. OD stands for a new way of looking at the human side of organisational life.

The Circle will be at 55 Chandler Street, Belconnen, from 11.30am to 1pm.

MANAGERS' PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES

Managers' Learning Circle - Wednesday 8th June 2011

"Values, Visions and Missions: Using Personal Strategic Planning"

We spend most of our time in workshops thinking about how we can help our team members achieve their work goals - not a lot about our own needs, both as managers and as career professionals.

In this Learning Circle we will:

Consider the strategic planning process as it can be applied to our own lives and careers; then

(individually and privately) Explore and define our individual directions in terms of life and career issues, and

(again, individually and privately) Define our personal values and create a personal vision statement and a mission statement.

VOLUNTEER MANAGERS' PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Volunteer Managers' Learning Circle

Wednesday 24th March 2010, 11.30am - 1.00pm

"Managing Change"

In our organisational lives we are enveloped by change. New forms of organisation - matrix, project teams, profit centres - alter whom we work with, while new technologies (particularly new computer-based activities) - transform how we get work done.

Organisational change is often threatening. People seek stability and order; change can mean disruption and uncertainty. Forms of resistance to change run the gamut, from complaints and grumbling to absenteeism, turnover, slowdowns and outright sabotage.

This Learning Circle focuses on resistance to change: why it exists and how to reduce it.

We begin with a simple proposition: Resistance to change is usually neither blind nor irrational. Under normal conditions people resist changes that negatively affect them and welcome changes that - they believe - positively affect them. That's rational conduct.

Either way, you as a manager can facilitate acceptance of organisational change by applying some simple principles for managing change, followed by using techniques of participative management.

I look foward to seeing you at the Circle.

VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES

MANAGERS' LEARNING CIRCLE WEDNESDAY 11th NOVEMBER 2009

Our topic for the final Circle for 2009 is:

"Collecting and Analysing Data"

Many agencies need to provide evidence that they have faithfully carried out their charter -whether by funding agreement or other contract. Some even have a matrix to fill in regularly to indicate their performance against targets.

This workshop gives managers tools to collect and analyse data for all organisational purposes, including marketing, customer satisfaction, promotion and events.

Think of the variety of uses to which you can put collected data. Peruse the following list, noting the items which are important to you. Your selection will be your personal agenda at the Learning Circle.

• To keep you in touch with what's going on.
• To evaluate program effectiveness.
• To document your own achievements.
• To document volunteer achievements.
• To support volunteers' tax returns, resumes, insurance claims, etc.
• To be accountable.
• To demonstrate community support (funding contract requirements).
• To identify volunteer and paid staff training needs.
• To identify your own personal training needs.
• To determine age, race and other characteristics of all the volunteers.
• To aid in long-range planning.
• To get information to use in recruitment.
• To . . . . . . . . .
• To . . . . . . . . .

I look forward to seeing you at this Circle.

Cheers,

Roger

VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES

MANAGERS' LEARNING CIRCLE - WEDNESDAY 14th OCTOBER, 2009



Our topic is:

"Introduction to Risk Management"

Volunteering guru Linda Graff * tells us:

"Greater risks exist, and the potential for liability grows, as the work of volunteers becomes more responsible. The application of a risk management system helps to set boundaries, define what is and what is not acceptable, and keep volunteers and others safe.

Could this happen in YOUR organisation?

• an older adult is a volunteer driver for your organisation; his capabilities seem to be declining recently and you wonder if he is still competent enough to do this risky work for you.
• volunteers are working one-to-one with clients in isolated settings without a supervisor present.
• a young volunteer has accused one of your staff of sexual harassment.
• there seems to be some money missing from the bank account at the local chapter, but nobody is really sure and the treasurer doesn't seem to be available to take your phone calls.
• your board has asked you to recruit volunteers to do work that you think is too dangerous, but they say 'not to worry.'
• you have been very clear with your peer support volunteers about confining their role to information provision only, but you have heard some rumours that they might be starting to give advice to clients."

*"Better Safe . . . Risk Management in Volunteer Programs & Community Service." Linda Graff & Associates 2003

At our Managers' Learning Circle on Wednesday 14th October, we'll begin by asking the question:

"What could kill your organisation?"

Fairly dramatic, eh? Well, we all know of agencies that have gone to the wall, with consequent distress for staff and clients. This workshop helps us to identify potential risks and take steps to avoid them - or at least limit any damage.

One of the bottom lines is that we can lower our insurance premiums if we can convince our insurers that risks have been realistically addressed.

Cheers,

Roger

VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES

MANAGERS' LEARNING CIRCLE, Wednesday 16th September 2009

At this circle, we'll consider Conflict Resolution and Negotiation.

As this is fairly meaty, we'll need most of the two hours reserved for this workshop.

Conflict:

We all regularly face conflict. By developing our negotiation skills we can learn to settle disputes so that both parties feel they have gained something; that is, you achieve a win-win resolution of the conflict.

We often have to deal with different attitudes and personalities. (So do they!). We need to do this in a professional way. Our main aim for this section of the circle will be to help circle members develop their own procedure for managing a conflict. We'll be reminded to be sure there is a real problem, and that we are just not in a bad mood.

And, we'll try to identify the real issue or opportunity, not just the symptoms or personalities.

Negotiation:

Negotiation is the most appropriate form of resolving a conflict when both parties believe that not reaching an agreement will be more costly than reaching an agreement.

Each party has to be willing to make concessions in return for concessions from the other party.

We'll make the point that people are most likely to negotiate when they can see a win-win solution is possible.

I look forward to seeing you at the Circle.

Cheers,

Roger