- Guidestar.org - September 2010 -
Reprinted from Contributions Magazine
Working with volunteers is a lot like dating (in the traditional sense). I say traditional because I hear from my friends that dating in the 21st century is much different with online, texting, tweeting, and such. It's been 18 years since I was on the mission to get the guy, but I remember it like it was yesterday. The parallels between recruiting and retaining volunteer leaders and dating are strangely similar.
The Prospect. When you're single, there are two ways to meet Mr. or Ms. Right: a chance encounter where you are both in the right place at the right time (he or she walks through the door and you just know). Or, more likely, it takes some effort; you put yourself out there to increase your chances of meeting your soul mate...
The Courtship. Once you've identified the prospect, you try to learn as much as you can to see if it's a good fit. You spend time talking and learning about what they enjoy as well as their pet peeves. You observe their strengths and weaknesses...
The Marriage. After investing time and energy into the relationship and determining it's a good match, you're ready to make the leap. Marriage is a big deal. It's a commitment to stick together through good and bad, and strive to better one other...
Now What? It takes work to keep the spark going in a relationship. After a while, it's easy to take it for granted, or just become complacent. But relationships that continue to thrive require nurturing...
Read the full article here.
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