You know and love The Association 100 newsletter – your go to place for 100-word updates, news and helpful tips from experts within the association industry. The A100 podcast takes these topics beyond 100 words, allowing association leaders and experts to take a deeper dive into the issues they care about.
On the latest episode, OnWrd & UpWrd’s Colleen Gallagher and Christine Stay welcome Phillip E. Russo, CAE, Executive Director, Professional Management Associates. Together, the three discuss all things association and workforce. They dive into both driving the engagement you need from your volunteers and also building and cultivating a high achieving staff.
The conversation starts with a discussion around Phil’s extensive association background. Phil shares his enthusiasm for working with associations and expresses that his favorite aspect of it is the people. He loves how everyone is so passionate about what they do and because of this, it makes him want to help them even more.
Phil then goes on to talk about the biggest challenge facing today’s associations: volunteer recruitment and engagement. He discusses how there is a lack of volunteers in the association industry post-pandemic and that it can be attributed to both lack of time or less desire to be involved at the same level.
He talks about how to develop systems and processes that almost spoon-feed volunteers to make things as simple and clear as possible for them with clear expectations around the amount of time involved. Branding matters too – the idea of serving on a committee may overwhelm some, but a working group sounds much more doable.
Phil goes on to offer valuable perspectives on using contractors to supplement staff expertise.
Finally, he discusses the importance of establishing a team of top-performing employees and highlights how that begins by developing a culture of caring.
By tuning in to this episode, you will leave with resources and tactics essential for enhancing your volunteer program, knowing how to leverage contractors to complement staff skills and understanding the keys to building a high-performing staff. Give it a listen now.
