By Daniel C Olsen, Senior Consultant, SDAO

The more effectively you can develop your leaders, the more effective your organization will be in accomplishing its mission. It is about developing volunteers to be leaders within your organization. This series of articles will focus on ideas to help develop your volunteer leaders.  

Question: There is so much written about leadership. As a front-line leader, where should a leader pay attention to in their organization? Where can I make the most difference? I am proud of our organization. I do want to help build it. I sometimes feel I do not have the authority to make any big difference. What can I do? 

Response: You have valid questions. I believe we all have had doubts about what we can do to make a real difference in our organizations. And you are correct in that there is myriads of materials on leadership. It can be overwhelming and confusing.

Let me offer you two things to consider making a difference:

1.    F.O.C.U.S.

2.    Seven key areas

F.O.C.U.S.

·      Forward movement in a positive direction

·      Optimism - a belief in a beneficial outcome before you start

·      Clear direction for your plan of action

·      United so everyone is working together

·      Solve problems and remove obstacles to move forward

Seven areas to focus upon

These seven areas are:

1.     Service:  How good is the service you provide? How do you measure it. How objective is it? Does it tell the real picture or the one you want to hear.

2.     Personnel:  How well do you take care of your volunteers? Uplift, develop, discipline model behavior

3.     Resources:  How well do you take care of your resources? Buildings, vehicles, equipment

4.     Finances; How fiscally responsible are you? Expenditures/reducing waste

5.     Community Relations:   Are you building alliances in your community relationships

6.     Marketing: How well are you marketing and promoting your services?

7.     Brand reputation:  How is it regarded in your community?

Service

Is the Service you are providing   making a positive difference in the community?

How good is the service you provide? How do you measure it. How objective are your measurement? Do your measurements tell the real picture of what you are doing or merely the one you want to hear.

·       Objectively look at your metrics you are using to measure your results

·       Is there a serious commitment to constantly improve the services you are providing?

·       Are your personnel delivering your services in an effective, efficient and safe?

Personnel   

You are expecting your personnel to provide quality services to your community. How well do you take care of your personnel, both career and volunteers? Uplift, develop, discipline model behavior. Do you take daily opportunities to

·       Uplift them

·       Develop them with training and assignments

·       Do you model the behavior you expect from them

·       Is everyone held to an accountability

·       And, again, are your personnel performing their duties in an effective, efficient, and safe manner?

·       Are they prepared and equipped to perform what is asked of them?

Resources 

How well do you take care of your resources? From big to small; buildings, vehicles, equipment and supplies.  What message do they send?

Are your resources…

·       Clean and well maintained?

·       Repaired in a safe manner according to specifications?

·       Used and operated in a an effective, efficient, and safe manner?

·       Replaced on a planned and scheduled basis?

Finances    

As an officer in your organization, you should be expected to be a good custodian of public funds.

How fiscally responsible are you? Do you make a conscious effort when it comes to reducing waste? As a front-line leader, you observe, make corrections, and serve as an example to others in reducing waste.

Community relationships

Are you building positive relationships and alliances in your community? Consider three general groups.

·       Group one - allied agencies whom you work with in delivery services.

·       Group two - influencers such as business and organization leaders in the community, vendors, and suppliers. 

·       Group three - general public including groups and organizations

Marketing and promotion

How well are you marketing and promoting your services?

·       Consider a wide variety of opportunities to market your department and its services including public meetings, news media, local television and radio, newsletters, events, social media, seasonal events/prevention, community groups, community events, printed materials, signage and billboards

·       Communicate a consistent message to all of your members. The same message should be known and repeated by all from the chairperson of the board to the newest recruit.

·       Always take the advantage to promote your department and members in the most way you can.

·       Listen to what people are saying.

Your Brand

What is the value of your brand in the community? How is it regarded in your community? When your organization is mentioned what is the response?

Your image and reputation: how is it regarded in the community? What is the significance, recognition and regard for your personnel, department emblem, signage, vehicle/apparatus colors and uniforms?

·       Demonstrate you core values

·       Create Positive impression

·       Accountable for decisions and actions

·       Effective, efficient, safe

How are you known by others? Are you reliable? Are your members united?

Strive to be Respected and Trusted by others.

Summary

As a leader, these are the seven areas of focus   Ask yourself “what can I do to improve/contribute to each of these seven areas?”

Focus on the seven areas

·       Service 

·       Personnel 

·       Resources 

·       Finance

·       Community alliances 

·       Marketing

·       Brand reputation 

These seven areas of focus apply to all levels of leadership within your organization. While there will be difference between them in how far ahead are you looking? (examples: frontline leaders-short term 6 to18 months, mid-level leadership-1 to 5years, executive/senior level leadership – 5 to20+ years)

F.O.C.U.S. on these areas and you will find opportunities each day to deliver services, uplift your personnel and develop your organization.

Your thoughts, comments and questions are welcomed. Please share those with me at dolsen@sdao.com. Thank you.