Professional Development Stages and Volunteer Development

1
Professional Development Stages and Volunteer
Development

• Dr. Jim Rutledge
• Retired Extension Educator

2
OK, we are not Jim Rutledge
3
Welcome and Introductions

• Rod Buchele, Extension Specialist, Kansas State
  University
• Sue Pleskac, Volunteer Leadership Specialist
• And YOU!

4
Jims Background

• 4-H member, teen leader, parent
• Club volunteer, club organizational leader
• County Agent (WI)
• Area Specialist (WY)
• State Volunteer Staff Development Specialist
  (OK)
• State Program Leader/Dept Head (OK OR)
• Foundation Executive Director (OK)
• Adjunct Professor for Extension Education
• 37 Years as an Extension Educator

5
Work in Progress

• Result of personal frustrations
• Conversations with mentors colleagues
• Professional reading
• Evolved over 30 years
• Needs additional research
• Presented in multiple states

6
Goals For This Session

• Consider our roles in our positions
• Understand how WE influence the relationship with
  volunteers, peers and clientele
• Strategize how to increase program size and
  quality through better teamwork with volunteers
  and others
• Explore how we can help each other along the path
  toward greater effectiveness

7
Agree or Disagree
8
Developmental Stages

• We understand that children and adults go through
  systematic stages in their progression toward
  maturity.
• As professionals we also go through systematic
  stages that may influence our capacity and our
  success.

9
Relevant Research

• Career Development
• Relates to the evolution of the employee from
  beginning novice to top administrative positions
  (a pyramidal structure)
• Models depend on mentors, coaches or supervisors
  to direct the new employee into professional
  maturity

10
Relevant Research

• Transformation Education Relationship between
  the educator and learner
• Volunteer development and engagement
• Program development and quality youth development
  practice

11
Where Are You?
12
Developmental Stages of Extension Educators

• Stage
• Service
• Educator
• Manager
• Leader

• Educators Role
• Servant
• Teacher
• Manager
• Leader

13
What is the Role of Volunteers in Our Program?

• Recipient
• Learner
• Teacher
• Middle Manager

14
Transformational Education

• PROCESS

high
Transformational Education (Leadership)
Facilitation (Management)
RELATIONSHIP
Content Transmission (Education)
Information (Service)
low
high
CONTENT
15
Matrix

• Educators View of Functions of Capacity
• Role Volunteer Volunteer of Program
• __________________________________________________
  __________
• Servant Object Recipient Limited
• Educator Student Learner AgentSelected
  Volunteers
• Manager Employee Teacher Expanding Opportunities
• Leader Partner Mid Manager Unlimited
  Opportunities

16
Service/Relationship

• Educator

• Volunteer

• Doing things for the volunteers and the program
• Building relationships and trust
• Can lay foundation for change
• Volunteer viewed as object
• The educator see this as their program

• Recipient of the service
• Not engaged in decision making or true leadership
  of program

17
Service/Relationship

• Focus is on learning the job
• Working to have or earn respect your
  contributions
• Unsure how to utilize others who want to help
• Feel like you are responsible for everything
• Burnout is common
• Failure to get beyond this stage is a
  contributing reason staff leave
• Leads to feelings of insecurity and making
  excuses You cannot do it all.
• BUT.necessary stage to develop the relationships
  that will support your continued professional
  growth.

18
Stage I Capacity of Program

• Very limited
• Dependent on the energy and interests of the
  educator

19
Stage II EducatorCaution Dont confuse this
with your job title

• Educator

• Volunteer

• Teaching others it is what you do
• Educator is seen as the expert and decision maker
• Dependence on you as the professional

• Recipient of the education
• Teaches others what educator has taught them
• Limited leadership and decision making into the
  program

20
Educator

• Focus is on teaching others
• Educator role is providing the expertise
• Burnout is common
• Conflict may arise with experience or
  knowledgeable volunteers
• Volunteers may leave because they are not
  recognized as contributing to the program

21
Stage II Capacity of Program

• Limited to educator and selected volunteers
• Capacity is limited to energy and interests of
  the educator

22
Stage III Manager

• Educator

• Volunteer

• Facilitating the involvement of others
• Empowering and managing others to do the work
• Building a systems approach to the program
• Still teaching, but focusing in selective areas

• Seen as employee
• Given selective leadership roles under direct
  supervision of educator
• Expanded decision making and leadership in the
  program

23
Manager

• Focus on recruiting and training others to take
  leadership roles
• Understanding the program potential and need for
  partners
• Understanding potential of volunteers
• Still teaching
• Begin to focus on mission of organization and the
  need for its success knowing it relates to your
  success
• Look beyond normal sphere of colleagues to
  challenge and expand your thinking
• Become a risk taker by engaging others in
  leadership roles

24
Capacity of the Program

• Expanded opportunities begin to grow the program
• Recruitment of volunteers to fill roles expands
  their participation
• Capacity for the program increase

25
Stage IV Leader

• Educator

• Volunteer

• Focus on moving organization toward its capacity
• Creating and promoting your vision
• Engaging others in designing a better future
• Selecting training others to manage parts of
  the program
• Still teaching and some managing

• Seen as partner
• Key resource to the future of the program
• Contributing to the mission
• Teaching and managing

26
Leader

• Invest energy on the vision doing the right
  things to expand the program
• Looking for new partners, new sources of funds,
  and new opportunities to build the size and scope
  of the program beyond what you would have
  believed possible a few years ago
• More open to partnerships with colleagues.
• Less likely to look for excuses or others to
  blame for your situation
• Still teaching
• Engaged in the evolution and growth of the
  profession
• Serving as a mentor and role model

27
Capacity of Program

• Unlimited Opportunities
• Limit is determined by the number of people that
  can be energized by the mission

28
Identify the Stage
29
So What Do We Do?

• Our purpose is achieving organizational goals and
  professional growth.
• We do this by paying attention and having a plan.
• Learn to recognize the stages
• Move to solutions/Move toward the vision
• We have to remember that these are developmental
  steps and we cant force anyone to move until
  they are ready.

30
Step One

• Where are YOU TODAY?
• Are you satisfied?
• Would you like to be in a different stage in 3 to
  5 years?

31
Step Two

• What are the barriers to you achieving success?
• What opportunities are there to assist you?
• How can you help yourself and each other?
• Remember.this one program cant explain or solve
  all your problems.

32
Step Three

• Remember these are
• Developmental Stages
• You are where you are.
• Its where you are headed that is important.!!

33
Final Thoughts

• Focus on positive
• relationships at all stages.
• Learn to see the stages you are going through
  yourself.
• Trust others to believe you are trying to help
  them.

34
Final Thoughts

• Dont let organizational stress throw you off
  track.
• Support each other to stay on track to advance to
  leadership.

35

• Best Wishes
• Jim Rutledge
• 405-762-2555
• jr.clover_at_sbcglobal.net

36
Thank You

• Rod Buchele rbuchele_at_ksu.edu
• Sue Pleskac sue.pleskac_at_ces.uwex.edu
• Materials available at http//www.uwex.edu/ces/4h
  /ncrvd/ref/StaffVolunteerConnection.cfm