“How do I talk to them? What do I say?”

Camille, church secretary in a one-secretary officeWhen Camille asked me this question I was surprised. To be honest, I didn’t understand what she was asking. Volunteers aren’t aliens. They generally speak the same language. It was when I asked her what she meant and she asked the second question, (“What do I say?”) that things became clearer. I know first-hand that with most one-secretary offices you are so busy with long lists of responsibilitiesy on your shoulders you don’t have time to even think about what you would ask someone to do, let alone find the time to train them. You’re in a get-it-done mode, nose to the grind stone, and head down, moving straight ahead. Having a volunteer , as desirable as that would be, would stop you in your tracks and you would need to take time out to talk to them. You'rer four steps ahead of them and can’t look back. What do you say that can get them up to your speed and allow them to be helpful to you and the organization without taking time away from your schedule? Balance! You need balance and a volunteer can help provide that necessary quality in your life. Yes, you will have to stop and slow down, for a time, to get the volunteer up to speed and allow them to be helpful to you and the organization.? Balance! You need balance, and a volunteer can help provide that necessary quality in your life., Yes, you will have to o stop and slow downstop, for a time, to get the volunteer up to speed, but it will be beneficial for you even beyond the prospect of getting more tasks done. If you are going 110 miles an hour, I know you don’t want to hear this, but you need balance. One way to get this is to slow down, train a volunteer, and allow them to they will help you. How do you talk to them? You have to stop for a minute, look them in the eyes, say hello, thank them for coming, and then tell them what you need help with.