2.16.2006

volunteering

How do you fire a volunteer? It seems like an impossibility - the verbage itself sounds silly...firing a volunteer. Anyway, how do you handle that?

I'm the president of the Shreveport Branch of our Engineering group this year. (that may sound big, but it's not!) Anyway, we have 5 officers and one of the officers just isn't cutting it. Our newest addition to the officer group each year is the Secretary. Each year after that, we move up a position - so it ends up being a 5 year committment. The only two jobs the secretary has are:

1. take up money at the meetings and keep a record of who paid
2. send out a monthly newsletter to all the members of our Shreveport Branch

So, the secretary this year has a really hard time with the newsletter...mind you, it's a simple word document on 11x17 paper. All he has to do is make sure the ads are in there (the same ones all year!), insert a few pictures, insert a few columns other people write, and maybe add an article from our national website. That's it - take it to the printer downtown to copy, fold and distribute for him...and he can't do it!!! It is just awful. I got an email just this week from a sponsor whose ad (they paid for) didn't show up in there this month...

I'm not sure what the problem is - I don't know if he hasn't lived in the US long enough, if he just doesn't have ample time to do it (30 minutes or so), if he doesn't understand microsoft word, if he doesn't know where to get pictures from, etc. I just can't figure it out. I've offered help numerous time and even offered to have him come to my office and sit at my computer with me and do one together so he can have an example, but he doesn't seem to have time to devote to that.

So, i'm forced to think I'm going to have to fire him. Our secretary moves up a position into the Treasurer spot the second year - and I can't imagine what will happen to our funds if he can't even run Word or keep an accurate record of who pays at the meetings...

So, any thoughts on how to "let him go?"

7 comments:

elly said...

The wife of my last boss was absolutely gifted in this. I saw her do this more than once and leave the person feeling like they had a promotion!! She would convince them that what they were currently doing was not their gift and they were so-o-o busy they needed to spend more time doing whatever their REAL gift was and they would be so much happier - all the while being super chipper, not at all apologetic. Being very kind, positive, putting the best possible spin on it - maybe giving them a different job or freeing them up to spend more time with their family or their REAL job. It was a sight to behold! Good luck! (She is a wonderful lady- I mean all this in the best possible way! It just always boggled my mind how great she handled those things!)

Michael, Meg & Naomi said...

or you could find a replacement for him and let him know that since he didn't have time to devot to his duties, you have found someone who can. Letting him know how busy you knew he was and how you don't want to add more to his responsibilities. Don't apologize, juts say it directly and like there is no other option.

Michael, Meg & Naomi said...

what ever happened to the volunteer?

Anonymous said...

First, I think it is pansy that michael and meg post as a unit. I bet Michael doesn't know she does that crap.

Second, when you recruit non-indiginous personnel, you have to expect such failings.

ashley said...

well, the volunteer went home to his own country for a month, so the firing will have to wait. since i posted about it, he has done at least one other thing that has me convinced he has to go. i'll post about how it all went down next month.

...and you'd better be studying your law books, mr.!!!

Michael, Meg & Naomi said...

First of all, Broughton, Michael is the blogger of the two of us. It was his idea to have our blog together. Second, if you do not have a blog, you have no room to criticize! Third, you better be studying!

Sorry Ash for the post to Broughton!

Shandra said...

ash...how have you been feeling lately??