Humor

Humor is personal, but so is learning. And humor can be a welcomed training tool when it comes to training.

In this Training Designs, Erin R. Spink interviews Tane Danger from the Theater of Public Policy (known as T2P2), an innovative group that seeks to enhance learning through improvisational comedy. T2P2 has a track record of using humor and improv to break down complex issues for learners – and create what T2P2 calls “learning disguised as entertainment.” Through this interview, Spink reveals how volunteer managers can use humor in training, too.

Volunteering is generally presented very seriously – largely because many of the causes volunteers support are very serious. But not all. And even grim situations can evoke laughter, since a sense of humor is a great coping mechanism.

Humor is also a great communication tool, especially when it tells the truth about a situation. In this Voices feature, we present examples of effective humor used in recruiting, training, and recognizing volunteers. These include YouTube postings, blog and newsletter entries, and cartoons. When can you provoke a smile and also generate action?

Irish-Australian colleague DJ Cronin speaks his mind with passion and humor, reflecting on the importance of truly loving the role of leading volunteers.

I love my job. I am in love with my job. I intend to live forever! So far so good! But saying such things in today’s society can arouse suspicion. What? You are happy? It’s much more acceptable to say “I hate every minute of my job… “

Like any relationship, this love affair is not perfect. We all have the down days. We might even feel like storming out the door on some occasions. But to maintain healthy relationships, we need to work on them…I’d like you to reflect on your relationship with volunteer management as your job and will give you a few tips on what works for me with this lover.

In this feature article, Cronin proposes four key elements of success: authentic leadership, a sense of humor, excellent communication, and passion. He also shares tips for how to “keep the romance going” and what to do “if the relationship fails.”

Is he speaking in your voice?

Just think about it: What helps explain why organizations don’t bother giving volunteers proper training or structure? Why do paid staff often act as though volunteers aren’t really human? Why are milk and cookies universally present at volunteer recognition events? In this issue of Voices, Publishing Editor Emeritus Steve McCurley has the answer: “They think they’re elves!”

Although he has presented this talk at many conferences and workshops over the years, McCurley’s witty and thought-provoking discourse on elf management is presented here for the very first time in print. Enjoy.

Do we take ourselves too seriously? Volunteering plays a critical role in so many organizations, in so many countries across the world. And these days, being in the volunteer management business isn't easy. It’s no surprise that many of us are stressed. What we need, says John Suart, the editor of the world’s only comedy site for non-profit organizations, is to laugh more. In this feature article for e-Volunteerism, Suart explains why it’s important to try and combat stress and pessimism by injecting more humor into our work and our lives. 

e-Volunteerism Needs Your Words 

What words come to mind when you think of “volunteers” and “volunteering”? Service? Critical Resource? Irreplaceable? Incredible Individuals? Devoted? Under appreciated? Social entrepreneurship? Invincible? Vital?

In this Voices, we ask you, our readers, to contribute a list of any and all words that come to mind when you think of volunteers and volunteering. Then we’ll take every single word you’ve submitted below and create a “word cloud” from the text that you’ve provided.

“Whatever Happened To . . . " is a new feature at e-Volunteerism.  Periodically, we plan to revisit articles from past issues to see what has been happening since we first published the stories. Here we update two articles by revisiting animal contributions from the past.

You may have read the article, “Volunteering Through the Eyes and Ears of a Dedicated Dog Volunteer,” written (so to speak) in 2003 by a beloved therapy dog named Mikey.  In a return to our tradition of encouraging canine contributors, e-Volunteerism presents a new dog author named Sammy. In this article, Sammy explores what it’s like to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor – not only in the volunteer world of therapy dogs but in the hearts of those who own him.  

In the weeks ahead, we’ll catch up with recent news from a true dog lover, Betsy McFarland of the Humane Society of the U.S.  She will update readers on her earlier article, Animal Rescue:  Another Heroic Volunteer Effort during Hurricane Katrina, and describe some important national changes when it comes to pets caught in the throes of natural disasters. This addition to Whatever Happened To . . . will be posted in February.

By Mikey

I am a 13-pound Shih Tzu with long silky black and white fur. I am very, very friendly and I enjoy people and like to make them happy. My pet person is married to a nationally known trainer. He and I have helped with view graphs, talks and books on how to manage volunteers, so we knew what to look for as we headed out to volunteer. I am the one writing about our experiences while sitting on my person's lap to protect both the guilty and the innocent. See what you think of the things that happened to us.

Getting Started, Sort Of

Our volunteer adventures began a few months after my pet person retired. My person and I decided that we would like to visit the elderly and sick, particularly Alzheimer's patients, so I could play with them and bring a little cheer into their day. At the same time my person decided to help out at a Science Education Center in the area. Since he is a Ph.D. scientist, he thought that his skills could be useful teaching science to children and the public. That has proven more frustrating than our experiences together, but more on that later.

 

Rather than offering a training design, I'd like instead to share a lot of quick ideas with you that I have learned and found invaluable in almost 30 years as a trainer. Instead of adding more words than you would ever want to read about each idea, let me just offer them in "kernel" fashion, in the hope that some of them will pop into your brain when you need them the most… in front of an audience!