I feel your pain. At our last meeting, when I was listing jobs that needed to be done for our carnival, I asked people not to sign up for something that they couldn't get done and tell me as soon as possible if they couldn't do their job. I don't think anyone expected that type of statement from me, but this is my 3rd time leading and I refuse to let our kids down because someone feels a job was pushed off on them and they (insert excuse) and let us all down. I also ask new members, that tell me they want to help, what they like to do. One lady loves to get donations and another likes doing anything from home and a 3rd just likes little specific things (like find me 500 packets of ketchup and 400 buns as cheap as possible). I think it gets easier the more you do it. Some people think it's just that you get used to the stress. Needless to say, d has made some great points, especially that checklist. I always ask people how an event went and write down stuff that can be fixed because, even if I'm not in charge next year, my notes will be there for the next person. I also bring up successes and problems at the next meeting so any people interested in helping fix that problem (getting enough volunteers) can either offer suggestions or volunteer to handle it next time.
My best advice, most of us have been there and we all get through it, wear some good shoes, carry a walkie talkie, and smile like you mean it. My favorite thing about the carnival is getting in a bounce house with my kids right before the carnival starts and then asking them for likes and dislikes after. They are who you are doing it for anyway.
The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating-in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life. --Anne Morris
Ahhh welcome to the presidency...that's why you get all those big bucks [img]smile.gif[/img] . This is not a huge win situation but one thing you can do is an after action sit down with each of the folks and go through what did and didn't work. You were able to get donations--why did it work for you and not them....you were able to get volunteers...why were they unable to....the TRICK here is to make it non confrontational...Like "okay-when we were looking for volunteers we were hitting a brick wall. I found the use of personal requests to be very helpful...maybe we should put that in the report for April's event as the way to go". Or "what went great and what could we have done better".
Maybe all of this could turn into a checklist that you use for the next event where the requirements of those three positions are clearly deliniated. It'd take some time but nothing a dozen donuts and a few cups of Joe wouldn't make smoother. Better for the organization that it goes into that format now...and the group grows stronger.
The other thing is, maybe those folks just didn't have the right personality for the job. I can pretty much tell who is going to carry their requirements and with whom I'm going to need to stay in close contact. I try to put the stronger folks in positions that compliment their ability to 'go get em" and the folks that I know are new to the type of work required are in a smaller, less difficult position. Often, they will grow the next time. So many of these young women have really never had to do organizational tasks at this level and they are literally learning life skills by doing it. You get to be the teacher...and the hardest part of this is getting them interested in sticking around for the next lesson you and the PTO have to offer....
Good Luck and remember to put your feet up after the carnival... [img]smile.gif[/img]
d
Ahhh welcome to the presidency...that's why you get all those big bucks [img]smile.gif[/img] . This is not a huge win situation but one thing you can do is an after action sit down with each of the folks and go through what did and didn't work. You were able to get donations--why did it work for you and not them....you were able to get volunteers...why were they unable to....the TRICK here is to make it non confrontational...Like "okay-when we were looking for volunteers we were hitting a brick wall. I found the use of personal requests to be very helpful...maybe we should put that in the report for April's event as the way to go". Or "what went great and what could we have done better".
Maybe all of this could turn into a checklist that you use for the next event where the requirements of those three positions are clearly deliniated. It'd take some time but nothing a dozen donuts and a few cups of Joe wouldn't make smoother. Better for the organization that it goes into that format now...and the group grows stronger.
The other thing is, maybe those folks just didn't have the right personality for the job. I can pretty much tell who is going to carry their requirements and with whom I'm going to need to stay in close contact. I try to put the stronger folks in positions that compliment their ability to 'go get em" and the folks that I know are new to the type of work required are in a smaller, less difficult position. Often, they will grow the next time. So many of these young women have really never had to do organizational tasks at this level and they are literally learning life skills by doing it. You get to be the teacher...and the hardest part of this is getting them interested in sticking around for the next lesson you and the PTO have to offer....
Good Luck and remember to put your feet up after the carnival... [img]smile.gif[/img]
d
I am so frustrated with our carnival committee that I could scream! I feel like several of our members are shirking their duties and I am ending up having to do their work. Of all of our silent donations, the two other people helping with this have secured one donation each. I worked my tail off getting the rest. Yesterday I asked for some help in rounding up a few more donations--the silence was deafening. Our volunteer coodinator complained that no one wanted to work the carnival so I was left with getting volunteers. It took me two days to fill the slots. I am still puzzled as to why I was able to do it and she wasn't. I am thinking that no one wants the unfun jobs, so as president, I get stuck with them--and then people wonder why I hate the carnival!
I am wondering if I should say something about people not pulling their weight. We have another big event to plan for the spring and I don't want these same three people volunteering for jobs they won't end up doing. But I also don't want to alienate these people--they are volunteers after all, and two of them are board members.
Any advice? And thanks for letting me rant [img]smile.gif[/img]
