Vision
It’s a word we hear often. It is important in an organization to have a vision. It is even more important to know the, who, what, when, how and especially the why of that vision. Hopefully it will drive the way your organization makes decisions.
Within the larger vision of an organization there can be smaller visions that will help achieve the larger vision. Every volunteer program should have a vision that will help the organization realize its larger stated vision.
For example the organization’s vision might be to make abortion rare in your sphere of influence such as your town, city, county, etc. Defining the why, how, when and who will give direction to staff and board members when making decisions in almost every aspect of the ministry.
For those of you who are responsible for the volunteer program in your Centers, it would help you to have your own vision for the program. It should be a vision that will support and uphold the organization’s vision and not be in competition with it.
Here are a few examples of volunteer program vision statements:
- Our volunteers will treat each client with compassion & dignity.
- Our volunteers will serve clients with integrity.
- Our volunteers will be the hands and feet of Jesus to the clients God sends to the Center.
- Our volunteers will seek first to understand and then to be understood.
- Our volunteers will treat people with opposing views on abortion with love and respect.
Many of these volunteer program visions would contribute to the larger vision of making abortion rare in your community. They would be complimentary visions that would focus the work of volunteers and their staff supervisors in helpful ways.
These are only examples but the important part, once you have chosen your vision, is to answer the following questions:
- Why does this support the larger organization’s vision? Be very specific and descriptive here so everyone can understand their part in reaching the large vision.
- What does this vision statement actually mean? Make sure everyone knows what the statement means. Define words. Write out a detailed description of what the vision statement means.
- Who is responsible to work towards this vision? Clear answers here provide great job descriptions and a sense of who is responsible for what. Everyone can’t do everything.
- How will this be accomplished? What training, support, supervision, etc. will be provided so volunteers can achieve this vision?
- When are volunteers responsible for working towards this vision? When they are with clients? When they are speaking to others about their work at the Center?
Of course we are always praying towards our vision but we also must be actively involved in working towards the vision as well. Being very clear about your vision is helpful in your prayer time where you are asking for the Lord’s help in your own transformation and your responsibility in helping to achieve the vision.
How is having a vision for your volunteer program helpful?
- Volunteers will know what they are working towards and how they will be held accountable.
- There is clarity about how you are going to work to try and achieve that vision.
- If the vision is stated during the volunteer interview process, people will clearly know what they are saying yes to or have the opportunity to opt out.
- A clearly defined vision clarifies people’s roles and responsibilities in the organization.
- The vision can unite all volunteers no matter what role they are filling in the organization.
- A vision can clarify performance evaluation criteria across all volunteer job descriptions.
So, what is the vision for your volunteer program?
I would be happy to help you define the vision or help answer some of the questions I have listed in this article. Call or email me if I can be of help to you.
cyndi@equippedtoserve.com
