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Posted By Clore Social Leadership,
19 December 2016
Updated: 22 October 2020
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John Sennett is a volunteering spokesperson who runs the blog John's Road to Volunteering. He uses his experiences to influence change, motivate social action and to challenge strategy for leadership development.
Who? What? When? How? Why?
These are the five questions I think about regularly when it comes to understanding the greater need of volunteer influence on infrastructure and development in the so called ‘hierarchy’ many charities take prime views on. When asked to read through Clore Social’s recent ‘Facing the future’ report, I wanted to put forward my personal outlook on the findings and thoughts.
I’m a 90’s baby, classed within the report as a millennial from the collaborative era. This led me to question what happened beforehand. Before the digital age became the norm, how did charities collaborate?
Many would think such information is irrelevant to those of my age and to the future, but until we identify the need for mindset alternations, and identify what happened previously, it is hard to know how to face the future to ensure our sector is secure. Social media and other forms of digital platforms are now playing a significant role in amplifying a charity’s voice, and when I come to look at ‘the future of leadership development’, how can we move forward if we haven’t fully grasped what’s happening now?
Are we missing something when we’re looking at future trends? Are we taking into consideration that current leadership might not be as effective as we think?
Look at the Millennial outlook of ‘we’. ‘We’ is the perfect example of identifying the need for greater collaboration among third sector parties. Collaboration teaches us that within the meaning of charity, there’s ‘giving’.
Millennials are the ‘giving’ age. Identifying gaps in the sector or looking at it deeper within each individual charity is becoming the norm for the next generation. The term ‘leap of faith’ will be used more with the need for charities to collaborate with their volunteers. Working with volunteers in reaching more beneficiaries can be a simple process. How can we collaborate with each other to develop the next-generation of leaders for the sector? It’s that word again ‘giving’. Giving volunteers the opportunity to pitch in their ideas is just one step to collaboration.
What happens after the pitch? We can collaborate in the sector and give each other a platform to voice our views, but does that create a tool to develop new leaders? Influencing those with spoken word is a form of leadership, and training is another. Do we provide volunteers with the opportunity to pitch their ideas? We should listen to volunteers and understand their needs and wants, and in turn translate this into action for the benefit of the sector.
I’m a firm believer in internal education. By this, I mean learning from others within the organisation. This could be staff or in this specific piece, volunteers. Rather than looking instantaneously to collaborate externally, start internally. Let volunteers be a form of internal training. ‘Giving’ volunteers the opportunity to teach and educate is a basic example of leadership development.
I might be missing the point, or the sector might be missing the point with the advantages of collaboration, especially with volunteers, but what I do know is that there are boundless opportunities to develop the sector. We need to stop looking at ourselves as individuals and take the ‘we’ approach.
Once we consider growth to be integral for everyone involved, we’ll then be able to identify strategic approaches to form long-lasting collaborations.
Isn’t this what the sector is about? Helping others?
It’s time to take the sector forward and I believe that by investing in volunteers’ development and utilising their skills, they’ll have an integral role to play in the future of our sector.
Feel free to comment below or you can contact John on Twitter.
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Posted By Clore Social Leadership,
26 August 2016
Updated: 14 October 2020
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Do you run a charity or social enterprise? Are you a senior manager in the social sector wishing to take your next step as a leader? If so, and you are also committed to creating lasting social change, you should consider applying to our 2017 Fellowship programme.
The aim of our leadership programme is to find the next generation of leaders who have an appetite to develop their skills and bring back their learnings to their organisations to ultimately transform the wider community. We recognise that undertaking our 12-month programme requires a big commitment, so potential applicants need to understand how it will be of benefit to them, both personally and professionally.
Building networks
All of our 125 Fellows have told us that building their professional networks is one of the most important benefits of the programme. Our Fellows are from a mixture of organisations, so being on the programme gives people the opportunity to mix with peers who have a range of backgrounds and expertise, where they can gain operational insights, share contacts and potentially collaborate on new initiatives. This not only opens up networks for Fellows in their localities, but in the rest of the UK too.
Ideas sharing
Fellows are given the opportunity to share, debate and develop ideas. When attending programme residentials participants benefit from discussing some of the new innovations that are sweeping the sector, such as new technology and social investment. Despite huge advances, the uptake of new technology is still relatively low in the sector yet we’ve seen Fellows collaborating on projects in this technical space, often bringing these ideas to their respective organisations.
Get to know yourself a little bit better, warts and all.
We ask applicants to be as honest as they can when they complete their application forms. We want them to be open about the parts of themselves they are proud of and the aspects they feel might need further development. Without exception, all Fellows have told us that they recognise their self-awareness has dramatically grown as a result of being on the programme, and this in turn benefits them in the workplace and in their personal lives. This focus on self-awareness is enhanced by various aspects of the programme that asks Fellows to look at their working styles and those of their colleagues.
Broaden your skillset
The demands on today’s social leaders are complex and varied, with individuals required to not only run their organisations successfully, but to have multi-disciplined skills at their fingertips. Social leaders need to understand areas like governance, fundraising regulation and change management, in addition to mastering the more practical skills that come with running a charity or social enterprise. The programme gives Fellows the space to reflect on their skills and understand the areas they need to develop; they receive coaching and training to fill their skills gaps.
Experiential learning
Throughout the programme everyone has numerous opportunities to practically implement their new learnings, both with their cohort of Fellows and within their organisations. During the application process we ask people to demonstrate the social change they would like to make as a result of their time on the Fellowship, and to illustrate how they will make this a reality in their organisations. This gives participants a clear aim for their Fellowship, and hopefully as leaders once they finish the programme.
Applications to the programme are open until midday 5 September 2016, visit here to learn more and apply.
This blog from Shaks Ghosh originally appeared on Third Force News.
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Posted By Clore Social Leadership,
27 July 2016
Updated: 14 October 2020
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With the closing date for applications fast approaching (midday on Monday 5 September 2016), everyone at Clore Social Leadership is hugely excited to receive applications to our 2017 programme. However, we understand that the process can be a little daunting, so in addition to our FAQs and selection criteria, we have devised a few key points to help guide you through it.
1. Have the support of your employer/nominator
The support of your employer during the Fellowship process is paramount. Your employer needs to understand that the programme is not just an investment in your own leadership development, but an investment in the whole social sector.
Your employer will need to understand their own commitment, as well as the benefits that their organisation will gain from your Fellowship. The support of your employer will become a key element of your development as a leader over the 12 months. From providing you space to share your learnings with your organisation to assisting you with progress and impact surveys, we expect them to stay engaged throughout the Fellowship.
We expect your employer to be your nominator; they will normally be either your Chief Executive or your Chair. In exceptional cases it might be a senior leader in the social sector who knows you well. Make sure they are briefed thoroughly before applying.
More detailed information on the commitment and benefits to employers can be found in the Information for Employers section of our Prospectus.
2. Demonstrate how and why the Fellowship is right for you at this particular time
We want to see what your reasons are for applying to the 2017 Fellowship at this particular point in your life. Where are you on your leadership journey, and why would the Fellowship be right for you now? What do you hope the Fellowship help you achieve?
This will show us whether you have the vision and self-awareness, as well as readiness and head-space necessary to make the most of the opportunity that our 12-month programme will provide you with.
3. Clearly illustrate how you will give back to your organisation and the sector
Although we are strong believers that leadership development encompasses your individual journey, we also strongly hold that it is in fact much bigger than that. We see leadership development as an investment in the whole sector, a way of strengthening the social sector for the future. This is why giveback is one of the key aspects of the Fellowship.
We are therefore looking for applicants who have an appetite to bring back what they learn on the Fellowship to their organisations to achieve better outcomes for their beneficiaries and the community.
4. Show us your flaws
When completing application forms it can be easy to fall into the trap of only showing the best parts of yourself. However, we want to see what you can gain from the Fellowship, how it might help you, and whether you have the self-awareness to do it. Various elements of the programme will allow you to gain further insights into where your strengths lie, and what you could work on.
5. Come to a recruitment event
We are running a number of information events this summer to support you and your application. One of the best ways to get your questions answered, and get a feel for what the Fellowship entails in practice, is to come and talk to the Clore Social Leadership team and our Fellows at one of our events. See our Fellowship Events page for more information and registration details.
If you can’t attend any of our events and still have questions, please call us on 020 7812 3770.
Good luck with your applications!
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