So you’ve got some drive and determination and you want to get active to help the cause that’s closest to your heart?
The first thing you need to do is to sit down and identify what type of personality, and therefore what sort of activist you are likely to be. This is easy to do with the help of some general activist types outlined below.
Knowing the roles we are best at means we can offer the most effective assistance to any movement. Of course looking at the activist guide below, you might find yourself in more than one of the categories, but that’s great! It means you can be flexible with how you help out and adapt more easily to what needs to be done. Happy volunteering!
Compassion is a strength. Strong people around the world are uniting to make our world a kinder place for everyone.
Leaders/Coordinators: If you relish the idea of coordinating people and projects and think that problems are simply challenges in disguise, then maybe you are this type of activist.
Being a leader is not about telling people what to do. True leaders are diplomatic and able to deal maturely with important issues. They are also capable of micro-managing the smaller practical issues whilst still keeping an eye on the “big picture as a whole”.
Good leaders are generally social, outgoing, people oriented individuals with robust personalities. They are more able to take criticism on the chin and give praise where it’s deserved. Good skills to develop in this role include diplomacy, conflict resolution, the ability to identify the important issues, patience, good communication, etc. Effective leaders are inspirational, often leading by example. They possess a talent for motivating and bringing out the best in others.
Movers and shakers: Do you have a practical mind? Would you rather be doing than talking? You might be a mover and a shaker.
While this type of person can also be a leader, this is not always the case. Movers and shakers are those people willing to get ‘into the thick of things’ and will usually be the ones to organise the practical side of projects such as bookings for stalls, planning and implementing itineraries, creating posters and flyers etc.
Movers and shakers tend to have a practical slant to their personalities; they often like order and tasks with boundaries. Their methodical approach has been the saviour of many an event or campaign, and this type of activist can be found behind the scenes of any successful campaign.
Networkers: These are the types who will know someone, know where to obtain something (often at a discount), or who know where to acquire that all important information. Typically, networkers will be the ones who start sentences with words such as’ I know someone who can…’ or ‘I can call so and so to find out more..’. These people are the nodes in the ‘people information highway’ and possess a wealth of helpful knowledge and contacts.
Expanding a campaign, obtaining legal advice, identifying good media contacts and helpful organisations are just some of the benefits of having a networker on board.
Socialites: These are the truly people oriented individuals. They have a natural flair for bringing people together by making new volunteers or members feel welcome and adding a personal touch to an initiative.
Socialites can be of benefit to a group in many ways; for instance they provide the ‘social cement’ that is so important for a group project, making the work more enjoyable and bringing the effort into the realms of a get together rather than a tedious slog. Another important skill they possess is a knack for being able to smooth ruffled feathers and calm conflict before it gets serious.
Socialites are great as the ‘face’ of an organisation and are often very adept at attracting new volunteers or members with their friendly, outgoing personalities.
Helpers: These are the types who may not have much time to give to a cause. Other life commitments hinder them from getting really involved in a project, however they are willing to do small tasks to help the cause such as photocopying or printing poster, flyers, and information booklets, minding stalls at events, distributing flyers, and other small but crucial tasks. The helpers will often come to social events and can be recruited from these.
Visionaries: This type of activist is essential to any movement. Visionaries can often see trends before others, they are able to identify when something is on the cusp of change and go about utilising that environment to help their cause.
Visionaries are often told that what they propose wont work, will fail, or never get off the ground. A true visionary will know if the time is right for what they propose and are often the inspiration for others to get on board.
Visionaries are not always those that lead or coordinate their project, in fact, it’s often more pragmatic types that get the ball rolling from an idea a visionary has seeded.
Ideas people: Unlike the visionary, an ideas person is often more grounded in the practical. They have a knack for coming up with novel real time solutions to problems, and may have a flair for the creative. Lateral thinking plays a part in this approach, with an ideas person often surprising others with their genius use of everyday objects for exceptional purposes.
When you have succeeded in discovering your activist type/s, you will be able to contribute your efforts more effectively and most likely enjoy the projects you support a whole lot more. You are now ready to find that group that’s out to save your favourite piece of the world!
So whether you are an established activist or fresh to the cause, there are a couple of secrets to getting things up and running and having them be a success. Check below for a few pointers.
** Inspire: Become a talker, inspire people to seek out ways to make the world a better place. Encourage them to imagine their perfect world and the little things they can do to make that world a reality. When you acquire the skill of public and motivational speaking, you go a long way towards creating that determination and drive in others. You’ll know when you’ve hit paydirt when you can see the changed expressions on people’s faces. They are thinking ‘Hey, I CAN do this! It’s a realistic goal!’
** Delegate: For every person that is willing to take on a small task, that’s one less thing YOU have to do. Many people don’t have the time to do much, but would love to do some simple tasks with set parameters etc. like postering, transport of stall items, writing a letter etc. Let them know their small contribution makes a BIG difference and every little bit helps.
** Be positive: Point out the great changes that have already occurred and do this as often as is needed, when morale is flagging or people are loosing focus etc. This helps people regain drive and shows them that their efforts do achieve results.
** Identify the movers and shakers: These are the people that get things done; there are varying degrees of this type of person. Some are great at small, narrow projects, others are generalists and can adapt and change to whatever task is required. Work with these types to ensure things get done.
** Identify leaders and managers: The above category may not be the leading type, they may need some coordination. Leaders are coordinators, able to bring order to a big project, delegate with wisdom and act as diplomats where necessary (and there will be a need for this!). Spotting these people is generally easy; they are often the chairs of meetings, or those a group looks to for guidance.
** Be prepared to compromise: Sometimes, in order to keep things running smoothly, you will need to come to a compromise on some issues. Keep in mind your core values and the aim of what you’re trying to achieve, but give a little on the less important things. You will find this will come back and benefit you when others compromise in reciprocation.
** Don’t get personal: We all have differences, but despite these, our overall aims are often very similar. Keep this in mind when dealing with those you may not get along so well with. Think of the benefits to the animals/humans/the environment or whatever cause you are working toward if you cooperate rather than cause conflict.
** Source specific skills: Does anyone have handy workplace skills? IT knowledge, typing and writing skills, media liaison, sponsorship experience and people management are just some of the skills individuals can bring to a project. Often people are surprised at how many of their workplace, university, or life skills can be directly applied to volunteer or not-for-profit initiatives. Seek out needed skills in your pool of helpers. Skills can also include official achievements such as a first aid certificate, food handling certificate, bus licence etc.
And last but most certainly no least…
** Make time for enjoyment: Why not encourage people to bring a plate of food to meetings, or go out for dinner afterward. People are volunteering their time and effort, a pleasant atmosphere means they are more likely to stick around and be happy to put in the hard slog. Volunteering should be an enjoyable and fulfilling part of life. Groups that enjoy each other’s company work harder, cooperate more easily and can achieve great things.
What cause are you most passionate about?
Remember, volunteering is what you make of it, we can all do something positive for the causes we are passionate about, we just have to figure out what it is we are most effective at. So go on and get out there, what are you waiting for?
this book highly enough!
