Volunteers are giving us a very precious commodity--their time. In order to get such a precious gift those of us working with volunteers have to make sure it is a two way street. For the time they give they should be doing something they enjoy.
I often alter volunteer assignments to fit the desires of the volunteer.
If they don't want to wear the uniform maybe there is something behind the scenes they can do that doesn't require the uniform. Or maybe the uniform is just too hot or in some other way uncomfortable.
Regarding tardiness, you have to be prepared for Plan B when they don't show. I emphasize with my volunteers and staff that unless they are
on the emergency room table they need to contact me if they are going to be late because I worry. I don't really worry that much, but they get the message. If tardiness is a problem because they are staffing the museum and you are relying on them to open it then you might spend some time discussing why they are tardy. Was it an emergency or were they late because no one would notice, i.e. there aren't that many visitors at that time, etc. Can staff open the museum and the volunteers take over at a more convenient hour? Is the tardiness a temporary problem, i.e. they have a sick family member at home to care for or are they just not interested in volunteering anymore and tardiness is their way of communicating that?
I would never institute a demerits system for the infractions you have listed. Giving out incorrect information is another matter, but you didn't mention that.
I know that working with volunteers takes a lot of our time, but in my 30+ years in the museum business the efforts have produced invaluable results. Yes, I often don't get much else done when they are here, but their hands extend ours and they can either promote a positive image of our institution in the community or a negative one depending on their experience. Long time volunteers can be tricky, but as others as recommended, please sit down with them in a non-threatening environment and discuss what is going on that results in those behaviors. Remember they are your community for better or worse and they may likely be there long after you have moved on to another job. Good luck :)
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Marian Ann Montgomery PhD
Curator of Clothing and Textiles
Museum of Texas Tech University
Lubbock TX
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Original Message:
Sent: 07-27-2017 02:57 PM
From: Victoria Copenheaver
Subject: Disciplinary Actions for Docents
Hello Everyone,
I had a question about how other museums go about warning and disciplining docents and volunteers. We have had some issues lately with tardiness, as well as fairly obvious lack of motivation to perform daily duties. One such problem is the outright refusal to wear uniform shirts with our logo, name tags, and membership buttons when interacting with our visitors and the public. I've also noticed a "forgetfulness" about putting the sign outside advertising that we are open during the day. We are a small museum that only employs about 5 docents at a time. A few docents have been working here for multiple years, and I believe it has instilled in them an illusion of leeway that they think they have due to seniority. My director and I have bounced around using a points system for infractions of dress code and other actions outlined in the docent manual. What does your museum do as far as encouragement towards following new rules, and have you found a plan that works well?
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Victoria Copenheaver
West Overton Museums
Scottdale PA
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