Question about volunteer training programs that actually work

I used to think volunteer training was a waste of time. Like, just give someone a task and they figure it out, right? Then last spring I helped with a community garden project in Austin where they made us do a 2 hour orientation before we even touched a shovel. I thought it was ridiculous. But after 3 weeks of working alongside people who skipped the training, I saw the difference. The trained folks knew which plants needed shade, how to handle the compost bin, and where the tools lived. The others kept asking the same questions over and over. By June I was convinced. The coordinator told me “we save about 10 hours a week because we frontload the info.” Now I push for training every time. Has anyone else seen a program that actually changed their mind about onboarding?

2 comments

2 Comments

jessica_miller1mo ago

Used to roll my eyes at onboarding but that garden story hit home, now I get it.

terryallen1mo ago

Oh hey, that garden story thing is a good one but I think you might be mixing it up a little. The onboarding thing is more like you're planting seeds that won't show for months, not that you're supposed to see results right away like a tomato plant or something. It's about trusting the process even when it looks like nothing's happening.