Opinion: How associations can attract volunteers and leaders

Editor’s note: pipes|drums welcomes all fair perspectives and opinions. Sharing information and constructive dialogue is at the heart of the publication. As in all fair democracies, free speech and the free exchange of ideas are central to progress. Our competitive art can move forward only by asking questions, listening to answers, respecting opinions, and trading ideas.

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For those who prefer watching to reading, here’s a video of our opinion piece, with the text following.

Competitive piping and drumming culture is forever fascinating. Take the culture of association leadership. Our leaders play an essential role in shaping the direction and success of our associations. They represent the expressed desires of the members and lead with their many years of experience as competitors who understand what our passionate hobby is all about. They have empathy for the members. Why? Because they’ve lived it.

How often do we hear (and thus are made to believe) that serving with an association is just One. Giant. Headache? Executive leaders and board members often go on continually about how awful and thankless it is to be in these volunteer roles.

Since time immemorial, we’ve been led to believe that theirs is yeoman’s work, incessantly berated and abused by members who expect the world and are never satisfied.

Portraying these volunteer roles as some sort of masochistic calling gets us nowhere. It’s counter-productive, akin to that work colleague who walks around complaining just how busy they are, constantly narking on about their customers, colleagues and managers. And yet, they don’t leave.

It’s time to shift the narrative. Let’s talk about the joy of contributing to a common cause, the fulfillment of pursuing a passion, and the satisfaction of commitment. These are the rewards of association leadership and volunteering that often go unspoken, but they are the true essence of what they are.

I served on my local association’s Music Board/Committee for about a dozen years. To be sure, the work could be frustrating at times. But that was in exchange for trying to do something gratifying: working on behalf of fellow pipers and drummers towards a greater good. The rewards far exceeded the drawbacks.

Assuming an association can be trusted to always play by its own rules and act in good faith and transparency for its members, the headaches will be far fewer. They can build vital trust by being seen to be working on members’ behalf with propriety and fairness.

It’s time to transform the culture of complaining. How about starting with association leaders sharing the truly rewarding aspects of their roles? Let’s hear why leaders want to be in the role, the personal gratification they get from serving, not why they wouldn’t wish it on their worst enemy.

Sometimes, it feels as if association leaders bleat on about how awful it is in order to discourage others from stepping up. They implicitly portray themselves as martyrs: the subliminal message is that we should be eternally grateful for their dedication and hard work, and, yes, we should. But they should not be criticized; if you are critical, they might quit, and if they leave, the whole thing will collapse!

Remarkably, the complainers often return to their roles. What keeps them coming back? Power? Martyrdom? Masochism?

It’s a self-fulfilling cultural move. As with any business, the attitude and spirit at the top determine the organization’s culture. If management is seen as burdensome, thankless, fractious, and altogether horrible, that will be the spirit of the membership at large and the culture of the association. An organization’s culture is always determined by its leaders.

It’s time to transform the culture of complaining. How about starting with association leaders sharing the truly rewarding aspects of their roles? Let’s hear why leaders want to be in the role, the personal gratification they get from serving, not why they wouldn’t wish it on their worst enemy.

Many association members are ready and willing to contribute their experience, knowledge and skills. Dozens are accomplished and experienced in music and competition, with significant applicable education, business, and management experience. It’s time to recognize and value their potential and encourage them to step up, not drive them away with tales of woe.

As with everything, there are exceptions. Some associations appear to have turned things around to foster a more positive, communicative, and collaborative culture of propriety and transparency. Respectful discourse of diverse opinions is healthy and should never be misconstrued as divisive.

At a time when many associations around the world will soon be holding their annual general meetings, let’s seize this opportunity for positive change. If members are to serve, now is a good time to change the perception of that service as a crowning contribution to piping and drumming, rather than a burdensome experience of self-flagellation. Let’s embrace the potential for a brighter future.

Let’s change the narrative by accentuating the importance and rewards of these roles. By doing that, we can change the culture of negativity that pervades too many organizations and attract, rather than repel, our best potential contributors to the art.

What do you think? Your thoughts and perspectives are essential and valuable. Please contribute your comments using the tool below to continue the dialogue and work towards a more positive future for piping and drumming.