One of the core skills as a program manager is “influence without control.” I am stellar at this, primarily because of my work in network organizations and working with volunteers. While we had a small team at Geeks Without Bounds, nearly everyone we interacted with was volunteering their time. Same goes for Digital Humanitarian Network. Priceless experimented with hiring and paying two roles this year (I developed the hiring and accountability structures), but otherwise it’s 40 opinionated, badass volunteer planners running the core event with another 150 event volunteers helping in the days of and surrounding the event. And there is zero control over volunteers, there is only influence. So here’s how I do it, as a coordinator, program manager, and manager.

This is less about communicating effectively (maybe I’ll write about that another time), and more about attitude towards people you’re working with.

Assume they’re amazing

How do you plan to grow together?

• Start from a place of high trust (with things that can be dropped). Help folks know how you expect them to participate in your organization and set expectations.
• Investigate who they are and what their goals are. Can those goals be met by the current trajectory and capacity of your organization?
• Map their skill path to where the org is headed, and pair them up to tasks appropriately (or let them pick their own stuff in conversation with you).
• Trust that they know themselves, what they’re capable of, and where they’d like to go.

Practice gratitude

Show you see them and their work, and appreciate both.

• Shout outs about specific ways their work aligns with the organizational goals.
• Swag that shows belonging (and also free promotion!).
• Write killer recommendations for other things they’re wanting to do in their lives.

Demonstrate respect

Unless they’re high performing and well aligned, you need to define what’s going on so folks know what they’re signing up for.

• Define roles and time expectations. Explicitly check in if these things change.
• Respect boundaries that folks set for themselves on time, how they like to be talked to, etc. Also sense how these boundaries interact with growth edges.
• Offer titles you can back up in letters of recommendation.
• My job is different, not “better.” Work hard to keep everyone on equal footing. Be transparent about who is and isn’t getting paid/promotions/etc, and be willing to talk about how that influences how people are feeling about things. Don’t let it fester.

Plan for the network, not the person

All this is great, but also it’s rare that something is your Forever Job, and many folks are conflict avoidant and will not tell you that they’re not feeling it anymore. Rather than have this lead to resentment, plan for it. Expect that just because someone is doing something today doesn’t mean they’ll be doing it tomorrow.

• Expect turnover and even WANT people to “graduate” — you’re working together to level up their skills, yeah?
• Build capacity across a network so multiple people have similar skills. Buddy systems are great!
• Foster a culture of swapping roles and trying new things, ebbing and flowing in how much responsibility one is carrying.
• Celebrate when folks are clear about needing to set something down. This makes it more likely you’ll at least know when a big change is coming your way.