Six tips for new political volunteers
When you first volunteer for just about anything, your excitement and enthusiasm are usually pretty high. In other words, you’re not “burnt out” yet.
The following are a six suggestions on how to channel your energy in ways that are likely to keep you involved and help you get as much satisfaction from your efforts as possible - and keep you from burning out!
Make reasonable commitments
It is much better for you and any cause that you volunteer for to start with a realistic schedule. Think about how you can achieve a happy medium between the time you’re able to contribute and the needs of the cause you’re involved with. That way, everyone knows what to expect. Just remember that in the end, it’s your dependability that’s most important.
Get to know everyone involved
In politics, personal relationships are the glue that holds things together, and knowing other likeminded activists will help you be more effective in the future. Attend regular meetings and events as often as possible. The best way to understand a group or cause is through the people who have committed themselves to it. And knowing other likeminded activists will help you be more effective in the future.
Set personal goals
Just like any other endeavor, it’s a good idea to set specific objectives that you want to accomplish through your involvement. How involved do you want to become? Just a volunteer or become a leader? What skills do you want to learn? Who do you want to get to know? What do you want to know more about? Know what you want and why you’re involved before you get started.
Go the extra mile
People who are willing to give an extra effort and “fill in the gaps” when necessary are essential to making any new effort a success, not to mention sustaining it.
Keep a good attitude
Working in politics isn’t all fun and games, (in case you were wondering). Sometimes it requires hours of menial work, such as delivering literature all over creation, or calling voters you don’t know. A good attitude can boost morale, but a bad one can kill team spirit. Always be positive, because people want to work with problem-solvers, not problem-starters.
Recruit others
Any group or cause can never have too many volunteers. Share the vision with your friends, family, and others. Invite them to meetings. Send them updates. The more manpower, the better your group or cause will do. And the more conservatives that get involved in our political system, the better off the conservative movement will be as a whole.
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(You can find tips like this and much more in my “Grassroots 101: Grassroots Training Series”.)
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