How a group of volunteers can achieve success

Working together towards a common goal is just one of the amazing things about volunteering, working on a project that really makes a difference is the best thing about volunteering

Coming together is a beginning.

Keeping together is progress.

Working together is success.

Henry Ford

Ok ok, so he may have been talking about building cars, but an important part of making a project successful is working together to achieve a common aim. Not unlike Henry Ford’s work ethic, working together should also mean equal opportunities, innovation and benefit for everyone.

Working with lots of other like minded people to achieve a positive and worthwhile end doesn't necessarily mean volunteering, but it is one of the best ways. The phrase 'the more the merrier"; has never been better applied; after all the only thing better than one person giving help to people, places and creatures where its really needed, is lots of people doing it! The more people there are to help, the more progress can be made, and you'd be surprised how quickly a school gets built with a few more helping hands!

Team work

Two words that in the world of office work mean stapling together pieces of paper on deadline or climbing up ropes on pieces of MDF and running through tyres, not exactly the kind of adventure most of us look for. What we mean when we say team work is being part of a group of dedicated people working to make something truly amazing happen, in lots of exciting places all over the world! It can't happen without any work though and there are a few things that go into making a team successful;

• Communication; always one of the most important things. Effective communication between you and your fellow volunteers as well as the project co-ordinators means that everybody knows exactly what's going on so there's less chance of anything going wrong! It's also important to have a good relationship with the people you're working with to make the team work liked a well oiled machine, and to make it fun as well!
• Process; it doesn't sound very exciting but it is vital to have a strategy to make it all happen. Knowing who's supposed to be doing what and how, are part of what make a project successful; otherwise no one would have any idea what's going on! Having a secure knowledge of what your role is in a team makes sure you really feel like you belong and that your contribution is significant. It also makes sure everyone is doing something genuinely useful working as part of a team each person will be doing something to make the project progress!
• Attitude; a can do attitude is a must when volunteering! Being open to new experiences is a quality you'll already have if you're considering volunteering but it's easy to underestimate the importance of a positive attitude. The work can sometimes be a little tough but a strong sense of morale and the belief that you can do something can really get you through it as well as being a really good way of getting along with your fellow volunteers.
• Motivation/Goal; having a definite sense of what it is you're trying to achieve and really striving for it is one of the best things about volunteering. Whether its hearing your pupils English get better day by day or seeing the building you're working on slowly take shape, seeing the progress of what you're doing is always rewarding. Having a common goal brings a strong sense of unity to a team and not only binds you together, it gives you a real sense of group achievement when you're finished!

Putting it into practice

Volunteering abroad provides plenty of opportunity to be part of a successful team with lots of different options too. You can go on your own and join a project full of other volunteers just like you, a good way of travelling independently (but having some social interaction as well!). Or it's great to go with a group of friends too, you'll already know some of the people you're working with and become part of the volunteer unit in no time!

Challenges

There are even more choices as to what you actually want to do, depending on your definition of success! Challenges and bespoke trips such as renovating a community building in India or building trails in Costa Rica will run on a shorter time scale and usually be finished by the time you leave. Working as a team and seeing the results are very gratifying elements of challenges and the more people on the program the better the end result will be!

Projects

Longer schemes have a slower burning, but no less tangible feeling of success. As they will be likely to run throughout the year or be an ongoing task, such as wildlife conservation on the Galapagos Islands, you might not see such definitive end results but you will be part of an enthusiastic and friendly team. There will still be the unity that comes with working towards a really worthwhile goal, and the satisfaction of knowing that you are making a difference!

http://www.i-to-i.com/volunteer/

http://www.greatgapyears.co.uk/VolunteeringAbroad.html

http://www.i-to-i.com/campfire/travel-guides/10-The-Volunteering-Experience

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