Authority in a volunteer network

I would like to reflect on my comment about shame in an earlier post. A response to a disaster by a large group of volunteers (when most do not know each other), depends on accepting a chain of command. Some volunteers are supervisors who depend on those they supervise to respond to their directives. Leadership and followership are critical to prevent chaos. Discipline is critical.

When I drove away from the elderly man with money we had given him, I felt personal shame. Why?

The mistake was not of his doing.
He did not intend to deceive us.
The amount was essentially insignificant to us (but not necessarily to him)
I had strong reservations about doing what I was told to do.
I was insecure in my position.
I did not stop and express clearly my reservations to my supervisor.

The experience taught me an important lesson in personal responsibility. Under stressful circumstances, I am (as we all are) vulnerable to loss of perspective. If I could go back in time, what should I have done? Stop and insist on a quiet conference with the superivisor who gave me the task. Could I have have been convinced of its importance? Possibly. If not, I'd have a decision to make. What would be the risk of refusal? Would I be willing to take the risk of saying "No" to make my point? I don't know for sure.

A few days later, I took a risk in saying no to putting caseworkers into a hot room. That was worth whatever consequence I might face. In this case, a different supervisor did not disagree with me after hearing about the conditions.

If you have not been in the stressful and chaotic circumstance of disaster relief, you don't understand the difficulty in navigating the environment of case management. I wonder how many Red Cross volunteers who went to the Gulf Coast last summer would do so again?

Meeting with the auditor

A few days before I left NH, we had a visit from a Red Cross auditor from Washington DC. I suspect that RC national staff may have recognized that we had a problem in the chapter where I worked. While at breakfast, one of my friends pointed her out in the dining area where she was eating alone. She had not yet arrived in the HQ to begin work. After I finished my meal I walked over to her and asked if she would like a guide to the chapter office which was about twenty miles away. She thanked me and accepted my offer.

On the ride in she asked me several questions about the operation. I discovered that she was there to exam the work flow, how decisions were being made, and what obstacles exist to our effectiveness. Instead of looking at finanical records, she was more interested in observing and asking questions. I was impressed with her friendly professionalism.

After meeting with HQ administrators, she asked to sit with me as I entered information into CAS. I believed I had discovered some problems with the software that made data entry more difficult than what it should be. Sadly, as we visited about CAS she received a phone call that was a family emergency. I responded immediately with support. I didn't believe she was in any condition to drive herself to the hospital about 60 miles away. So I had one of my caseworkers drive her car and one that followed to drive his partner back to HQ.

All of us live in fear of such a call while traveling. I wish I could have driven her myself, but my supervisor wanted me to remain. I'm going to see if I can track her down through the national office. At a time when things were so hectic, I was saddened for her situation and for our loss of someone who would have articulated the difficulty that we faced.

I hope my posts here provide a view from "the other side" of what we do in Red Cross. I have the impression that the national office is working very hard to improve service across the country. Local chapters have a lot of control and independence. Imagine how difficult it must be to be a paid professional in the national office trying to improve the effectivenss of an organization that is essentially run by volunteers. Yes, there are a few paid staff in every chapter. But the real power, I believe, resides in volunteers who commit a good portion of their lives to Red Cross work.

I wish my organization, the Cooperative Extension Service, had auditors like the one I meet in NH. The person who visited us was a compassionate problem solver. Every organization could use one.

Integrity may mean resisting authority (Lesson 11)

I am ashamed.

I bowed under pressure to do something I believed was wrong. During the NH floods, three different caseworkers opened three different 901s (intake form for each client family) for the same person, an elderly man of about 80 years and his wife. He was inadvertently given "food for two" three times. This screw up was remarkable even during the absurd chaos that was present in chapter because of its lack of preparation. There were many screw-ups, but this one (as well as a couple of others) was a major league blunder.

My supervisor gave me the task to clean up the mistake. I won't bore you with why this is difficult. Believe me, it is. We cannot enter three different cases into the official CAS system for the same person. Reconciling this mess is not easy.

There was some debate among us as to whether the man was being deceptive. As I read the case files, I saw an elderly man filled with grief who was confused. This problem was not his fault. Now how do we deal with it? My feeling was, write it off as a lesson learned and walk away. The multiple payments were about $75 x 3. If it was clothes, we couldn’t ignore the amount of money.

My supervisor told me to go to the man’s home and retrieve the multiple forms we left with him for food. I thought doing this was wrong. I felt sick at the prospect of going to him to get money back. One of the young caseworkers who saw him last went with me. She felt righteous. I felt horrible.

On arrival at what had been the man’s residence, I saw what had once been a beautiful home in a wonderful location along the river. The house looked structurally ok but the interior was completely gutted. His sons were there helping to haul out material. We talked for a while. His wife had left to live with one of his sons and was refusing to return in the future. He wanted to repair the home he had built. He was devastated.

I told him about our mistake and that I was there to retrieve the multiple forms for food. He went to his car and brought back one set without any protest. I thanked him and we left. I refused to push him in any way to retrieve the second set. As I got back into the car, I told the young woman, “I will never again agree to do something I believe is wrong. NEVER again.” We debated the ethics of what happened. I argued that what we did was correct but wrong. We had the right to do what we did. But the cost of time (a supervisor and caseworker travel to his home) and the possible loss good will was not worth the benefit of retrieving about $150. I would have paid this amount from my own pocket to avoid doing what I did.

I pray that someone above me will never put me into this position again. If I am, I will refuse to do what my supervisor tells me to do. That might cause him or her to send me home and, at least, write a negative evaluation of my work. As a new supervisor in my first out-of-state disaster, I felt intimidated by the chain of command. I won’t make this mistake again. In a previous post, I mentioned refusing to put my caseworkers into a hot and stuffy room to enter data. This confrontation occurred after my trip to retrieve the money.

What do you think?

Homelessness

Floods are horrible because of the absence of insurance. Many families lost their homes in NH (and certainly in LA and MS) and had no flood insurance. Even if they did, the amount they would receive would not come close to replacing some of the more expensive homes. We saw many homes in NH that were destroyed. Some of these homes were worth well over $100,000. Numerous homes were owned by retirees. Imagine the psychological strength necessary to carry on.

It's true. These families took a risk living on a beautiful location near a river. Most probably could have taken flood insurance that would not have replaced their homes. When you take your chances, sometimes you lose. Sometimes we have to pay the cost of willingly taking a risk.

This reasoning may make others feel smug and righteous. The price in heartache and heartbreak these families are now paying is very high, maybe unbearably high. Each of us is probably one or two disasters away from homelessness, disasters unforeseen. Each setback could be managed alone. But their convergence could be devastating. Lose your job and your bank fails. Lose your job and your home is flooded. Severe legal problems that drain your account and a spouse dies. Any single disaster can be terrible. Taken together, they can become a volatile mix that is devastating.

Working as a Red Cross caseworker with families facing this immense stress can be quite frustrating. Our help seems so insignificant. Two sets of clothes, food for a week, a motel stay for a week, a little tiny bit of help in funding home repair if that makes the home livable. Not much. Maybe the greatest value of that service is it’s symbolic value. There is nothing impersonal about the Red Cross. We are the caring outreach of one’s neighbors. I have talked about the power of the ARC brand in this Blog. What we do may seem insignificant because on paper it may seem that way. But for that family, at that moment in time, it represents something powerful: caring and hope.

Responding to a home fire

Another volunteer and I responded to a home fire around lunchtime yesterday, a family of two. It was a large and beautiful home with a numerous firefighers working feverishly to stop the raging fire. They couldn't use a fire hydrant so shipments of water were dumped into what looked like an above ground swimming pool. Pumps at the pool brought water to the hoses the firefighters used about 75 yards away. Never seen that before.

More than one person at the scene commented on how quickly the Red Cross showed up to help. We brought water and snacks for the firefighters and family. It's such an honor to me to be in a position to respresent such a wonderful organization. My heart goes out to the small family and the way they responded to the circumstance. Both were very task oriented as they were busy making numerous cell phone calls to insurance and family. Several friends were present to offer support.

We represented the community and our feeling of kinship to them as they faced the loss of their home. In this case, they did not need emotional support or to talk about what happened. They have friends and each other for that. And their need to express sorrow will probably occur later as the magnitude of what happened sinks in. I'll do a follow-up call tomorrow to make sure their stay at the motel we provided is satisfactory.

Chain of command is critical during emergencies (Lesson 10)

Sorting out who is who in the food chain in a volunteer organization is a real challenge. Red Cross depends on elevating some volunteers into positions of authority because there is not enough paid staff to run a large operation. Theoretically, these individuals are provided with special training before an assignment to make them more response-able. What's even more difficult is accountability, an important element in establishing authority. Volunteers who are doing well in posititions of responsibility are a precious asset to an organization like ours. That requires a long-term commitment and an ability to supervise and train new volunteers to Red Cross.

Watching a large number of volunteers at varying levels of responsibility and authority work together in response to the NH floods was amazing. Sure, the gears in the machinery don't always mesh well. But seeing volunteers working together with a wide range of assignments is very interesting. Seniors, young people, professionals, working class people, men, women all gathered together, many of them from different areas of the country, all creating a temporary bond to respond to a disaster. It works. Well, sort of. The gears may sometimes grind, but the machine does move.

What is critical is that every person knows where they are in the food chain. Who is my direct superior? Who is looking to me for leadership? Effective authority depends on a clear line of communication from below to above and from above to below in a context of respect for all. Application of this organizational feature is a huge challenge in an organization of volunteers. At any point in time, a volunteer can say, "I'm done. I'm going home." Occasionally, fortunately very uncommon, a volunteer will do just that. That potential volatility adds an interesting element into an operation. What is more difficult is to make that decision for someone else. It may be necessary for a supervisor to remove another volunteer from an assignment if his or her presence is disruptive.

You can't prepare for an emergency after its arrival (Lesson 9)

The local chapter in New Hampshire was not prepared for the disaster of the magnitude we faced. The infrastructure of authority within the chapter was not in place when the floods overwhelmed so many families in the area. The few paid Red Cross employees cannot harness the power of good will in a community. Volunteers who have response-ability have to be in place to move quickly to bring together properly trained volunteers. It's too late to give this responsibility to someone who didn't have it before. It's too late to train people. The chapter either has the people resources to do a job well or the job is going to devolve into needless chaos.

By the time national volunteers (DSHR) arrived to provide support, there were few local volunteer caseworkers in place. The first responders made mistakes in giving funds that caused later problems. There was no volunteer who served as an official local supervisor of family services. So no one was in charge of casework that I could see.

A lack of preparation introduces needless chaos into an emergency situation. Preparing has to start at the top of the chapter but local volunteers have to be willing to assume responsibility. If a disaster involving several tornadoes reduces half of my community to rubble, I would take leave from my position to focus on pulling together the resources of materials and people necessary to respond and to put into place a structure that the DSHR people would fit into when they arrive.

I wonder how many Red Cross chapters across the country are prepared to respond to a worst-case emergency? Since more than 95% of all the work to be done would be initiated by volunteers, such preparation requires a cadre of volunteers who would make a serious commitment to providing support. If that cadre is not nurtured and valued prior to the serious emergency, the national folks who arrive by plane and car four days or so later will find much of their effort expended to manage the needless chaos.

I don't mind the inevitable chaos that accompanies a disaster. The emotionality of a disaster is unavoidable. The problem I have is with the chaos that results from the failure to establish a disciplined and structured response in the days immediately following the crisis. As DSHR volunteers our job is turn the operation over to the chapter. If the local structure is not in place in the transition, we leave feeling disappointed and worried about follow-up.

Supervising is not fun (Lesson 8)

After two weeks in New Hampshire in a Casework Supervisor position, I think I have enough experience to conclude that being a supervisor is not fun. There is not much client contact except for exceptionally difficult cases. These cases may involve hostile clients who are difficult to manage by a caseworker or complicated needs that are difficult to figure out. I would rather be in FTF contact with clients. On the other hand, a casework assignment with a supervisor who is ineffective would be difficult as well. If I was a caseworker, I'd want someone like me as a supervisor. I am still far too new to hold myself up as a pinnacle of perfection, but I'm willing to see my insufficiencies and be open to learning. I am also VERY supportive of the needs of the caseworkers I supervise.

When a group of my caseworkers were assigned to enter data in CAS (the Red Cross database), I realized the room had become inhumanely hot. I told my supervisor that I would not allow my caseworkers in that room the following afternoon no matter how important the data entry or how willing a caseworker was. (Some volunteers have such zeal they will work in conditions that could prove harmful.) I made it clear that I would not allow them to work in that environment no matter what the repercussions might be for me (the worst being sent home, i.e., fired as a volunteer). After a moment of thought, my supervisor (a good man), agreed. The next day, I checked the room and the air conditioning was turned on! Although its effectiveness declined considerably by mid afternoon, it was better than the hot and stuffy room we had the day before.

I must admit to liking being a position to stand up for the group. If I am a supervisor, I would feel responsible and accountable for the well being of my caseworkers. In a way, I guess this is rewarding (i.e., fun?).

Will I do it again? I have more entries in the Blog to discuss what I have learned. Maybe when I'm done with this series, I'll have the answer to that question. But at this point, it's NOT a resounding Yes.

Back to Blog

I have just returned from a Red Cross assignment in New Hampshire. For two weeks I served as a Client Casework Supervisor. Since there are more lessons learned, I thought I'd return to post additional comments here.

My purpose of writing this Blog was to inform my friends, colleagues, and students about my experience and what I have learned about helping and volunteering in the Red Cross. I am honored to be a part of this wonderful organization and hope my thoughts here encourage you to become involved as a volunteer. I hope the lessons learned posted here help prepare you to be effective. At this point, I have discussed the following seven "lessons":

Putting good will to action (Lesson 1)
The health of the helper (Lesson 2)
Emergencies are a sprint, preparation a marathon (Lesson 3)
The faith community provides the heart and backbone for relief (Lesson 4)
Assuming the burden of unfinished business (Lesson 5)
The power of volunteers (Lesson 6)
The qualities of leadership (Lesson 7)

You can scan previous entries to find more information about the above.

Several months ago I attended a training in Missouri that focused on supervision in Red Cross Family Services. After two weeks of supervising caseworkers who were conducting home visits and general outreach in New Hampshire, I have a better perspective on the work of Red Cross volunteers. I think I will be a better supervisor at the local level.

I don't really enjoy the "supervising" part of the work, though I know caseworkers have to have a good supervisor to be effective themselves. I like being in a position of helping them have a worthwhile experience. But being a mid level person in the food chain has its drawbacks. I'll discuss additional lessons in forthcoming entries.