The Balance of Information

Late last week I had to participate in one of HOBY's regional conference calls.  As LSC, I'm practically obligated to be on every one of these calls I can.  I know the schedule in advance, and I try to block off the time so that there aren't items that interfere.  I won't say I make them 100%, but I do my best.

The conference calls are one thing though where it makes me question about where the balance of information lies with my volunteers.  It doesn't make sense to ask my entire team to be on these calls -- the agenda isn't relevant for most of them -- but occasionally I've suggested to my Corporate Board or my key volunteer positions, such as the Director of Recruitment per se, that they join in.  They never have.  On the call has typically only been myself and often Carol, our Corporate President.

Similarly, I look at the things I prepare for my volunteers either because I feel they are necessary, or simply because I want others to have the information should they wish, and I am always left to question how much they might be using that information.  Mind you, much of this I do because of my own love of technology as a medium, but the point is still the same -- do people use it?  The conference call is but one example.  I lump Facebook, Twitter, emails, and all the like right in there too.  I can put the information out there, but I cannot force people to use it.

The challenge is always to keep the flow of information interesting and relevant.  Not overwhelm people with too much (which in all likelihood I do), and craft the information in such a way that people want to pay attention to what you say.  The same is true in every facet of my job -- with my volunteers, ambassadors, parents, and schools alike.

However, despite my own recognition that I must strike some kind of a balance, I know in the end, I'll probably tend to lean such as in the direction of this blog.  To burden people potentially with too much information, and let them choose what they feel is most important, than worry that perhaps they have not gotten enough.