Question

Common personality traits that organizations or associations look for when they are searching for volunteers. These traits include civility, the ability to compromise, persistence, and tolerance for ambiguity. What is it about these traits that illustrates how a person might be successful at participating in a volunteer effort?

Answer 1

Organizations or associations looking for volunteers know that they need people who work well with others. The traits of civility and compromise would come in handy in this case. A volunteer also needs to be able to compromise and tolerate ambiguity because issues of public concern often have many possible solutions. Organizations also look for people who show a willingness to be persistent, which means they won’t give up or get discouraged even if a goal seems difficult to reach. Civic organizations often face daunting challenges in accomplishing their primary goals, so persistence plays a crucial role.

Answer 2

In the type of society that we live nowadays, where callous selfishness and shallow narcissism are the norm rather than the exception, true volunteers have to deal with people that have those traits or have adopted them as “values”. Because of that they need to be the best version of their selves in order to inspire others and lead by their example. Civility is important as it enhances and renders human interactions more fluid. Many times they will find people unwilling to let go of psychological or ideological barriers and they will have to negotiate and find a common ground, a sensible compromise with them in order to be able to accomplish something.

This is of course one of the signs of persistence, the ability to continue striving to make a positive difference despite subjective or ideological opposition to the ideal of the common good. Because volunteers are usually idealists they are usually confronted with moral and institutional ambiguity and they may be rightfully indignant about it in cases where no such ambiguity is justified.

However, indignation is usually counterproductive – unless your NGO has enough power to confront it - in the face of institutions and individuals who have enough power to stop or hinder progressive activism. Therefore a more pragmatic approach may be the best temporary strategy in the meantime with the caveat of avoiding to compromise essential progressive aspects of the ideals that pushed volunteers to engage in social activism and/or relief in the first place.