Consumed => “How to Build a Superteam of Ordinary (But Motivated) Volunteers” by Dianna Bai on Forbes.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ashoka/2012/07/03/superteam-ordinary-volunteers

=> My value add (i.e., left a comment)…

It would seem to me that the strength of the volunteers (or employees) starts with the organization itself. I agree with Jaime Ulloa that there are always hidden gems, as well as the potential to turn a frog into a prince. But why start with looking to kiss frogs if you can find a prince from the get go? Yes, easier said than done – or is it?

Quite often I’ve seen volunteers treated like a free (and disposable) resource. The .org casts as wide of a net a possible and then “develops” all comers in the same way. And how often is one size going to fit all for anything anymore? The end result is that volunteer turnover remains high and very little consideration is given to the fact that perhaps it’s the .org that needs to change. The .org continues to “blame” the volunteers and the cycle continues. Nobody wins.

Better .orgs get better volunteers because they are better .orgs. If change has to start somewhere then “at home” is usually the best place. Or put another way, you can’t expect someone else to do something that you yourself are not willing to do. It just doesn’t work that way.