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The visionaries created the CSO to deliver to the beneficiaries. They hired or appointed trustees and managers. The visionaries direct the trustees and managers. Managers are the executive and make the strategy happen; trustees oversee the managers’ activities on behalf of the visionaries. To help in managing volunteer relations, we build an entity relationship diagram to describe all the relationships in a CSO - and add funders, employees and finally and most importantly, volunteers.
Keeping records on volunteers
Written by John Berry on 27th April 2024. Revised 17th June 2025.
6 min read
It’s logical that the manager of volunteers would want to keep records that describe the characteristics of each volunteer they are responsible for. All CSOs should recognise that their managers are going to hold this sort of data. We give guidance on how this should be done in this article. Importantly, correct management of personal data influences the psychological contract between CSO and volunteer. Misuse may result in loss of CSO reputation.
Employing peripatetic employees with complex work patterns
Written by John Berry on 23rd January 2019. Revised 26th April 2025.
5 min read
Sometimes, the scenarios that our clients ask us to work with are straightforward – a revised pay structure, a manpower plan or a restructure of existing activities. But occasionally they present something that takes a little more to understand, is more complex and takes more time to develop solutions for. Here’s an example of one such complexity involving complex work patters, pay and tax.
Determining Personality Using Mr Men
Written by John Berry on 1st May 2017. Revised 22nd April 2025.
5 min read
Timpson’s interviewers have one criterion in selection - they seek to determine which Mr Men character the candidate most closely resembles. The criterion is a proxy for personality. Using personality as a criterion is valid but the Timpson method is likely far from accurate. It likely results in a below-par predictive validity of around 0.4. Here's why and what managers can do to improve.
There really is no need for dead man's shoes
Written by John Berry on 14th November 2017. Revised 12th April 2025.
6 min read
There’s a very basic problem in SMEs concerning staff succession and promotion. It’s that there’s apparently nowhere to go – everyone is in a job and no one is about to move over to allow ‘promotion’ of those below. It’s ‘dead man’s shoes’. But it doesn't have to be so. Here's why not.
Stress in the Workplace
Written by John Berry on 3rd May 2017. Revised 10th April 2025.
7 min read
Stress seems to be the one word that reduces otherwise competent managers to gibbering wrecks. It's every manager's nightmare. There is a direct link between stress and long term sickness absence. And often stress issues become long term sickness absence. Act now. Here's how.
