We're experts on all things Management & HR
To be a good manager of volunteers
Written by John Berry on 12th February 2026.0
6 min read
We discuss what the manager of volunteers is to be good at. We build a clear expression of what management is. We suggest that it’s about intervention in the lives of volunteers. That intervention might concern, for example, volunteer motivation, competencies, or technologies used. That done we build ideas about development journeys and absolute levels that are useful in understanding how a manager grows. We suggest then how managers can build bespoke development programmes to grow from trainee to expert.
In any CSO, we might expect that about 60% of the volunteers will be Supervised Practitioners. They will be led day to day by Practitioners (25% of the volunteer force). To keep a good flow of new volunteers, some 10% will be trainees. And all will be led overall by Experts (5% of the volunteer force). Each volunteer will hold their portfolio of competencies at different levels. Supervised Practitioners will be experts in one or two competencies and even Experts will be Trainees in some.
Nurseries cities and regions of despair
Written by John Berry on 2nd February 2026.0
3 min read
"Nursery cities" act as fertile ground for the high-skill jobs of the future. Conversely, "regions of despair" are those trapped in the wrong industries with the wrong skill sets. The geographical divide between the two confirms the core thesis: location will become a proxy for skill. As we move toward 2050, AI will likely intensify this divide. Because AI allows for a shift from programmed to learning machines, the "nursery cities" will be the primary beneficiaries of the necessary redesign of work.
From Artisans to Algorithms: The Evolution of the Worker
Written by John Berry on 2nd February 2026.0
3 min read
A synthesises of my notes on reading C.B. Frey’s The Technology Trap. New jobs will be created at the top of the skill league table. Consequently, workers with good skills will thrive under AI; those with poor skills will not work. Inequality will rise. There are many political actions that can be taken to avert this demise. Mostly these revolve around education and skills growth, but transportation (to enable commuting) and worker enthusiasm for re-skilling and re-learning are also crucial.
The topic of our up-coming book
Written by John Berry on 23rd December 2025. Revised 25th December 2025.
3 min read
Volunteering is at a crossroads. Committed volunteering, characteristic of the period from the 50s to around 2010, is declining. People feel they have less time, and in any case, they are less inclined today to make commitment and turn up regularly even if it’s to a cause in which they believe. Casual volunteering is on the rise. For the future of their CSOs, managers must adapt to this new environment to survive.
Building a resilient workforce
Written by John Berry on 18th December 2019. Revised 8th September 2025.
2 min read
Resilience has three elements: the ability to manage yourself and your learning, the ability to communicate and collaborate with others and the ability to successfully craft one’s own environment. As skills that are difficult to automate, those might be termed ‘skills for life’. No-one is going to make your firm resilient for you. It's your job as manager and the time to start is now.
