5 questions when choosing your new “Pope”

How do you choose your new leader?

The Catholic world is happy that they have chosen a new Pope.  I wonder what qualities and skills were needed to make the short list. I think it would be fun to see the logistics involved in the setup, lobbying, the voting and the re-voting to decide the new leader.

The historical happenings last week got me thinking about how a walkathon should go about choosing their new leader. If I were asked to help decide on a new Walk Manager, I would look for these 5 things:

1.  Do they give good phone?

A Walk Manager should be comfortable picking up the phone and cultivating a relationship with a potential sponsor, or team leader. Remember, your Walk Manager should be your #1 recruiter and lead by example.

2.  Have they ever managed volunteers and/or a staff?

Producing a successful walk requires the help of many people.  People that are volunteering their time and talent, and people who get a paycheck from you.  The Walk Manager is one leg under a large table, and they must be able to balance their role and the roles of the other people they depend on to get a job done.  Interpersonal skills are important.  A Dictatorship will not work.

3.  How do they say ‘no’?

Being the Walk Manager makes you a target for everyone trying to get a piece of your real estate on walk day. Lots of calls will come in with opportunities for sharing in the profits of items sold from a table at your event. Fantastic causes will want to bring their clipboards to get signatures for their worthy cause. You will have several hundred to several thousand people in one place at one time, and it is a guerilla marketing opportunity.  Your new Walk Manager will need to pleasantly refuse these wonderful opportunities and not be easily intimidated.

4.  When was the last time they got dirty at work?

There is no place for a Princess at a walk.  See above about leading by example.  If boxes need to be unloaded from a truck, then they should carry the first and last box.  If a 24-ft truck needs to be moved, then they should not be afraid to get behind the wheel.  I prefer a Walk Manager that is well-rounded and is not afraid to do the less glamourous things to get the job done.

5.  How do they say ‘thank you’?

If you want people to work for you, you need to keep them happy and motivated.  I need to hear about examples of how this candidate has thanked their volunteers or staff in the past.  I like to hear about creative things that do not cost allotta money.  If you have worked for me before, then you have some good stories to tell.  Ahhh, memories…

Hiring managers all have different things they look for looking for the perfect candidate.  I like having a conversation and then go with my gut to determine who I think will work out.  What do you look for?  Leave me a comment!

How do you let everyone know about new staff hires?