 |
   |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Join ESC The Executive Service Corps of Washington is seeking volunteers to join us as consultants, facilitators and coaches. ESC is a mission-driven nonprofit that applies the insights and skills of our volunteers to the management and organizational challenges that non-profits face. Our volunteers are active professionals and retirees with backgrounds in business, education, health care, government and nonprofit management. ESC works with the nonprofit community and schools in the Puget Sound and Western Washington area. We are one of many ESC affiliates across the country (For information on other ESC's go to www.escus.org). If you are interested in becoming an ESC consultant please fill out our online Volunteer Application or printable form. For more information, please e-mail Nancy Long at execdir@escwa.org or call her at (206) 682-6704. FAQs Here are some answers to the more commonly asked questions:
1. What is the role of an ESC consultant? Our
consultants, be they new or seasoned veterans, retired principals,
business executives, or public sector managers, work in teams on
assignments for a wide variety of nonprofit clients. While the kind
of assignments vary, the general approach is similar: we meet with
the client, including board members, managers, key staff and
constituents, to understand what the organization is attempting to
do, how it works, and what are its issues. We then gather
information and data about the organization and its performance,
through further meetings with insiders or knowledgeable outsiders,
through analyzing the financial statements of the organizations, its
founding documents, board and committee minutes, or through research
on the general field of endeavor. In this phase we often work with
ESC specialists on organizational development, finance, marketing,
insurance, or whatever specialty skill or expertise is needed. The
team meets to develop conclusions and recommendation to present to
the client. 2. What are the most important skills an ESC consultant needs? The most
important skills a consultant needs are not so much the
professional background in a given field as the ability to listen,
to relate to the client, to analyze and synthesize materials and
information, and to communicate effectively. It is surprising to
discover how easy it is to find solutions with the client to
seemingly complex problems when viewed logically and analytically
from the outside. 3. How does one join the ESC consulting corps? The process
for joining ESC is simple. Fill out a consultant application either
on-line or by mail that includes basic personal data and work
experience. You will then be contacted and interviewed by ESC's
Executive Director. The interview allows ESC to get to know you and
allow you, the applicant, to get to know ESC, its purpose and
procedures. Becoming an ESC consultant is not a volunteer experience
suited for everyone. If there seems to be a fit between your
interests and abilities and ESC's consulting needs, then you will be
invited to be an ESC volunteer and participate in training programs. 4. How does ESC prepare new consultants for consulting? Most
ESC's volunteers have experience as consultants.
ESC provides offers
periodic professional development
programs on topics such as board development, strategic planning,
and mentoring to consultants. All consultants are expected to
attend an orientation session and a consulting skills workshop. 5. How are consultants assigned to projects? Consultants
are assigned to projects based on their own skills and interests,
their specific ESC experience, and their interests in different
sectors, such as health care, the arts, education, the environment,
or human services, for example. Initially new consultants are
assigned to work with other senior ESC consultants. As they take on
more projects and participate in more training they may gradually
take on more responsibility on ESC projects if they choose to and
have the ability needed. Completed assignments are evaluated by the
client and ESC's Executive Director. Results of the evaluation are
shared with each consultant. 6. What level of commitment is expected of ESC consultants? Some ESC
consultants take on several projects a year, sometimes several at
one time. Other consultants prefer to work only on one project at a
time and do only one or two projects a year. Either way is
acceptable. The cardinal rule is that when you accept an ESC
consulting project it should become a priority for you -- our
clients are paying fees and expect high quality, effective
consulting work. 7. Do consultants find the work rewarding? Most ESC consultants are initially motivated by the desire to give back to the larger community; however, once they start consulting for ESC they generally find many different (and sometimes unanticipated) satisfaction from their work:
If you are interested in becoming an ESC consultant please fill out our online Volunteer Application or printable form. For more information, please e-mail Nancy Long at execdir@escwa.org or call her at (206) 682-6704.
|
