by Olga Pazukha

Apologies for the delay in transmission!   Between the Olympic festivities and some staff transitions, it has been a busy - and exciting - few months around here.   We're restarting the conversation with a first-person account of the Olympic volunteer experience.  Read on, and Olga Pazukha, one of our staff members, will take you behind the scenes of one of the largest and most-watched events in the world.  
**  Excerpted from the April 2010 issue of e-Volunteerism. 

This winter, British Columbia hosted the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.  It was a magical, spectacular time.  People from all corners of the world converged on our streets — wearing their hearts on their hands (figuratively... and literally, with millions of the now-famous red mittens!).

I was lucky to be a part of the "blue jackets": a team of 25,000 passionate and talented Olympic volunteers who worked at every event and venue leading up to, during, and following the Games.  This team contibuted their time and talent to projects as diverse as piling up snow on Cypress Mountain, providing photography services, media expertise, and medical attention to athletes. 

At Vantage Point, people engagement is at the forefront of everything we do.  Thus, I viewed my Olympic volunteer experience through a people lens — deliberately noticing and analyzing how the integrated workforce (paid and unpaid) was engaged.  In some cases, this made me a stronger critic.  But overall, I believe that VANOC significantly raised the bar for people engagement.  And organizations across the country and around the world can learn a lot about engaging talented people from this event.

Initially, my previous volunteer experiences somewhat limited my expectations about the roles that might be available to me.  I admit it — I expected to be engaged for hands-on tasks like conducting inventory, greeting people, and helping with check-in.  However, after reviewing VANOC's position descriptions, I was pleasantly surprised.  They read just like paid job descriptions!  I quickly became excited about the prospect of drawing on my considerable event management experience, and contributing at a higher level.

I appreciated being granted my first choice of teams: Ceremonies Support.  It turned out that the nature of this work was extremely basic: counting fire extinguishers, re-filling coffee and snacks, and checking inventory lists for everything from light bulbs to apples.  However, the paid staff eagerly connected our assignments with the big picture, letting us know that they (and therefore, WE) were critical to ensuring each event ran smoothly.  It was a remarkably rewarding experience to witness all the 'little' things we did come together!

Each shift was different.  Some days, we waited hours for direction, only to be assigned a simple task.  Other times, we hurried around in a mad rush — organizing performers' trailers, delivering their food, and ensuring they had everything they required.  Luckily, rehearsals were going on during the shifts, and we could often catch exclusive glimpses of the cast and crew preparing for the Ceremonies.  Despite some tense moments, the paid-with-money team generally appreciated all of our contributions, and consistently provided positive feedback and encouragement. 

Overall, VANOC's "one workforce" philosophy and structure of volunteer engagement signifies a positive — and important — shift towards a more inclusive workforce; one that values the paid-with-money people and volunteers equally.  Volunteers and staff were jointly referred to as the organization's "workforce" and the same accreditation, screening, check-in points and entrance halls were in place for all.  One of the volunteers who worked in Accreditation was impressed when John Furlong, the CEO of VANOC, came and did his own accreditation — wearing his blue jacket.

Despite this, my original expectations turned out to be fairly accurate: my role did involve my hands more than my head.  Perhaps the scope of the Games and the sheer number of people involved did not allow the majority of volunteers to contribute their specific skills.  Ultimately, an event of that scale requires MANY extra sets of hands.  Of course, there were many exceptions.  Medical professionals provided essential services to everyone from volunteers to athletes.  Human Resources professionals led the recruitment process, and created the "blue jackets" phenomenon.  And the list goes on.  But those who had the opportunity to draw on their strategic expertise were in the minority.

So — would I do it again?  In a heartbeat.  Although quite simple in nature, being part of the "blue jackets" offered a wide range of experiences on a one-of-a-kind (read: large and oh-so-wonderful!) scale. 

This winter, in British Columbia, we witnessed a classic example of people wanting to be engaged in their community.  Canadians proudly showed their desire to be part of something bigger than themselves.  Some volunteered formally, and others took to the streets and created impromptu celebrations.  People lined up for a chance to participate in the organized festivities, or to purchase their pair of iconic red mittens.  We wanted to be connected to each other.  To be part of something really important.  To celebrate being Canadian.   

From our Vantage Point, that is what community organizations must begin to offer — meaningful opportunities for citizens to be engaged!

We want to hear from you!  Did you volunteer for the Olympics?  What was your experience like?  Do you agree with our impressions?  Tell us what you think!