Manager and Supporter Training Video Transcripts

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Independent learning for Manager and Supporters

Below are the transcripts for each of the videos within the Manager and Supporter training module. Links to the subtitled videos are also within each section.

Watch "Building Effective Teams" video

Chapter One: Teams and Roles

When we say team, we mean a group of people who have a shared goal or responsibility. You might be involved in lots of different teams; a more formal like a District leadership team, or informal, like a camp planning team. Your team might also include people not directly involved with Scouts, such as volunteers for Girlguiding.

A team needs to be balanced, with a range of personality types and skill sets. We can use Belbin's model, to help us establish what roles are needed in our team. Belbin tells us that people play different roles within a team, each of them bringing different qualities. Whether they're:

action-oriented, such as a shaper.
People-oriented, such as a coordinator, or
thought-oriented, such as a specialist

We need a mix of these roles to make sure we have a balanced team. Though people will change roles, depending on the task, team, and situation, it's always important to get the right person for the job.

Chapter Two: Personality Types

People's personality types also influence the team dynamic. Understanding different personality types will help you to assemble the best team possible. There's a theory about personality types that splits personalities into four categories, represented by four colours: red, yellow, blue, and green. It's handy to help us understand how people are likely to behave, and interact with others. None of the four types are negative. They all have strengths and weaknesses. It's useful to be aware of our own, and other people's personality types, and how this affects the way we work with others.

Jack Caine, County Commissioner, Greater London North

I'm trying to build a County Team at the moment to support me. We've got certain roles, but we don't want the roles to be so rigid that if a person comes along and their strengths don't quite fit our role - we can change the role to meet them, rather than trying to find the exact person for the role.

Sometimes you might need to put your team in place, and then move it around. You need to work out where people's strengths are, not necessarily in terms of their role, but how they can take that role forward. So if somebody's got a certain role, and they need to do a presentation on something they're not confident in, you can get someone else from the team to help support them with that, and take it forward.

Chapter Three: Team Dynamics

Team dynamics explain the stages a team will go through. Tuckman's model describes the four main stages of group development. All teams will move through different stages as they develop, forming, storming, norming, and performing. The different stages are represented by different feelings, behaviours, and attitudes, which can help you to identify them. The movement between the stages is fluid, and a journey might not include all of the stages. Lots of different factors will influence the team's development process, such as starting a new project.

Pat Bailey, District Commissioner, Crouch Valley

When you put a new team together, it does take quite a while for those people to understand each other. Even though you've been working with people that've been part of a big team for a long while, when you make them a small leadership team things are going to change. So you're going to have a time, or a period of time, when they're going to actually learn to settle with each other, learn each other's characters, get to know each other, make friends, work out who's good at what.

Then there'll come a point in time when it sort of starts to break down a little, and maybe they get cross with each other, and they'll push the boundaries, and you'll start seeing conflict and disagreements, and maybe it's not all running so smoothly. That's the time to manage it - you've got to pop into that situation. Maybe attend some of their programme planning meetings, drop down to their actual section meetings, maybe go camping with them. Camping's a very social time, when people's boundaries break down. Go camping, listen to them, and try and get them back as a cohesive team, because shortly after that bit happens, normally you get the performance.

If you lead a team, it's important to support them through this process. Be aware of what stage your team's at, and the impact this might have on their performance. Also, before making a decision that affects them, such as someone leaving or joining, it's useful to consider what impact this might have on the team's dynamic, and stage of development.

Chapter Four: Effective Meetings

One of the best ways of getting to know your team and keeping up to date with them, is by having regular team meetings. It's important to ensure these are effective, and that you know what you want to achieve to avoid wasting people's time. Don't have meetings for the sake of it.

There's a few things we can do to get the most out of our meetings. These include drafting and sending around an agenda, asking others to input before the meeting, so that everyone feels included, and there are no surprises on the night. Making sure you put realistic timings for each item, and stick to them.

Having a chairman, who's able to keep everyone focused. Making sure you note down action points, and assign someone to them. Sending the minutes to everyone, including the people who couldn't attend.

It's really important to remember that teams have different structures. For example, if there isn't a set team leader, it's even more important to ensure a clear delegation of tasks.

So how do you build effective teams that deliver exciting, and high quality scouting?

Keep these things in mind.

People will take on different team roles, and a successful team will have a balance of these.
People have different personality types, and you need to recognise these, and respond to them appropriately.
Teams will go through various stages of development.
Effective meetings are important, and help you to get to know and support your team.
Make sure teams have the support they need in order to develop and succeed.

Watch "Building Effective Teams - volunteer interviews" video

Pat Bailey, District Commissioner, Crouch Valley

Our team is really, really very eclectic. It's a massive amount of different people, different skill sets, different leadership styles.

I know this sounds really crazy, but I'm going to draw an analogy to something. If you go to a dietician, they say you've got to have a lot of different colours on your plate. You got to have loads of different flavours, and loads of different tastes. And when we put our team together, that was something we were really conscious of, that we wanted different colours, tastes, flavours, and different skills, leadership styles in all the people we have. It's no good having all of the same-style person. It becomes bland, boring, it doesn't go anywhere. But if you have a nice mixture, then you have a nice, healthy group, and that's what we did. So we built a team of very mixed people.

Some people - they want to go here, they want to go there, they want to change this, do that. It's lovely, you need people like that to keep it fresh and active. The problem with those people is, they're ideas people, but they don't actually ever finish off the task or sometimes they can't complete the planning. So you also need to have the person in the background who says, 'Yeah, that's a great idea'. And then runs off and does all the planning for them, and makes sure that all the things they need are in place, that all the checks have been done, and the tick boxes are ticked. So you need somebody with ideas, somebody to actually finish it off, and that would maybe be more in a sectional role. Then somewhere at the top, you need people like your secretary, who has to be very highly organised and say, 'Well, actually you can't do that idea because you haven't got this, this, this, and this permit'.

So at all the stages and levels, you need people who are action people, people who do, people who'll think the problem through, and actually come up with the ideas, and those that actually finish it and achieve it. Sometimes when you're picking somebody, it's best to work with them just for a while to see how they perform and what they become really good at and then try and fit them to the role that's best for them.

I do make loads and loads of mistakes, everybody does, but it's what you do with that mistake when you take note of it and move them to a better role. Try and spot things in people that you think, 'Well, I never knew they were that creative'. So actually, we'll put them on the programme planning team, that sort of decision.

Abdulmukith Ahmed, Group Scout Leader, East London

I look at the qualities and the skills people already have and how they best can fit and serve that role. For example, my assistant's really good at taking on new challenges and she'll go out and research, and find out what's the best way of delivering that project, or that activity, or that decision as a whole group. For example, in a couple months' time, we're doing a project with Water Aid, and she's already looking at who we can help, what support we can get from other charity organisations out there.

That, comparing to the person who'd run the camp for us, he wouldn't do that. He's more practical, get things done, and I can rely on that. Whereas with her, I can rely on her for the administration side - making contacts with external organisations, and getting things done. So they fulfil two different roles, but they both get the work done. And that's the main thing for us here.

Watch "Being a Trustee" video

Who's responsible for equipment?

Lewis Dangerfield, Acting County Commissioner: The Executive Committee is ultimately responsible for the kit when Scouting. That might get delegated to a quartermaster to manage on a day-to-day process. But ultimately, they're the ones who decide when kit's bought, and when it's renewed.

Why's it important for the Executive Committee, and managers in Scouting, to know what physical resources are available to them?

Sarah Griffiths, County Executive Committee Member: So once you've defined the direction you'd like to take Scouting in in your area, and you have the principals to deliver those, you need equipment and physical resources to make that happen. You also need to be able to access those, so you need a good process to register what's out there, and also allow your members to get hold of what they need when they need it in their programme.

Lewis Dangerfield: By way of an example, in Gloucestershire, we ran an event called Strategy and Evolution. In fact, we run it yearly. For the first year, we identified what kit we needed, then looked at what kit the county already had, and then worked out a budget, so that we could go and buy the kit that we needed to put on that event.

Who's responsible for ensuring there are enough volunteers to deliver Scouting, and how might the Committee prepare for recruitment?

Sarah Griffiths: So the Executive Committee is responsible for making sure that we have enough volunteers available at the right times to deliver Scouting across the board. That might be as a member of the Executive Committee itself, through to our weekly volunteers.

Lewis Dangerfield: An example from Gloucestershire is that we set up a search team to look for GSLs, and they did this by looking at each group individually, identifying where that group was within its sort of current lifecycle and whether the leadership team what was currently in place had the necessary skills to take the group forward. It might be from that, we went for someone with more financial skills, more delivery skills, or more inspirational skills, just to take that group to the next level.

Sarah Griffiths: So once we've identified the skills that we need, and are missing in our current set up, we'll work with local organisations. There may be some large employers in your area who are able to help and support, and perhaps some local industry bodies. I come from a finance background, so working with local chapters and organisations, you really can tap in to young people who are developing their qualifications, who can give time to Scouting, and will get something out of it to be your leaders of the future.

Once the skills have been identified, what would be the next steps of a recruitment process?

Lewis Dangerfield: Once you've recruited a new volunteer to a role, and they've completed the relevant vetting checks, a good induction is crucial to making them feel welcomed and supported.

Sarah Griffiths: When we recruit a new volunteer into Scouting, it's really important that we make them feel welcome, that they understand what their new role is, and how they can contribute to the wider movement. Absolutely, we need to complete the relevant checks and get them set up and running, but there's so much that you know from being involved in Scouting for a long time, and we need a mentor in place to impart and share that knowledge with them.

Lewis Dangerfield: I got to sit down with a training advisor, and understand what training I needed to do to complete my Wood Badge, but also to make sure that I had the right skills to carry out the role.

Tell us about an example where you've worked with your Executive Committee to deliver a project that has required physical resources.

Sarah Griffiths: We've recently looked at the strategy for our County and the direction we want to go in, and where we need to invest to make that happen. One of those areas is at our activity centre, and looking at making it more accessible for all. By engaging with our local leaders, and understanding what's important to them, and what the local area needs as well, we've been able to prioritise and make the decisions about where we invest to give everyone the best possible Scouting experience.

Watch "Planning for Growth" video

Chapter One: Time to Grow

Growing Scouting is a key part of our vision, and giving more people an opportunity to get involved is an important part of your role. As a manager or supporter, your role is to help identify opportunities for growth locally, and develop and implement a plan to capitalise on these, supporting others in the process, too. Quality growth isn't just about attracting new members, it's also about retaining our existing adults, and ensuring that young people move successfully between sections.

Chapter Two: Planning for Development

So how do we grow? One of the most useful and important tools is a development plan. This helps us to assess where we are now, where we want to be, and how we want to get there. Creating a development plan isn't something you should do on your own. You need to involve young people, adults in different roles, and members of the local community, to make sure it reflects everyone's needs.

The first step is to assess your current situation. One of the tools we can use to do this is a SWOT analysis. This asks us to think about our strengths, our weaknesses, what factors might create opportunities, and which of them might pose a threat. This gives us a framework that we can use to establish and review our strategy.

Amir Cheema, District Commissioner, Brunel

The District hadn't had a consistent District Commissioner for a number of years. They were performing as a functioning group very well, but the District as a unit wasn't performing very well. We did a SWOT analysis. Looked at our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

In terms of our strengths, we had excellent groups providing a fantastic programme for the young people. In terms of our weaknesses, the team hadn't been working very well as a District. Individually, the groups were there and functioning. The District was ticking over, but not pushing ahead. Financially, we're pretty stable and OK as a District. Then the opportunities were to grow in areas that we weren't represented. So those are the SWOT analyses we did that gave us an 'as-is' situation.

Once you've done this, you can use a RAG tool to help you prioritise all of the ideas, and agree what your primary goals are. RAG uses three colours: red, amber, and green, which we assign to objectives. The colours represent how much action we need to take in different areas.

The plan needs to be realistic and achievable, as well as challenging us to produce quality growth in the areas that most need it. Creating a development plan helps you understand what everyone wants to achieve. It offers a benchmark for you to measure your success, and identify areas that need improvement.

Chapter Three: Putting it into practice

Once you've created your plan, it's time to put it into practice, and start actively growing Scouting.

Firstly, talk to people about the agreed strategy and get them engaged. Giving everyone a chance to ask questions, and understand why decisions have been made, will engage them during the entire journey. It's vital that you listen to people's ideas and concerns, as these are the people you'll be relying on to put the plan into action locally.

Stephen Wilton, County Commissioner, County Down

There was a large, rural area within the District that would've previously had scope, which, for whatever reason over the years, hadn't functioned. And it was always frustrating on my behalf that we didn't have something there. So we set out to achieve opening new Scout groups for that rural community. Once we realised that this was the right thing to do, we got local people involved. They've seen its benefits which are great and they worked along with our District team to actually start setting up the groups. They picked the leadership team themselves. It just started from one person, and grew into 25 adults to open a new Scout group. And really it was bringing them along to taster sessions to see what Scouting looks like, what 30 Beavers looked like on a night in the hall. They really got the bug, and they're now running with it, and thoroughly enjoying their Scouting.

Don't forget that your development plan, whether it's for a group, District or County, doesn't exist in isolation, and will influence other plans. For example, a District development plan will reflect the support that the groups need and show the County where they should be focusing their support.

Chapter Four: Review and Revisit

You've created your plan, and you've started putting it into practice. But how do you know if it's working?

To help us figure this out, we need to regularly review the plan and its impact. We can use some of the tools we've already discussed to help us do this, by using RAG to check the progress that's been made. Remember, if you mark an area as red, that doesn't mean it's bad, just there's room for improvement. Similarly, green doesn't mean there's no more work to do, as it won't stay green on its own.

It's also a good idea to compare your development against other local groups and Districts. Although there's likely to be similarities, they may have identified different opportunities you could make the most of as well. For example, they might have made a connection with someone in the local community which you could benefit from.

This is a cycle - you'll need to keep reviewing your plan to make sure that it's still meeting local needs. Don't panic. There's lots of support out there, both locally and nationally, to help you with the whole process. There's online resources, as well as face-to-face advice from your national development team.

So why is growth important, and how do you do it?

Having a plan helps you to agree what the priorities are, and work together in the same direction. If you've involved others in the development and creation of your plan, you've already started to bring them on that journey. Regularly reviewing and updating your plan helps you see how you're getting on, and makes sure that it's still relevant.

Don't forget, you're part of a wider movement, and we all need to move in the same direction. Don't forget to ask for help and support.

Watch "Planning for Growth - volunteer interviews" video

Amir Cheema, District Commissioner, Brunel

The objective was ‘Let’s grow the current groups, as they are. Let’s grow in new areas where we’re not currently represented or have capacity gaps.’

For that, we’ve got an excellent project called the Pears Project, funded by a fantastic charity which provided us with some people on the ground to do the project. We grew in a new area - there was no provision there. That was driven by a person who came from another District, who was really keen and willing to start a group in that area. With support, we got that going.

Another group had 180 people on the waiting list. So for that group, we gave them support, and basically there was another 80 people we managed to bring into Scouting, and start lots of new sections.

Another community hadn’t been involved in Scouting. We worked with that community, developed a project and delivered that.

The key thing is, grow existing groups. The County had a fantastic "Grow Your Group" project as well, and we did that. We provided training and workshops for Group Scout Leaders and the team, so they’ve got the skills to do the development. And then in areas that we weren’t represented.

It was also underpinned by science. We got an extract from the Department for Education of where the young people were. We mapped that across our District - where are they living, where are they going to schools, and where are our groups. So we took science, what people were saying on the ground, where there were gaps, and then put a plan together. We got the resources to deliver it, delivered it, and monitored it.

Liz Walker, County Commissioner, Hertfordshire

With the County development plan, we already had one when I came into the role, but really looking at it afresh, and sort of saying, ‘What are the strengths of the County, what are the things that work really well?’ ‘What are the opportunities that we could use that are coming upon us?’ There was the change in the vision in 2018, So that was a real opportunity to say, ‘Have we got it right, or is there anything better that we could do?’

Those things that were threats – we’ve got fewer volunteers, and we’ve got threats on our resources, and things like that that we really needed to get a grip of. Where we had really strong Districts, where we didn’t, and really looked at what were the weaknesses that perhaps we ought to address? Then what I did was, working with the development team, is look at what are the real hot topics? What was red? What were the things that really needed to be addressed in the short term? What were the things that were great, and actually we already had a plan to address? Then I’ve come back to some of the things that sat in the middle.

So you really need to say, ‘Actually, I am making a change.’ ‘I am making development.’ Those are the good things that are going on, and I can build on. But actually, what are the sort of top three things that I need to address? Then what I tried to do, with each of the Districts, is say, ‘How does the District plan work into the County plan, and vice versa?’ And what are the top three things that are the most important, that we need to address in the next six months?

Watch "Keeping, Developing and Managing Volunteers" video

Chapter One: Positive Relationships

The relationships we build with other people in Scouting are a huge part of our volunteering experience. It sounds obvious, but relationships require work from both sides, so getting to know one another is crucial for developing trust.

Stephen Wilton, County Commissioner, County Down

As a District Commissioner, I think it’s very important that you treat people the way you want to be treated yourself. I think the fundamentals of Scouting are clear, that we should be treating each other with respect. Everything that we do within Scouting, we need to be open and honest with what we do, and respect other people’s views. Maybe not always agree with them, but it’s always healthy that we have a clear discussion, and arrive at a set of outcomes that, most importantly, are right for the young people.

Everything we do in Scouting is guided by our values: Respect, Cooperation, Belief, Integrity, and Care, which form the basis for how we work with other people. Good relationships help us to carry out our roles effectively, and build friendships. We’re all giving up our free time, so it’s important that we enjoy what we do.

Chapter Two: Motivation

When volunteers are learning new skills, or helping young people to achieve their goals, it’s easy to feel motivated. But if communication breaks down, or they’re feeling unsupported, you can see how a volunteer might lose their enthusiasm. There are several popular models that can help us to understand motivating factors, and how we can influence them.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, for example, classifies people’s needs into five levels: Basic needs, safety, social, esteem, and self-fulfillment. As the lower needs in the pyramid are satisfied, higher level motives further up are realised. For example, it’s hard to imagine Scout leaders being fully effective, if they’re never certain that the village hall will be available to meet.

Hertzberg split his factors and motivation into two categories, called hygiene factors, and motivation factors. The hygiene factors, such as relationships with others, can demotivate if they’re not present, although rarely cause satisfaction when they are present. The motivation factors, such as opportunities to develop, can motivate, but rarely cause dissatisfaction if they’re not present.

Liz Walker, County Commissioner, Hertfordshire

What motivates one person, is not the same as what motivates somebody else. So if you understand what motivates people, you can give them more of that, or at least be explicit about ‘these are the things you enjoy, and sometimes you have to do the things that maybe you don’t.’ I was actually working with someone who changed their job as a result of what they were doing in Scouting. You can say, the reason you find your role at work so disappointing, is because none of the needs you have, that really motivate you and really get you going, are the things that are important. So, why don’t you have a look at where you could do the sorts of things you’re doing? They completely changed their role, and they're working now with young people in a charity. It’s absolutely fantastic.

Chapter Three: Developing Others

As managers and supporters, we can provide the people we support with opportunities to develop new skills, which is a great way to keep them motivated. Regular communication helps us to figure out a volunteer’s development needs. Whether you’re looking for advice on training requirements, or help with ongoing learning, You can always contact your local training team.

Another way to make volunteers feel more motivated is to give them increased responsibilities, by delegating appropriate tasks to the right people, who are happy to take them on. Make sure you monitor progress, and provide support.

We need to establish the balance between supporting and challenging someone, which Hersey and Blanchard’s model can help us to do. This explains that there are four main leadership styles: directing, coaching, supporting, and delegating, which are appropriate for different situations. The more experience someone has with the tasks, the less support they’re likely to need.

Pat Bailey, District Commissioner, Crouch Valley

When we actually decided to expand our group, we had a whole bunch of new people come in. Some had never done Scouting, some that had, some who carried skill sets from work that they did. The leaders that were already present were already working almost autonomously, and they just needed support ticking over in the background. But the new people coming in, they couldn't just work without support. They need the direction, they needed to know where they were going, what the plan of action was, how they were to achieve it, and what they needed to do to get there. They just needed a little bit more support and coaching in the background, until they could stand on their own feet, then we could delegate, and then they run the packs.

We did find that some of the leaders that you expect to be brand-spanking new, they’re volunteers, they’re just the parents that come along, and you think, ‘Oh, here we go, we're ready to do all and a bit with them.’ And we didn’t have to. Not at all. They took to the role really, really quickly. We had to actually back off a little bit and give her a space so that she could grow. And she’s gone on to become a Section Leader herself. So that’s absolutely wonderful.

People’s needs will change over time, so it’s important that we revisit these conversations regularly.

Chapter Four: Effective Reviews

Above all, communication is essential to support volunteers, which is why we hold regular informal and formal reviews. Reviews are an opportunity to discuss how someone’s getting on in their role, and what support they might need.

Before carrying out a review, it’s important to properly prepare, and that we enter all reviews with an open mind, and no fixed assumptions about the outcome.

During a review, it’s important to practice the skills of active listening. This is about making sure we fully understand, by summarising and reflecting on what's been said, using open-ended questions, and giving people space to gather and share their thoughts.

It's important to provide the reviewee with positive and developmental feedback, ensuring they have a chance to ask questions, and agree on an action plan. We should also take on board any feedback they give us, and ensure we follow up on the progress of tasks agreed. There are three possible outcomes of a formal appointment review.

Although in most cases it’s likely an appointment will be renewed, reassignment or retirement may be appropriate in some circumstances. The recommended outcome needs to be agreed between the line manager, and reviewee, at the review.

If the agreed outcome is retirement, it’s important to have an exit interview. This is an opportunity to discuss the person’s experiences in Scouting, why they’re moving on, thank them for their service, and gain feedback.

Chapter Five: Saying Thank You

One way to make sure adults in Scouting feel valued, is to say ‘thank you.’

It sounds simple, but it’s really important to encourage them to continue to volunteer their time. There’s loads of ways to do this, from saying ‘thank you’ at the end of the night, to recommending someone for a special award. Examples include organising social events for adults, like a family barbecue, having regular catch ups, or bringing along chocolates to team meetings.

There are also more formal methods of recognising achievement, such as the National Scout Adult Awards scheme, which recognises achievements such as good service, or special acts of heroism, and bravery.

So what are the key things you should ensure you’re doing, to keep, develop, and manage volunteers in Scouting?

Maintain positive, working relationships with other adults in Scouting, based on trust and Scout values.
Ensure those who support and manage are motivated in their roles, and that you know what motivates, or demotivates them.
Say ‘thank you,’ and acknowledge good work.
Provide opportunities for development, listening to the person’s needs, and finding the balance between supporting and challenging them.
Carry out regular formal and informal reviews, ensuring that you follow them up.

Watch "Keeping, Developing and Managing Volunteers - volunteer interviews" video

Liz Walker, County Commissioner, Hertfordshire

What motivates one person is not the same as what motivates somebody else. So you’ve got to know your team, or try and get to know them. Sometimes that’s easier said than done, right? But if you understand what motivates people, you can give them more of that, or at least be explicit about "These are the things you enjoy, and sometimes you have to do the things that you maybe don’t".

But, how do you balance those different things? Some people absolutely hate standing up and doing presentations. They love the recognition of being able to make young people really happy, by recognising their Scouting achievements. How do you find a way to allow them to do that, that’s not necessarily in front of hundreds of people that would make them just freeze? So how do you change things, so that it works for everybody?

Stephen Wilton, County Commissioner, County Down

The people who’ve started the two new Scout groups had never had any experience within Scouting. It was down to, they wanted their young person to get into Scouting. It would have to be them, because we don’t have an endless supply of leaders. So they took on the challenge.

We mentored them with other adults within the District, and eventually just, were there to help them deliver a programme, but eventually stepped back when they became competent to deliver it themselves, which happened very, very quickly.

The energy seeing new volunteers who’ve never experienced Scouting was very rewarding from our point of view, because you could see it from a fresh perspective, and they’re out there Scouting today.

Jack Caine, County Commissioner, Greater London North

I think it’s building an acceptance that some things aren’t going to go exactly how you want them to go, and being able to review that afterwards and take them forward. So that, if somebody’s put a lot of effort into organising something, and it doesn’t go as well as you’d hoped, making sure they don’t feel like it’s a failure. But, what can we take from that? How can we take it forward, and how can we do it differently in the future? And how can we stop that happening in other areas of the team as well?

Tamsin Growden, District Assistant Commissioner (Adult Training), Borders

Communication is absolutely key. If there’s anything tricky, don't let it fester. Speak to them as soon as possible. Respect their views, and make sure that, if it’s a really difficult thing, to actually speak to them face-to-face. Try not to use the phone, but arrange a meeting. If you use email, be very, very careful. I’ve had so many emails from people who’ve just fired back, and it’s really upset people. I think the main thing is to keep in touch with people.

Stephen Wilton, County Commissioner, County Down

I think it’s important with our adult volunteers that they always feel valued, that they do deliver a very, very important role. It’s always very important that we stop and say ‘thank you’ for what our adult volunteers do. Two small words really does mean a lot to an adult volunteer giving up a lot of time. Every time as a District Commissioner, going to District events, I always make sure the young people don’t forget to thank the leaders for delivering the event for them. So thank you. Making sure they feel valued, listened to, and understood what they want out of their Scouting, and making sure we can help and support them to achieve that.

Watch "Dealing with Difficult Situations" video.

Chapter One: Preventing Disagreements

As a manager or supporter in Scouting, you’ll work with a lot of people. Most of the time everyone gets on, but sometimes disagreements, and personality clashes, happen.

There’s things we can do to help prevent disagreements, like making sure teams communicate well. This helps everyone to work together better, and spot where differences of opinion might occur, before they become a problem.

Setting ground rules, just as we do when we work with young people, helps everyone to know what’s appropriate, and where the boundaries lie. You need to make sure that you’re consistent in upholding these, and that you challenge any unacceptable behaviour.

Another powerful tool is role modelling positive attitudes. Others will look at your behaviour, so making sure you follow best practice is key.

Chapter Two: Conflict Resolution

Sometimes disagreements may be unavoidable, and we need to be prepared to manage them. Every situation’s different, but the main reasons conflicts occur are usually very similar, such as personality clashes or different expectations.

If a conflict does happen, nipping it in the bud early rather than ignoring it, stops the situation from getting worse. It might not mean you need to manage the situation directly, but support the relevant person who is. Although most people have a preferred way to deal with conflict, the most suitable method will vary depending on the situation.

Thomas and Kilman describe five particular styles for resolving conflict: competing, collaborating, compromising, accommodating, and avoiding. These vary in balance, between being cooperative and assertive.

When resolving any conflict, you should always be open, act calmly, remain constructive, and ensure everyone involved respects each other.

Amir Cheema, District Commissioner, Brunel

I had a complaint from my Group Scout Leader, with a Scout leader. As a result, I called the Group Scout Leader and got the information from them, and also the Scout Leader to find out information from them. I made a note of the facts, got them together, understood where they were coming from. From that, we used a tool for them to get into the other person’s persona – their shoes, their life, their map of the world, to experience what they were experiencing. Once they understood each other’s perspective, we managed to resolve the conflict quite successfully.

Chapter Three: Suspension and Cancellation

In some situations, it may be decided to suspend one or more persons, while a situation is resolved.

People are suspended by the relevant Commissioner, in agreement with the next Commissioner in the line management chain. In other circumstances, the decision may be made to cancel a member’s appointment. The relevant Commissioner, and the Appointments Advisory Committee, must act together in this decision. So it’s really important for them to keep talking to each other. As well as those directly involved, other people locally will also be affected by these decisions; so it’s key to remember to support them as well.

The list of reasons for suspension and appointment cancellation can be found in POR, along with guidance on appropriate behaviour while suspended.

Chapter Four: Complaints

Sometimes, if a disagreement or dispute can’t be resolved, it may lead to a complaint being made, which can be a concern or dissatisfaction with any aspect of Scouting. In these instances, we need to follow the Scout Association's complaints procedure, which aims to resolve issues informally and locally, and as quickly as possible.

Complaints should be handled by the most local line manager. For example, if a Beaver Scout’s parent makes a complaint, this should go to the Group Scout Leader. Only one appeal can be made against the outcome of a complaint, which should be handled by the next level of management. In our example, this would be the District Commissioner.

Stephen Wilton, County Commissioner, County Down

Unfortunately, in Scouting from time to time, complaints do happen, and there was this instance where a parent made a verbal complaint against one of our adult volunteers. From the off, it was clear that we needed to get a clearer understanding of exactly what the issue was. I had a very concerned Group Scout Leader on the phone, wanting to know how to address the issue.

The Scout Association’s complaints procedure is very, very good. If you follow it, you won’t go too far wrong. What my advice to the Group Scout Leader was to do nothing that evening, sleep on it, and get a clear head in the morning. Maybe things will fall into line, and be a bit clearer of exactly what happened, and then tackle the issue head on. Go and have a face-to-face conversation with the parent concerned. By doing that, and by reacting very professionally within a 24-hour period, all they wanted to do was to be listened to, as opposed to actually lodge a complaint further. So by acting on it quickly, and dealing with it in a concise manner, we made sure the issue was resolved to a satisfactory outcome for all.

It’s important to ensure that all adults in Scouting know what to do if they receive a complaint, or who to ask for help if they’re unsure.

Chapter Five: You’re Not Alone

You may be involved in helping to resolve a difficult situation at some point. If you do, don’t just jump in, and remember that you don’t have to be involved in all of it. Take time to consider how you deal with an issue, and perhaps ask someone you trust to help you.

It’s important to reflect after dealing with a difficult situation. Think about what went well, and where there was room for improvement. You should ask others for their feedback, too. Remember that you’re not alone.

There are people, processes, and resources to help you. You can find support locally from your line manager or other adults, as well as lots of information on the Scout website. If you need specialist advice on a specific issue, you can also phone or email UK HQ.

So what should you keep in mind when dealing with difficult situations?

Keep these things in mind:

There are things you can do to help prevent disagreements, such as good communication.
If a disagreement does occur, you should resolve it as soon as possible, using the relevant method.
You have suspension and appointment cancellation processes which need to be followed.
If a complaint is made, it should be handled by the most local manager using the complaints procedure.
You’re not alone. Ask for help and support.

Watch "Enabling Change" video

Chapter One: Keeping Relevant

Scouting is a fun and dynamic movement. To make sure it stays relevant, it needs to evolve, while sticking to its core values. Change can be positive, but too much of it at once can be overwhelming. So it’s important to prioritise and make changes that are really needed. This can be a difficult process, and much will depend upon the situation, the people involved, and the nature of the change.

As a manager or supporter, you play a really important role in making change a reality, and supporting others through it.

Chapter Two: Enabling Change

Sometimes changes will come from the wider movement, which we’ll need to respond to, such as national initiatives. They may also come from someone outside of Scouting, such as rule changes by local authorities. It’s important for us to spot when a change may be happening locally, and knowing when to step in, and support that process.

Other times, change can come from ideas put forward by a member of the team. It’s essential that we are open to suggestions, and actively encourage people to make them. All suggestions should be taken seriously, even if it’s not possible to take them forward. If this is the case, it’s really important that we explain why, and give feedback. Make sure people aren’t discouraged, and continue to put forward new ideas.

It’s OK if an idea doesn’t work first time. We should learn from these experiences to help us improve Scouting. Piloting projects is a great way to test new ideas, and get feedback from others. It can also help you get people on board, as it makes them feel involved.

Wherever changes come from, your role is to drive it locally, and make sure others stay positive and engaged.

Chapter Three: Managing Change

Just because a process or system changes, it doesn’t mean that people automatically change. It’s a journey that takes time and commitment, and needs to be managed.

To help us understand the different stages, and how to manage them, the Change Curve is a really useful model. It reflects how people react to change, and how their attitudes evolve. They’re likely to go through shock and frustration, before they get to engagement and excitement. Everyone is different, but knowing how they’re likely to react makes it easier to prepare for this, and to support them better.

Scouting also uses another model to help us manage change, which has five stages. At the start, it's important to gain commitment from people, and decide together where we want to be. We then need to assess where we are now, to help us to plan how to get there. All of this should take place before we implement the actual change.

Liz Walker, County Commissioner, Hertfordshire

One of the changes was the way in which we run District Commissioner meetings. I really wanted to bring in a change that was very much ‘How do we make it a much more collaborative process, and actually get people to work together?’ Almost in mini workshops, to solve some of the things that we had, and issues around the County. For some people, that was really great, but for others, it was very much like, ‘This is what I do at work. I‘m a volunteer, that’s not what we’re here to do.’ So how I affected it – I worked with the Deputy County Commissioners to sort of float the idea, and then help me work out how we might do it. It was really trying to find people that were real positive, key influencers in the change going forward. The outcome’s been absolutely fantastic, because people feel as though they’re instrumental in the changes that you want to make. So their point of view, we may not change things to their point of view, but at least they’ve had the opportunity to air their point of view, and that was important.

The easier you can make this journey for others, the sooner local Scouting will benefit, and the more likely you are to be successful.

Chapter Four: Gaining Commitment

Change is most successful when you make people feel part of it. This means getting people's commitment to the change you’re trying to make together. Consultation and open communication are great tools to help you do this. It’s important to explain the reasons behind the change and its benefits, and give others the chance to shape how we make it reality.

Stephen Wilton, County Commissioner, County Down

The largest change I probably was involved with was managing a District merger. There was a strategy within the county whereby we wanted to reduce the number of Districts and make them much bigger. So my District was to be merged with a neighbouring, smaller District. What it meant was, we were reducing the number of people in Commissioner roles, and on committees, and what we were trying to do was put more people at the core face of Scouting, to actually work with the young people. From the very outset, we were very clear that our objectives were for the benefit of the young people. Like any change, there was always going to be a certain level of resistance, and how we managed that was we were open and honest with our adult volunteers, and we took on board any concerns that they had. Keeping everybody up to date, and managing the transition period, while letting Scouting still happen, and deal with the politics in the background. And then when we were at an appropriate point in time, we merge the two Districts together, and moved from strength to strength.

Managing a change can seem daunting, and it’s important to remember that it’s not something you have to face alone. They may also be people who are resistant to the change, and one of the best ways to bring them on board is to engage them with the process, and ask for their help. It’s important to recognise other people’s contributions, and celebrate successes all the way through the process – however small they are. The more people you have on board, the easier implementing a change will be.

So what are the important things you should keep in mind to enable change locally?

Keep these things in mind.

Stay relevant.
Be open to change – don’t be afraid to try new things.
Change takes time – don’t expect things to happen overnight.
Effective change needs to be managed.
Change is a journey with different phases and attitudes.
Support others and bring them on this journey.
Celebrate success, and people’s input.

Watch "Enabling Change - volunteer interviews" video

Liz Walker, County Commissioner, Hertfordshire

Change has different effects on different people, and so some people they embrace the change. They love it. They’re the sort of people that are always up for doing something different, or doing it in a different way, and really love to do it.

There are those people that change is certainly not as good as the rest, and they really hate it. So you implement a change, their first reaction is almost an anger, and real frustration as to why you’ve made the change, and there’s a whole heap of reasons why it’s not going to work. And they really go sometimes down into the depths of despair, until they plateau out, and realise perhaps that things could be different. They’re not as hard as they might be. And if you can really catch people then on the up and help them through what are the positives that may come out of it, or the changes and differences that may come out of it? Quite often you end up in a way better position than you did in the first place. But you do need to allow people to go through that.

If they’re not comfortable with change, you’ve really got to allow people, and give them time. Time is important. But also being honest, not saying, ‘Well, in that case, I won’t make the change or we won’t do what it is.’ You’ve really got to sort of keep your metal, if you like, and work with other people that perhaps can influence them and help them through the change, whether it’s giving them some different focus on it, or even giving them something quite different to do.

Jack Caine, County Commissioner, Greater London North

One of the big barriers is that people are scared about, because it’s been done one way in the past, it has to be done this way in the future. So in terms of that Scout Troop, that leader who was there for a long time, had certain skills that they were good at, maybe the people coming in don’t have those skills, so not being afraid to play to their strengths, and taking it forward like that. It worked quite successfully after a period of time, and there’s still change going on two or three years later, where things have stayed the same from the previous leader that they’ve now realised is not great, so they’ve then implemented new ways of doing it and changed things, and tried things out as well.

I think not being worried about getting things wrong, and being willing to fail to get things right in the end. I think you’ve got to have the right people around you, so you’ve got to have people around you who want, who believe in the change, and want the change to happen.

I think you’ve got to be as open and honest with people, so if there’s people in sort of the old regime that you’re trying to change, give them a chance to come across to what you're trying to change it to, explain what you’re trying to do and sort of say, ‘Look, this is our plan, this is how we want to go forward,’ and make it really clear to them. It might be also worth getting some other people involved, or some new people involved, so they can work alongside the existing people, so there’s new ideas coming in, and it may be where it’s happening successfully elsewhere. So you can go and ask somebody from a different District, or a different group, ‘Look, you’ve done this change in your group, can you come and help this group put the change in, and say how it was successful for you, and what pitfalls you came across?’ So it looks like, or you are, making sure that all the different avenues are being covered.

Abdulmukith Ahmed, Group Scout Leader, East London

We started off with just boys, because one, we didn’t have the leaders, and two, we didn’t have the space. We were running from the mosque, and we just had one room at that time, and we just didn’t have the resources. So we slowly built up, because we, the three people who started it, we were all new to Scouts, so we couldn’t take on more than like 12 kids at a time. So we started it off, and gradually we worked our way, and then we looked at, ‘Well, maybe we can expand this,’ And that’s when we looked at seeing what changes we could make, in order to accommodate girls into the group.

So it took us two years to get that all going, looking at potential leaders, and then eventually we found the suitable leaders to come on board, and start the new change of having girls at the same time. And with the girls working, we just went shooting up in the waiting list for girls more than the boys at the moment.

One of the issues we had with the young people, they weren’t too happy having girls, but then what we looked at was, because we were running from a mosque, and there was set in place certain guidelines that we had to follow for using the mosque building, so we decided, ‘OK, we’ll have the sessions at the same time, but we can separate them out.’ We’ll have some joint activities, like with any other group, but most of the activity will be done separate, and they’ll use a different room, and once we got the session going, the boys were all right.

Now we’ve moved into another building, outside the mosque, and no one’s had any complaints, and we’ve been going for the last two years, now the girls have been with us, and there’s a waiting list for the girls at the moment.

Pat Bailey, District Commissioner, Crouch Valley

We’re really quite blessed in our group. We had loads and loads of children come to us, loads of young people, and we were getting a bit upset that we couldn’t fit them all in. So we decided to be a bit radical and open two Colonies instead of one, knowing that would mean we would need two Cub Packs to allow for the flow up, and probably then two Scout Troops. So we decided to, as a team, go for it, and we built two Colonies and two Cub Packs really quite quickly, and we needed to generate and complete a new working team to deal with the two Packs. Some people felt that was bridge too far, that the commitment would be too great, So it took a lot of discussions, and a lot of time of listening, more listening intently, and listening to what the people thought the problems were, and then going away and working out how we could solve those problems, rather than just being very directive and say ‘We’re gonna do it.’ Because if we didn’t have everybody on board, we knew it wouldn’t work. We didn’t have enough people in the leadership team to just say, ‘We can drop a few, bye, bye, bye,’ and we would want to anyway. So we made a conscious decision of listening very hard, listening to all the problems, and deal with them one at a time.

There were a few that we couldn’t solve, but by that time, people were more in favour of the idea, and thought, ‘Well, actually we’re going to do it anyway.’ And we did.