Volunteers are the lifeblood of the USTA. As discussed yesterday, attracting and retaining the people who step forward to help is an absolute imperative for the organization. Today I am considering the development of skills within the volunteer workforce. Knowledge, experience, and contributions must be encouraged, fostered, and developed. The volunteer pathway defines the very future of the USTA.
While some volunteer positions are ad hoc and informal, there is an application process for most ongoing positions of responsibility. Successful applicants will have a resumé that features a track record of engagement and contributions to the tennis ecosystem. The scale and scope of experience increases as the volunteer workforce rises from the Community Tennis Association (CTA), through the Sectional, and ultimately National levels of the organization.
Every once in a while, I mention that I am currently in the middle of a Fellowship appointment at my day job. One of the inherent expectations when I accepted that assignment is to invest in developing the technical talent at my company. In fact, workforce development and education may be the most important aspect of my current role. I have been recently spending a lot of time building career progression support systems.
At the core, the USTA volunteer pathway is not fundamentally different than professional career development. A person who wants to get involved and make an impact within USTA National needs some track record of positive contribution at the grassroots and Sectional levels to warrant serious consideration for any and all positions. Additionally, the future success of the USTA means that the development of knowledge, skills, and attributes within individuals is essential.
USTA Texas aspires to develop leaders who can make an impact at the National level.1 In fact, the organization acts in a gatekeeping role as National opportunities arise. When people apply for USTA National positions, a list of applicants from their boundaries is returned to each Section. Each Section responds by rank-ordering the list. This endorsement process illustrates how the volunteer ranks are exactly that.
This process was discussed at the USTA Texas Semi-Annual meeting last month. At the National level, the USTA determines an allocation of committee positions for each Section. That mechanism is to ensure geographic diversity within the organization.
As I have poked around trying to understand the Volunteer Pathway within USTA Texas, I have come to the realization that it is best characterized by the term “Tribal Knowledge.” Organizational insight is acquired from other people in the absence of documentation. As it currently stands, acquiring that knowledge is a rite of passage in the organization.
The USTA is also currently trying to effect a culture change. That was another recurring theme at the USTA Texas Semi-Annual meeting last month. It is really challenging to shift culture when organizational learning is acquired primarily via a Tribal Knowledge system.
If we truly want to change the culture, then the Volunteer Pathway cannot be neglected. Tomorrow I will share my thoughts on how that pathway could be transformed to better support leadership development and cultural change. I think we need to consider turning the pathway into a pipeline.
- Leadership Development Roundtable, USTA Texas, October 2021.
- Tribal Knowledge, Wikipedia Page, viewed August 8, 2022.
