Planning a volunteer mission but concerned your lack of expertise could result in unintentional harm?
Are you one of those who want to help a global cause but need help making your actions meaningful and impactful?
Are you concerned that as a well-meaning do-gooder eager to lend a hand, you could be causing more harm than good?
Looking to make a difference as a volunteer but worried about falling into the trap of “volunteer’s folly”? Read on.
Learn about the cognitive bias of volunteer’s folly, how to identify typical victims and who takes advantage of it, real-life experiences, and ways to guard against this bias in your own life.
Understanding the “Volunteer’s Folly“
“Volunteer’s folly” in psychology is the tendency of people to overestimate their skills and capabilities, leading them to volunteer for tasks they are not prepared or qualified to do. It is often seen in knowledge workers, who may feel confident in their ability to take on any challenge despite having no experience with it.
Further analyzing, many people tend to overestimate their abilities and underestimate the difficulty of new tasks, leading to what is known as “volunteer’s folly.”
You might volunteer to help out a friend with his start-up and agree to take on a project. But you are not an expert at developing a website! While you may feel excited and determined to prove yourself, the task may require technical skills or specific knowledge you may lack.
How can you help your friend and yourself in a situation to avoid frustration and disappointment in case the project you take up doesn’t work out?
While still lending a hand, Wouldn’t referring a professional equipped to do the job efficiently be the best option?
Volunteer’s folly applies here because it involves taking on a task without considering whether you have the necessary skills or expertise. So, to avoid frustration and disappointment, it’s essential to be realistic about what you can and cannot do. It’s necessary to recognize your limitations and seek help when needed to avoid mistakes that could ultimately lead to failure.
Referring to a professional equipped to handle the job efficiently would be the ideal way. By doing so, you not only benefit yourself by avoiding unnecessary stress but also help your friend by ensuring the project is completed successfully.
Exploited And Exploiters
“Volunteer’s folly” typically affects individuals who overestimate their abilities and skills and volunteer for any tasks they are not qualified or prepared to handle. Such individuals tend to ignore their limitations, leading to potential risks. For instance, an inexperienced volunteer should not lead a children’s program.
In contrast, someone without technical expertise should not volunteer to develop a website for an organization, as it could result in a poorly designed website that doesn’t meet the organization’s needs.
This cognitive bias can be exploited by employers, colleagues, and supervisors who take advantage of volunteers’ time and energy to complete a task or project more efficiently. They benefit from the unpaid labor provided by volunteers, allowing them to complete projects with fewer resources and at a lower cost.
Day To Day Volunteer’s Folly
- A person volunteers to paint the exterior of their house, despite having yet to gain experience in painting, and ends up making a mess that requires professional intervention to undo.
- An employee agrees to lead a project that they are unfamiliar with and unknowingly gets in over their head, leading to a disastrous outcome.
- A new business owner offers too many discounts in order to attract customers without considering the potential long-term effects on profitability.
- An individual signs up for an exercise class far more intense than anticipated and unnecessary, eventually leading to injury or burnout from extreme fatigue.
Recognizing When You Are Slipping Into the “Volunteer’s Folly” Trap
There are a few tell-tale signs that one may be falling into the trap of “Volunteer’s Folly” (in cognitive biases) :
- Taking on far more than you can realistically handle and overpromising what you can achieve.
- Ignoring important considerations such as the skillset, resources, or time needed to complete the task.
- Needs to be more accurate in the complexity of the project or task at hand.
- Falling prey to impulsivity and enthusiasm without foresight or critical thinking about potential consequences.
- Feeling overwhelmed or anxious when confronted with new responsibilities that require additional skill sets or knowledge.
Overcoming the Volunteer’s Folly
- Do your research: Research your options, weigh the costs against the benefits, and make an informed decision.
- Get a second opinion: Ask someone with experience or expertise to review your decision unbiasedly.
- Don’t rush into commitments: Take time to ensure you’re properly informed before making a commitment.
- Make a plan: Even if you don’t have all the facts yet, having a plan of action in place can help you make better decisions when faced with unexpected challenges.
- Monitor your progress: Track progress regularly and be prepared to act quickly if something isn’t going according to plan.
- Consider potential conflicts of interest: Be mindful of any possible conflicts of interest that could impact your decision-making process.
- Review your options regularly: Create regular checkpoints to review your decisions and ensure they are still on track for success.
Final Thoughts
So, you and your friends have incredible jobs in the city, earning good money and living a fulfilling professional life. But you know that back in your hometown, a school needs help with an upgrade and a revival. So, you’ve got a tough decision in front of you – what’s the best way to approach this problem?
Option 1: All of you get together and devise a plan. Sounds good, right? After all, you and your friends are all smart and capable people who have achieved success in your professions. But are you experts in school revival and upgrades? Do you know everything there is to know about educational infrastructure, curriculum, and staff? The answer is likely no, and while good intentions are important, not having the required knowledge and expertise could lead to costly errors.
Option 2: Hire professionals to come up with a plan. Building on the work of professionals sounds like a good idea. While you’ll pay for their services, the long-term investment is probably worth it. They help you run and maintain the school with quality education.
So what would your pick be, keeping in mind feasibility and effectiveness? Untrained volunteers or professional help?
There is also option 3 : Would pull in a celebrity that would help you in many a way?
After reviewing the information presented above, you should better understand the folly of volunteering. Now, which choice would you make? It’s important to recognize our limitations and seek assistance when necessary to avoid falling into the trap of volunteer folly. If you found this post helpful, please don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter for more valuable insights!
Reference
The above article is based on the book Thinking Clearly; this article is here to help us learn and understand how our minds can be tricked by something called cognitive biases.