Keeping occupied at work ...

PasturesNew

I see they wanted people skills then.

Mistral001

This seems like a sort of reversal of what an intern usual does. Usually they are there to listen and learn from the people who have experience of working in the job and do some work in exchange for this opportunity to learn.

If you are not learning then it is a waste of your time being there.

ohreally

top_drawer wrote: »

Ohreally - what a exceptionally rude assuming person you are.

Just what have i assumed?

top_drawer wrote: »

You know nothing about me

I'm going to hazard a guess, you're female and hormonal.

Leosmummy

Thanks for your response top_drawer. I think sometimes people can be critical here but I do sense a good nature in you.

I do have to disagree on the'volunteer type thing' comment giving us all the information we need to comment.

As said before a voluntary org/volunteer led org = 2 seperate workings (but not always).

Some may not require, need or wish for any further income generating activities, others may need it but do not have the ongoing capacity for it.

I just think you have to be sensitive with how you go about it but there is limited info here.

ILW

I would suggest you give it a month or so before you start suggesting that the people there are not running the place as well as it should be. Spend the first few weeks learning how it all works before jumping in with suggestions which may well put others noses out of joint.

redped

ohreally wrote: »

I'm going to hazard a guess, you're female and hormonal.

While I don't mind a bit of banter on a forum, I think that last comment is out of order.

kazzah60

OP
as a permanent volunteer and CEO of a "volunteer type organisation"
I am happy to give my perspective on this

I think it is good that you are enthusiastic enough to care about under used facilities - but I am unclear about whether you mean for new courses for other organisations to have in the placements premises - or if you mean for the organisation to run these courses for internal colleagues.

if, as i am assuming, you mean to let the space to other organisations for training purposes, what I would say is this.
In the current climate, often Training courses are the first casualty of spending cuts - and the courses they already run may be poorly attended because other companies have limited their training budget and so fewer people are able to attend

our organisaiton runs a conference for professionals working in our field and our last but one conference last year was oversubscribed with 90 delegates
this year we struggled to attrach 55 - and that was with us delivering accredited training to NHS professionals for £50 per head - which was £3 over the day delegate rate the conference centre charged us.

Everyone agrees our training is top notch and delivered well, and very affordable- but when delegates are having to fund it themselves ( as many were having to do) or with limits on their training days available - then this could be why the training events at your organisation are poorly attended.

Forgive me if I have completely misunderstood your post -enthusiasm is good- but perhaps a gentle
questioning of your manager at your placement about why the courses are not well attended may provide you with an insight and avoid you causing a confrontation.

SarEl

I have to agree with the others here. You are in your first week (which is often slow because you haven't got your feet under the table), and you have come on a public forum to ask a bunch of strangers how to do something, which is a pretty strong indicator that you don't know how to do it in the first place. You are then wildly bad mannered and frankly, sexist, in your responses to people who are quite validly suggesting that you slow down and take a considered approach based on the fact that you are new to the environment and it may be a good idea to take stoock of the place and get to know it (and them) before telling them how to run it. As an intern.

As someone who regularly has "interns" I think I am approachable and open to new ideas in the workplace - but I think that I may not be overly impressed by being told how to run the place by someone who has been there an entire five days (possibly). And if they then went on to describe me as "female and hormonal" simply because I didn't agree with them then their internship would be very short-lived.

ceridwen

SarEl _ Another cup of coffee lass...(well - I havent quite woken up yet either....) - as it was another poster that used the comment "female and hormonal"....ahem...

Though I do agree with the gist of comments on here about taking a bit of time to assess "how the land lies" before OP jumps in feet first with suggestions. That would be one quick way to put someone or others back up to go straight in ideas flying..

************

Note to OhReally - I dont think "female and hormonal" is a good comment to make about anyone - that is rather sexist. Actually - there are some women whose brains tend to work in a more "masculine" type way anyway <waves hello at this point>.

SarEl

Apologies to the OP for misreading the comment - but the rest of my comments still apply. It isn't wise to rush in and tell people what to do and how to run a place - get some cudos for working before telling them how to run things.