Rescuing Your Volunteer Recruitment Process, the JFK-Way: Part 2: Navigating Your Team’s Way to Safety

In Part 1: Dangerous Waters: Assessing Your Situation Today of this 3-part series of essays on ‘Rescuing Your Volunteer Recruitment Process, the JFK-Way’, we looked at how the then Lieutenant John F Kennedy had dealt expertly with a perilous situation when his patrol boat had been crushed at sea leaving his crewmates and Kennedy fighting for their lives.

To recap, Kennedy:

We asked what lessons could be drawn for volunteer managers:

In this essay, “Part 2: Navigating your team’s way to safety”, we look at how Kennedy navigated his way to safety and what he had to do to achieve that. Kennedy’s plan was not mere theory.

It involved Kennedy wading deep out into treacherous current again, this time on his own.

His journey this time was not like the one we read in Part 1, where Kennedy berated and cajoled his surviving crewmates through a 3 ½ mile long swim in the dead of night until they reached the relative safety of the island.

We’ll see how Kennedy displayed the following traits, and how anyone responsible for recruiting new volunteers into an organization, can and should learn from JFK’s example.

Let’s pick up where we left off, as the tale is told by the JFK Presidential Library:

Treading water

Note, this journey involved Kennedy swimming solo into waters where he hoped to be spotted by a friendly American vessel.

To do so, Kennedy treaded water for an hour.

Just think about that for a moment.

(Have you ever tried treading water for a few minutes, let alone an hour, out at sea?!)

JFK in WW2. Credit: John F Kennedy Presidential Library

Kennedy was acutely aware that he had the safety of his surviving crewmates on his shoulders.

He knew that he had to avoid capture or discovery by the Japanese.

And to do so he had to place himself in sea straits where he might be discovered by his naval colleagues.

Kennedy waited and waited until he could wait no longer.

I wonder if Kennedy feared failure at that point.

Not only had he failed to be cited by a friendly patrol boat, but now had to make the return journey to the island where you would find his surviving crewmates.

But this journey was fraught with danger. Kennedy nearly died again as he was ripped into the tidal currents over which he had no control.

Those currents spun Kennedy into Blackett Straits again, then to Ferguson Passage, so he was forced to swim from island to island until he eventually stopped at Leorava Island to gain energy for final leg back to his men on Bird Island.

Eventually, Kennedy returned to his crewmates. He had failed to bring back good news. But before Kennedy fell to sleep for the day, he ordered his his crewmate George Ross to repeat the journey he had made, in full knowledge of the risks that he was asking Ross to run.

Ross, like Kennedy before him, returned unsuccessful.

Let’s summarise how Kennedy approached his situation:

Let’s read on and see how the story developed.

Note how Kennedy simply refused to give up.

Yes, he had encountered difficulties, severe difficulties.

But he had “determined” to find an island with fresh food and water.

And so he had led his crewmates on another swim into the swirling currents, clinging to a wooden plank.

The island and that they had landed on didn’t offer much help so Kennedy enlisted Ross’ help in getting to the final island in the chain of islands.

It was 5^th August, 1943.

Finally, their luck had turned.

They chanced upon a shipwreck with some meagre supplies, but supplies nonetheless.

In the process they also frightened away two locals.

By another piece of good fortune, the two locals (who it turned out worked for the Americans) had chanced upon the surviving crewmates on the other island.

Ross was still fatigued, so Kennedy left him to rest on the shipwreck island, while Kennedy swam back to his crewmates, where he now found the two locals, called Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana.

For the first time since the dead of night on 1^st August 1943, when their Patrol Torpedo vessel 109 had been destroyed by the Tokyo Empress, Lieutenant John F Kennedy could see light at the end of the tunnel.

Since leading his team out of the initial disaster zone that was the wreckage PT-109, and landing on what they called Bird Island, JFK displayed the following attributes:

What can someone recruiting volunteers learn?

So let’s look at these in turn, and see how a Volunteer Manager, Club Secretary or whoever is in charge of recruiting new adults into your voluntary organization, can learn from JFK.

Situational awareness (the chance of discovery by the enemy)

Are you proactively considering the risks facing your organization not only if you take certain courses of action, but if you fail to take certain steps?

You know how you don’t really take up character references, and certainly wouldn’t go to the trouble of verifying any references that you’re given, with a brief call to the person providing the character reference?

Surely no big risk?

Well, if you’re happy with that, how about minuting in your monthly Board / Committee meeting the approach you take.

Would you be happy to see this minuted?

Didn’t wait, took action (knew he had to find help, and went)

Yes, there’s a time for broad group discussion, for balancing the pros and cons for various approaches.

But ultimately, to change the status call you need to take action that differs from those actions - or inactions - taken by your predecessors.

Risked looking foolish (knew he risked failure)

When Kennedy struck out into the waters on his own he could only have had at best a sense that he had to do what she felt was right. Did he think he would succeed? Who knows?

But what Kennedy knew, and what you probably know, is that to do nothing in this situation in which you find yourself today, is to effectively make the decision to “stay on your island”, and not to wade out into the water in the way that Kennedy did that night, on his own.

Had no map (he had to work by his gut instinct of what was right)

Sometimes, like Kennedy, you simply have to follow your instinct.

Kennedy would have had good knowledge of swimming in open waters, and, presumably, as a sailor, of navigation by the stars.

Sometimes you have to wait to be told when to proceed on a given course of action.

But sometimes you have to just give yourself the green light to take action the same way that Kennedy did that night in August 1943.

Endured lonely, hard work (but was trained to do so)

Treading water out in the seas, in vain waiting for an American patrol boat to pass by, Kennedy must have felt both the physical and mental exhaustion weigh heavily upon him.

But Kennedy had been chosen/promoted as a junior officer to the rank of lieutenant precisely because he displayed the potential leadership qualities deserving of an officer of that rank.

Yes, it was hard lonely work waiting out at sea.

Yes, it must have felt like Kennedy was on his own.

That Kennedy had been promoted to that rank was however precisely because somebody believed him capable of leading in situations where others would fail.

So what about you?

Does the job of recruiting volunteers and your organization feel like hard work and one in which you are completely alone?

Well, guess what? It is hard work and you probably are mostly alone.

But also, guess what? You are in the leadership position that you find yourself in your organization precisely because people believed you to have the capability to effect change and articulate a vision of how you should recruit volunteers safely into your organization.

Was out of control (a victim of the strong rip tide currents)

As JFK attempted to swim back to his crewmates he found himself swept through their dangerous riptide currents, out of control, taking him further away from his intended destination.

You may not be drowning like JFK almost drowned.

But that same sense of feeling unable to control the momentum of an organization and its approach to safer recruitment (or failure to implement safe recruitment practice) can, in its own way, make you feel like you’re being swept along in riptide dangerous currents in your organisation’s approach to safe recruitment, over which you feel you have little control but face significant risks.

Exhausted (even JFK was just like us)

It’s easy to look at the legend of a leader such as JFK and forget that he was just another person, like you or me.

And yet JFK found himself, that August 1943, in an extraordinary set of circumstances, being pushed the limits of his own self belief and competencies. He was both physically and mentally exhausted.

But he was also sensible enough to know that he must also rest and recuperate if he was to lead his crewmates to safety.

So, don’t be embarrassed if you’re exhausted at the prospect of having to implement hard change in your organization. Just make sure that you’re ready to engage in that movement for change when you’re called on to do so.

Failed (yes, even JFK failed)

JFK endured a litany of failures in his attempt to navigate his team’s away to safety.

But he was not afraid of failure.

JFK knew that the only definite way to get help was to step off the safety of the island and to wade into the waters.

What about you as a volunteer manager?

Are you afraid of how he will look to your committee? To your Board of Directors? Are you afraid of being perceived as having failed in your role to the fact that your volunteer recruitment process isn’t quite up to scratch?

Don’t be afraid.

Know, like JFK, that the only way to safety is by stepping off the island and wading into the waters.

Dedicated (wasn’t going to give up)

You cannot, in my view, read the story about JFK’s World War II heroism without appreciating his dedication to his men.

Let me ask you something.

How dedicated are you to implementing a safe environment the children involve adults in your organization?

Is it way down your priority list?

Because to effect change to create cultural improvements in your organisation you do need a certain level of dedication. I don’t think it needs to be on the level of JFK’s dedication, but dedication to the road ahead is nonetheless something that you need.

Leading (took his men back into the water, knowing the risks)

After the dangers of the burning vessel, the terror of a 3 ½ mile nighttime swim, the surviving sailors must’ve found them relative safety of Bird Island to be reassuring.

So what did they make of JFK persuading them that they had to abandon the island and wade into the waters?

Well, what JFK knew, and what his men presumably instinctively understood, was that JFK had a deep appreciation of the risks in doing nothing (staying on the island) and in taking action (wading into the waters).

How about your own voluntary organization? In your sports kit? In your charity?

Are you able to persuade your fellow Directors or committee members of the importance of taking new steps?

Because if not, why not?

Shared the leadership load (knew that he had better chance with Ross at his side)

George Ross seems to be mentioned more than any other crewmate.

That is because JFK trusted Ross and his ability to both follow and lead with JFK.

JFK wasn’t precious about his leadership role.

He knew that she had to lean upon people who he could trust to get the job done.

How about you in your sports club for your charity?

Is there someone who you trust who you can turn to for help in implementing your safe recruitment policies and procedures? Someone who will help share the load?

Because I bet there is. And if you can’t see them already, just take a closer look around you. Understand this: Sharing the leadership load Will make the journey far more enjoyable and, critically, more likely to be a success.

Lucky (chancing on the Japanese shipwreck, supplies, canoe, and locals)

Was JFK lucky? Well, he and Ross must have been delighted when the chance upon the supplies in the Japanese shipwreck.

But they had also created their own luck, to take the risk of success or failure.

Whatever it was, good fortune shone upon JFK and Ross that day, and marked the start of a more positive chapter in their tale.

How about you? Could you do with a bit of luck? Following JFK and Ross’ example and swing for that next island, and see what you find there.

Balanced risk & reward (took the tough decision to leave Ross on the island where they’d found the canoe, to let Ross recover)

Leaders have to take tough decisions.

JFK took, with loss, the decision to leave Ross on the island where they had discovered the Japanese shipwrecks. Russell is exhausted. JFK took the canoe and continued back to his crewmates. But in doing so he took the risk that he might never see Ross again.

If you are in a senior position of responsibility on a board of directors, or a committee, of a voluntary organization, then you, too, like JFK, will have to make decisions that weigh up a balance of risk and rewards.

Critical in helping you do so is making sure that you clearly understand those factors which are risks, and those factors which are rewards.

Just be sure that, in your implementation of your safe recruitment policies and procedures, that you have a clear understanding of both risks and rewards in your approach.

And that your Board of Directors– committee understands those risks and rewards as well!

Made the most of his opportunity (canoed back to his crewmates)

The tipping point in the story, for me at least, is when JFK and Ross discovered the canoe.

For the first time they were not dependent on swimming in their own strength., Think about it. They had done an incredible job swimming from Ireland to Ireland, facing dangerous currents, both mentally and physically exhausted.

But now, with the canoe, JFK could far more safely navigate the treacherous waters, a great speed speed.

And as we see, he makes the most of this glorious opportunity.

What about you? What is your “canoe”?

What can you use as your “canoe” to help your way back into those dangerous waters, but to do so safely, at speed, and with confidence?

Join me in our final essay, Part 3: Rescue the mission & protect those in your care, as we look at how JFK enlisted the help at hand, returned to rescue Ross, improvised to get his message across to the American HQ, and insisted on being at the helm of the rescue of his men, some 7 days after PT-109’s destruction by the Tokyo Empress. We look at how volunteer managers can learn from JFK’s resilience, improvisation, and, ultimately, his successful rescue of his crew.

​

​