Email vs. Phone Call

I am coordinating this volunteer tutoring program at the girls' school and it's.... not going so well! There have been several delays, many odd uncooperative components, too few volunteers for the need. I've made it known from the inception that I'm not sure I'm the right person for this job, but have been told that they just need someone to do it. Or so it seems. Anyway, what makes me not the right person? I'm a total introvert. I'm not a recruiter. I don't make phone calls. Why?

Take, for example, last night. About a week and half ago I finally received the list of students, time slots the teachers would like filled and could now link that with the volunteers and their available times. Since that was Halloween, and we were leaving the next day, I put this off until last Friday, after my conferences were over. It's like putting together a puzzle, and I must say, I enjoy puzzles. What I don't enjoy is having to verify all the info with everyone. Since I have so far only connected via email (since I've had really nothing to share!), I started calling.

First call yielded a not there person, left a message. Second call was a generic message, and since I don't know this person at all, and I'm not completely sure I have all the correct info other than a correct email, I opted to email. Third call was a non-connected phone number. The fourth call was no answer. Now, let me just explain something to all you extroverts out there. There is this funny phone call rehearsal some of us total introverts do. We have to, before placing a call, go over the entire call in our heads. It's exhausting, it's annoying, it's cumbersome but it must be done. I have now done this four times with negative results. I'm throwing in the towel. I'm back to email.

I understand the drawbacks that email involves, but for me, it's a lifeline. I can honestly say that if there were no email, I would not have ever imagined myself volunteering to do a job like this, or a job like room mother or any other job that involved corralling a group of adults to volunteer time and energy to do something. I just wouldn't. And I made that clear to the people who wanted me to do this job. I'm just really bad at asking people to help me. Period. And some of these people may only get an email from me.

Note to anyone who is planning to call me to ask me to help them - send me an email! =)