Free · Certificate included

Managing Volunteer Conflict

Defuse tension and resolve disputes before they cost you good volunteers.

31 min Intermediate 8 modules Pass 80%

For: Volunteers leading other volunteers

What you’ll learn

Spot and address conflict before it escalates
Mediate disputes fairly between two volunteers
Run a performance conversation with a problem volunteer
Know when — and how — to counsel a volunteer out

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Course outline

1
Why conflict is the leader’s job
When two volunteers clash, the temptation is to wait and hope it blows over.
4 min Quiz Interactive
2
Diagnose before you intervene
Before you step in, figure out what kind of conflict you’re dealing with.
5 min Quiz Interactive
3
Your conflict style (and theirs)
In 1974, Kenneth Thomas and Ralph Kilmann mapped how people respond to conflict along two axes: assertiveness (how hard you push for your own concerns) and…
5 min Quiz Interactive
4
Mediating between two volunteers
When two volunteers are stuck, you often have to step in as a neutral third party — a mediator.
5 min Quiz Interactive
5
The performance conversation
Not every conflict is between two volunteers.
5 min Quiz Interactive
6
When you can’t please everyone
Some conflicts can’t be smoothed into a win-win, and pretending otherwise just delays the reckoning.
4 min Quiz Interactive
7
Counseling a volunteer out
Occasionally, despite fair conversations and real chances to change, a volunteer simply isn’t a fit — or their conduct crosses a line you can’t allow.
5 min Quiz Interactive
8
Putting it together: the conflict playbook
You now have the full toolkit: diagnose the type, choose the right mode, mediate when it’s between two people, run an honest performance conversation when it’s one,…
3 min Interactive

Sources & further reading

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