Managing Volunteer Conflict
Defuse tension and resolve disputes before they cost you good volunteers.
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
Screen your volunteers for $5
VolunteerBadge runs FCRA-compliant background checks for just $5 — with identity verification built in. No monthly fees, no contracts.
Create a free account →Course outline
- 1
Why conflict is the leader’s job
4 min
- 2
Diagnose before you intervene
5 min
- 3
Your conflict style (and theirs)
5 min
- 4
Mediating between two volunteers
5 min
- 5
The performance conversation
5 min
- 6
When you can’t please everyone
4 min
- 7
Counseling a volunteer out
5 min
- 8
Putting it together: the conflict playbook
3 min
Sources & further reading
- The Myers-Briggs Company — Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) — the five conflict modes
- CPP, Inc. (Global Human Capital Report) — Workplace Conflict and How Businesses Can Harness It to Thrive (2008)
- Crucial Learning — Crucial Conversations: Pool of Shared Meaning, Make It Safe & the STATE skills
- Energize, Inc. — Volunteer Management Resources — leadership & making conflict constructive
- Program on Negotiation, Harvard Law School — The benefits of a neutral third party & shuttle diplomacy in mediation
This course is educational and provides general information about the Fair Credit Reporting Act and volunteer-screening best practices. It is not legal advice. Laws vary by state and change over time — consult a qualified attorney about your organization’s specific obligations.