Conflict Resolution Toolkit
Conflict resolution toolkit webpage for Volunteering NSW website
Preventing conflict
What can you do?
Practising the skills explained in How can I deal with conflict can help you deal with conflict when it arises, but it can also help you communicate better with colleagues.
What can your organisation do?
It is important that an organisation is clear about what it expects from volunteers, how tasks and work are allocated and divided, what norms and values it finds important, and how it deals with concerns and complaints.
Organisations usually address some of these things in a volunteer agreement or ‘grievance policy', which should be clearly written and easily accessible.
As part of this, an organisation should provide volunteers with a contact person who they can ask questions of or present concerns to.
If your organisation does not have a grievance procedure, perhaps it is something that you can suggest.