VolunteerToday.com ~~ The Electronic Gazette for Volunteerism
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Constructive Criticism and Conflict: Some Tips
Volunteers can often use a tune-up in their performance of skills to do the job. Here are some constructive feedback techniques to help them on their way without anger at the supervisor.
Use positive language. Try to lead from the positive. Questions like, “Did you ever try to do this like this?” are loads better than, “You never seem to get this right.”
Constructive feedback comes without strings. Helping people do a job better or more efficiently should never have strings attached. The person giving the feedback needs to present it in an unthreatening manner, designed to help. This allows the receiver to ask questions, take risks with the new things (and not fear retribution or rejection), and know that help is being sincerely offered, not merely as a “gotcha.”
Be specific. Limit constructive feedback to a single topic. Even if the volunteer has several areas needing improvement, stick with one at a time.
Set the tone for change. Change is hard for everyone. Good feedback acknowledges the difficulty of change, and provides a roadmap to get there. It may be outlining new training, assigning a mentor, monitoring by volunteer and supervisor, and an award when the change is fully implemented. But it is the person sending the message who starts laying out the road map for change.
If there is conflict when presenting constructive feedback here are some do’s and don’ts.
 Don’t
Say |
 |
 Do
Say |
| Do
this. |
Here’s
what we need to do. |
|
| You’re
confusing me. |
I’m
confused. |
|
| Who
did it? |
What
happened? |
|
| You’re
wrong. |
Why
do you say that? |
|
| I
disagree. |
I
see things in a different way. |
|
| That’s
not your job. |
Let’s
see what you are doing and who can help us with this problem. |
Much has been written
by Sue Vineyard, Marlene Wilson, and others in the field of volunteer
management about the need to “care for yourself.” The stable
and healthy volunteer manager is more capable of leading a corps of volunteers
than one who is burned out. But, what about volunteer burnout? A reader
of Volunteer Today sent a request to this writer asking for some help
with the topic of volunteer burnout. The topic is a big one. In this issue
we will tackle what to look for.
Is a volunteer burned out? Who decides? What are some symptoms, both for
the supervisor to notice and the volunteer to experience? Before assuming
someone is burned out check out these symptoms.
| For
the volunteer manager to ask: |
 |
For
the volunteer to ask: |
| Do
volunteers say there is no fun in volunteering anymore?Is
a volunteer fretting or worrying excessively?Does
a volunteer get excitable and combative over something very small?Is
the volunteer cranky and irritable with other volunteers, worse
yet with clients or patrons?Is
the volunteer missing assignments due to minor health problems?Is
there less laughter when the volunteer is around? |
Has
the enthusiasm for your volunteer work dropped considerably?Does
the volunteer work you do feel like a heavy weight?Are
you fretting and worrying about your volunteer job, even when you
are doing other things?Is
there a feeling of emptiness in your volunteer work?Has
the satisfaction gone from doing this volunteer job?Do
you think about quitting this volunteer position?Are
you cranky with other volunteers or clients or staff members?When
was the last time you had a great laugh during your volunteer working
hours? |
June’s issue of Volunteer Today will bring tips and hints for dealing with burnout.
Return to the Menu
One more reason to join The Association for Volunteer Administration (AVA): a member idea exchange. The Member Knowledge Exchange is part of member benefits. On the Web site members access the restricted area and click to the Member Knowledge Exchange. You can be listed as willing to answer questions on areas of recruiting and managing volunteers. Or you can find an expert to help with your problem. There is an inventory to complete or people to contact if you have a question. If you are not a member of AVA this is one more reason to pay your dues. If you are a member, visit the web site at http://www.avaintl.org/.
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Interested in assessing volunteer and staff relations in your program? Looking for help from an expert? Get help with one of the Volunteer Program Evaluation Series. |
WSU ONLINE CERTIFICATE IN VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT
Washington
State University offers a Volunteer Management Certification Program through
the Internet. Individuals around the world can earn a certificate in managing
or coordinating volunteers, without leaving home.
For more information, visit Volunteer Today's Portal site, Internet
Resources. Look for the Washington State University listing. There
is a hot link to their Web site.
The National
Association of Volunteer Programs in Local Government (NAVPLG) is an association
of administrators, coordinators and directors of volunteer programs in
local government. Its purpose is to strengthen volunteer programs in local
government through leadership, advocacy, networking and information exchange.
NAAVPLG is an affiliate of the National Association of Counties and is
seeking affiliate status with the National League of Cities.
Cost is $20 for individuals and $75 for group local government membership.
An affiliate membership is $25 and is intended for those who are not local
government members but may have an interest in the group. There is a quarterly
newsletter, national network, and access to NACo's Volunteerism Project.
For more information contact Robin
Popik, who is a Volunteer Resource Supervisor. She can be reached
by phone at 972-941-7114. Be sure to mention you read about this in Volunteer
Today.
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