You're running a volunteer organization. How can you create a culture of feedback that helps everyone grow?

Feedback is a gift ?? to get and give genuine feedback one of the prerequisite is to have a culture in organisation which makes people to be in “Safe Zone”. Also important to get away with unconcious bias and to be specific on task.

The team leader has to create a safe and open environment where volunteers feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas and feel encouraged by constructive feedback and ensure that all feedback is taken seriously and addressed appropriately. Most importantly leader has to Lead by example, i.e., demonstrate the importance of feedback by actively seeking input from volunteers and providing feedback in a constructive and respectful manner. Show that feedback is a two-way street and that everyone has a valuable perspective to share.

Create a safe space where folks can share their ideas and solutions. Ask questions to encourage brainstorming. Give positive and constructive feedback. Openly share and show your appreciation for their time, talents, and treasure.

Constructive feedback will help a person to grow or improve their performance. Feedback conversation must start with appreciating the contribution of the volunteers and then state areas for improvement.

A Volunteer Coordinator and organizational managers need to take time to interview volunteers, particularly key volunteers, to learn why the volunteer is engaged with the organization. Further, feedback is needed as to how to improve the volunteer experience and also help avoid volunteer burnout. A volunteer suggestion box with also help generate ideas about how to improve the volunteer program. One idea received was to play background music in the Food Bank's warehouse when volunteers were sorting produce or boxing meal packages. Plus, you want to find out why volunteers are at your site . . . court ordered, retired, belong to a service organization or church group, which can lead to more volunteers.

Para crear una cultura de retroalimentación en una organización de voluntarios, es crucial establecer confianza y transparencia, proporcionar canales claros de comunicación, capacitar a los voluntarios en dar y recibir retroalimentación constructiva, reconocer y valorar sus contribuciones, y fomentar una mentalidad de aprendizaje continuo. Esto promueve un ambiente donde las opiniones son valoradas y utilizadas para el crecimiento tanto individual como colectivo.

When managing volunteers feedback is very important. That can be negative or positive. It helps you to measure your performance and create room for adjustment. With positive and constructive feedback we feel elated to do more.

It is vital that feedback is consistent, constructive, and genuine. I use the sandwich method, but it must be grounded in trust to be truly valuable. 1) Encouragement of current behaviors - This step is more for me, forcing me to pay attention on a routine basis to be able to identify the good that is happening with a particular person. If I can't do this, I've already lost. Pay attention to your people. 2) Leadership Points - "To get where we need to go, here are 1 or 2 things we need to start doing immediately and 1 or 2 things we need to stop doing immediately." 3) Encouragement regarding this meeting - Thank them for their feedback, their honesty, their willingness to grow, and the impact they have on the organization.

Seeking feedback should not be an 'exercise; it should be about identifying specific areas for improvement, and when change is implemented directly because of feedback, credit should be given that the process has improved because of the volunteer feedback. Once that has been demonstrated, feedback processes should be integral at every appropriate opportunity. The goal should be for feedback to be habitual, 360-degree, goal-orientated and process-led.

Put a simple suggestions box in the hallways, anyone can put their suggestions and ideas on a paper. If they want to do it anonymously they should have the option to do that also

When we demand feedback we should expect both negative and positive feedback. This is because as a project manager you can't meet the expectations of everybody. Therefore, it is very vital to listen to all feedback no matter how opposing they are. If it is a face to face feedback it is important to show empathy and rapt attention.

Feedback can be a powerful tool to assist an organization's growth because it is an opportunity for the organization's audience to provide their voice which can provide unexpected insight. To facilitate this type of feedback ask open-ended questions: What is the most important takeaway from this session? How will this service change your day/week/year? What are you excited to try? And, my favorite - How did this service/event/benefit surprise you? Responses to this type of question take more time and effort so you may not receive an answer from everyone in the audience but I have been surprised by the thoughtful and helpful responses. These questions are also great for wrapping up a workshop or educational session.

?ntegrity i.e."walk the talk". Personality matters- as genuine approach fosters good environment for communication. Asking feedback, but not for "ticking the box". Be honest and communicate proactively.

Leadership starts with yourself, so make asking for feedback something you do. I have learnt a huge amount by doing this. Listen to both positive & negative feedback with equal interest, curiosity and good intent. Giving and receiving feedback needs practice. So ask & keep on asking, listen with the purpose of understanding more deeply, don’t jump to explain or excuse if what you are hearing is difficult. Be curious, allow things not to be perfect. Be honest, try to play back what you heard to check you really get it. By doing this, you can create a safe environment for people to share feedback openly and grow together. Honest feedback is a gift ?? When you receive a gift, say thank you, and consider how you might use that gift.

In all we do, it is important to ask for and to listen. In as much preparations may be geared towards perfection, there is always one or two things volunteers may point us to which is why it’s necessary to ask and look forward to receive both negative and positive responses with a good heart. We can also ask through means like survey, verbally, questionnaires or any other tool that works best for our group.

I have had great success with anonymous feedback forms and hosting open town halls for folks to come with their questions and concerns. After making the collection of feedback a regular practice, I have seen engagement and retention rates spike.

In my experience the most important component is following through on the feedback given by either implementing changes or being open and honest about why suggestions cannot be actualized. The worse thing we can do as leaders is ask for feedback and not demonstrate value by ignoring opportunities to meet the expectations of others.

I think it’s important to have job descriptions for your volunteer roles and have measurable goals around the work they do. I’ve had great success modeling our volunteer opportunities around our staffing model of having descriptions, measurable goals and a paper eval, with a mid year check in if applicable. The paper eval is a very condensed version of your staff tool. Theres no merit increase or reward here though so be easy on the scoring and heavy on the conversation. Volunteers can self evaluate and the supervisor also provides input. It ensures they have something to strive for, they tangibly can see the impact they’ve had and fosters a deeper level of commitment to your organization.

Creating ways your audience and the public will reach you to report how they feel about your project is very critical in the success of the project. The feedback channels must be flexible enough for all kinds of people to be able to reach you. When creating those channels, you put into consideration people that have no access to the Internet, people in the remote areas and so on.

An organization committed to establishing a culture and rhythm of effective feedback, should foster an environment of transparency. A safe environment where people experience the strength of a feedback culture, will encourage leaders to welcome consistent and constructive feedback.

Pay attention to feedback between volunteers, feedback between peers and feedback between volunteers and peers. Allow information exchange between volunteers and peers, could be through emails, letters and other online platforms.

Feedback is not only between you and your volunteers. It is also between your volunteers and their peers. Peer-to-peer feedback can foster collaboration, learning, and trust among your volunteers. It can also reduce your workload and increase your volunteers' engagement and ownership. Encourage your volunteers to give and receive feedback from each other, and provide them with guidelines and tools to do so effectively. For example, you can use online platforms, group chats, or buddy systems to facilitate peer-to-peer feedback.

The best path towards creating a culture of feedback among volunteers is to lead by example. I'll tell my volunteers an experience when I was given an unexpected piece of advice, early on in ministry, that stung at first, but then made me realize that my work would be improved from then on out because of that valuable piece of constructive criticism. I'll also ask the volunteer team for feedback, both positive and negative (and in between), even when I'm the group leader. No one is perfect, iron sharpens iron, and there's always room to grow. Giving feedback should always go hand in hand with being willing to receive feedback, and no better way to teach that than to model it.

Getting to a point where you can celebrate feedback is a long journey. We have to recognise that whilst feedback supports effective change, development and innovation it can also be scary and raise worries and concerns. Building a culture of support and care has to be a part of an organisation before feedback can be celebrated. Teams and managers need to be supported and we need to recognise how and why they may struggle with moving to a model where feedback is welcomed and celebrated.

Building a culture of feedback is about creating a supportive environment where learning, growth, and mutual respect flourish. It’s about recognizing that each volunteer brings unique skills and perspectives that, when harnessed through effective feedback mechanisms, can significantly enhance the organization’s impact. Moreover, cultivating such a culture helps in retaining volunteers by making them feel valued and understood. It transforms volunteering from a mere contribution of time into a meaningful engagement where volunteers see tangible results from their efforts and have a clear understanding of their role in the larger mission.

Es importante entender que detrás de un voluntario hay un propósito. En su mayoría, siempre buscan aprender, experimentar,crecer, aportar , construir desde el impacto o la causa que se esté apoyando (importante identificarlo). Por lo anterior , la retroalimentación debe ir directamente proporcional al objetivo personal que el voluntario esté buscando con su labor . Esto es determinante a la hora de generar retroalimentación , entendiéndola como un medio para resaltar buenas prácticas, identificar oportunidades de mejora y/o corregir . Para ello, identificando estos objetivos del voluntario y su avance en el mismo , la retroalimentación se convierte en el medio de avanzar en ese plan carrera y por tanto debe ser reconocida.

when you celebrate a person based on the good feedback the person gave, it motivates the person as well as the people around him/her. it shows that their opinion is been recognized and they will have sense of belonging.

Un franc et sincère "merci" est très souvent utilisé dans notre association. La gratitude devrait être promue dans toutes les organisations!

Many online platforms facilitate the interaction among the team members and the different teams. This can help record the feedback for the benefit of all.

Always remember to personally thank your volunteers for their effort no matter how small or large. It really is just that simple.

Firstly, set up a culture for open and respectful conversations about work matters. Be a role model. Be open to receive 360 feedback on work performance first. And be intentional to make changes for areas of growth. Show the way. Subsequently, facilitate platforms for cross sharing of feedback. It has to be a safe environment. Gradually, the culture of open and respectful conversation about work matters and performance will be part of the culture.

I agree, but I have worked for very many different volunteer organizations from not-for-profit’s doing a door-to-door donations. I’ve worked on various community playground builds. Also worked on various boards within the Community. I started volunteering to connect with people when my boys were young. I believe rewards and incentives are key. Why would someone want to volunteer ? Simply providing snacks or treats can go a long way ??.

Positives Feedback und Wertsch?tzung unerl?sslich, um das Engagement und die Motivation von Ehrenamtlichen zu st?rken. Durch die Anerkennung ihrer Arbeit und ihres Einsatzes k?nnen Organisationen eine unterstützende Umgebung schaffen, in der Ehrenamtliche gedeihen und ihr volles Potenzial entfalten k?nnen. Es ist wichtig, dass Organisationen aktiv daran arbeiten, eine Kultur der Wertsch?tzung zu f?rdern und sicherzustellen, dass die Bedürfnisse ihrer Ehrenamtlichen stets im Mittelpunkt stehen. Denn letztendlich sind es die Freiwilligen, die einen entscheidenden Beitrag zum Erfolg und zur Wirkung einer Organisation leisten.