How can you avoid volunteer conflicts during public speaking events?

Volunteers are providing their time and are not everyday colleagues. When you communicate clearly you communicate across channels, provide ways for immediate support, and also monitor volunteer workload before the event. Understand exactly how much time will be needed, what the exact tasks our, where they should be meeting, and who they will interact with weeks before an event if possible. This also allows volunteers to engage with asks on multiple channels, get a clear understanding of the role, and feel secure and prepared when they arrive.

Clear, concise communication is key. Each volunteer should have an understanding of their specific role and function, as well as a general overview of the event as whole. Developing a sense of teamwork and a shared goal will help cut many conflicts off at the pass.

Ask the volunteers their goals in advance to make sure there’s alignment and to avoid problems later! If what they say seems like it might cause damage to the event, perhaps steer them to help at another event

By making clear to the TEAM of volunteers that we are a TEAM and everyone's perspective, suggestions etc are IMPORTANT but in order to hear them, we must let one person speak at a time. Also, if someone thinks of something at a later time, please feel free to visit with XYZ because everyone matters.

I think that specific training in knowing your audience is so important. Preparing relevant information, customizing your delivery and gauging the response of the audience are all steps to success.

To prevent volunteer conflicts during public speaking events, thorough training and robust support are vital. Train volunteers extensively on event protocols, potential challenges, and their specific roles. Offer comprehensive guidance, including simulated scenarios to prepare them for various situations. Provide ongoing support through clear communication channels, on-site supervisors, and accessible resources for immediate assistance. Encourage open dialogue for feedback and issue resolution. Continuous training updates and debriefings post-event also help refine volunteer skills, fostering a cohesive team focused on successful event execution and minimizing conflicts.

Help volunteers excel by understanding what they need to be at their best, and what might get in the way. Do they thrive in a speech type setting, interview setting or audience Q and A? Think about how much flexibility you have in your event to tailor to the strengths of the volunteer(s).

My public speaking on a round table where I answer questions the best way I can respond. Sometimes I have to com back at the next meeting to answer. In my experience this works the best way.

Training that involves a multifaceted approach is what several volunteers based upon the observation that I had in multiple events I have been part of. It involves the most important thing: communication. If they can articulate their ideas it will be a great help. Also know first what kind of training is suitable for them, evaluate their interests and the field in which they are in, so that you can evaluate what kind of technical aspects that they may have to improve upon and acquire for such an important event. We may never know if they have hidden talents that they can bring to the table, so it is important that they build at that, train it so that it may just become ingrained in their (habit) system.

It really goes back to establishing clear roles and responsibilities and being public about them. If there is a leadership void people will try and fill it and that is often a point of conflict.

In my experience dealing quickly with issues at the source is the best way of resolving issues. Also, having a clear Code of Conduct and clear expectation of the roles is very important.

If there is a leadership void people will try and fill it and that is often a point of conflict. having a clear Code of Conduct and clear expectation of the roles is very important.

Working to understand the perspectives of those involved and discovering each individual’s needs are both crucial to resolving conflicts. I agree that shooting from the hip while at in-person events is not at all advisable. Separate the combatants and deal with it later in a non-public situation.

I actually disagree with overbooking volunteers - I’ve been an overbooked volunteer who travelled an hour and a half for the event and then had nothing to do. If you choose to overbook volunteers - make sure there are tasks (even if it is busywork) for everyone or an alternate “bonus” for the person who is extraneous- like they get into a ticketed event for free or a thank you gift.

In my work, one thing that has been most helpful is creating a talk points and faqs document before the event. Talking points allow volunteers to understand what to say when tabling, or when asked questions of the organization. A FAQs document gives volunteers the answers they need during an event so it is clear and there doesn't have to be conflict over what to do. Also creating a run of show, best practices, and document of staging help create clear boundaries and roles that empower the volunteer to act with confidence.

Empowering goes hand in hand with equipping. Don’t expect a volunteer to take on a leadership role without clear guidelines and let them know that they can come to you with anything they feel like they cannot handle. I love this aspect of volunteers, seeing someone thrive who may have had hesitations in leading at first is a huge win, and often they do a better job than I could have done in the same role. This can be tough as your numbers grow, so resist the urge to micromanage, you may be pleasantly surprised!

Delegating and empowering is a great moral booster for those we select to lead the volunteers. If or when conflict occurs leadership can be trusted to navigate those issues while the speaker can focus on what is important to the venue and audience. In my speaking roles, I am purposefully not in the position of needing to assign tasks or delegate responsibilities, my host ensures all things run smoothly. Surrendering that responsibility can be a major weight off the speaker's shoulders.

As simple as it sounds, create a checklist and make assignments. And then let the volunteers make improvements as needed. Event registration can be handled many different ways. Let the registration volunteers decide how to run it. It will not only empower them, but they will most likely return to volunteer.

Having a written plan that delineates tasks and assigns them to individuals helps everyone know what is expected of them. If or when conflict occurs leadership can be trusted to navigate those issues while the speaker can focus on what is important to the venue and audience.

Especially during large or multi-day events, attempt to routinely evaluate. Certain volunteers groups, especially those working in logistical roles or those that deal with the public, are often the first to come under more strain than may have been forecasted. Being able to relieve them through additional available resources, volunteers, or motivation can go a long way to maintain moral and performance efficiency!

You have to recruit volunteers intentionally. Don't just do an open call and throw people in slots as they show up. Get some information from them about what they want to do and what they are capable of doing. Make sure there is clarity between the duties of staff and volunteers. Create 1 source of reliable information so that volunteers get consistent messaging. Relieve them at the end of their shifts and fill in their space. Don't keep them guessing about their presence. And, depending on the event sometimes they just need come care -- water, a snack, a place to sit, and a "thank you" goes a long way.

There is no such thing as “I am perfect!” The moment we cease to improve and develop, we are doomed to whither away. Being able to tap into how others see our leadership style or how we lead is always beneficial. One may think he/she is hot stuff when in actuality nothing but hot garbage. Using the constructive criticism, whether positive or negative will assist in the development of becoming a better leader.

In my experience, a failure festival helps in evaluating volunteers perfomance after an event. As the manager, you ought to lead by example, after pointing out all that went well you need to move to what could be done better. Open the discussion, preferably giving everyone an opportunity. Then, share what went wrong on your end as well. Remember as a leader, it is incumbent upon you to develop other leaders for delegation purposes in the short term and future volunteer managers. With all the ‘failures’ listed and discussed, come up with solutions for future engagements. These solutions should form part of the conceptualization of the next engagement. Part of them, can form a best practices manual that guide volunteer work moving forward.

Evaluation is crucial in an event most especially a public speaking event. You just do not go out and say that you succeed without the involvement of the actual people or the audience who witnessed and have been part of the event. I agree that failure is part of the process, but you have to always take note of what can be improved so that later on when you have another event like this, you will be able to implement the necessary changes. Some of it was drastic, and some are subtle, but regardless of that every feedback coming from your audience is necessary, and that is also to avoid speaking things that they find uninteresting.

Really be honest with yourself about whether you need volunteers, or if you just want to take advantage of unpaid labor. I've seen organizations with *huge* budgets and entire development departments rely on volunteers rather than budget and plan ahead accordingly to compensate people for their time and work. This is even more important for organizations that are branding themselves as socially conscious; if that's your external messaging, then your internal practices and policies need to reflect that. To be clear, i'm not saying there's no place for volunteers, but it should be a thoughtful decision and not a staffing default.

First thing's first, remember that Volunteers are People. Impassioned People. Driven and determined people who give far more than you could ever pay them to do. Recognise that in every way that you deal with them and you're halfway there. Conflict arises from mismanagement, miscommunication and things that fall out of scope for what they've signed up to do. Keep your work, on brand and on message... Whilst there is altruistic reward for them in the work they do. Never forget to reward and express gratitude for their contributions. In most cases Volunteers will get the job done with or without your organisation. Your organisation, and the work it does is a means of formalising, support ingenuity and developing volunteer engagement.

I have organized and run many events in NYC and could not have done it without the help of volunteers. With many guests and varied tasks, it was essential to be clear and concise about expectations, about their roles and acknowledge their contributions.

Volunteers will always have different ways to contribute in ways that they uniquely possess. So you have to be open to ideas and also aware of their availability. Each of them are like specialized cells, and the more you allow them to show their capabilities and skills, you are creating a good atmosphere to begin with. If you want an organized event, plan things ahead and involve all of them in the process. Allow them to share their thoughts and what they think can be valuable in the event, and later on sort it out together. Know their strengths and evaluate their personalities and see where they match, so when you group them they will easily fit. Also plan ahead what may happen when things do not work out.

The recruitment process is key, and it should be viewed in the same way one would view recruiting paid staff. Yes, free labour is great, but you need to ensure that volunteers have the right skill set for the tasks at hand. You also need to consider what the experience has to offer the volunteer in the way of skill development. The experience has to be worth everyone’s time and effort, and you need to be willing to offer adequate support and training to allow individuals to function effectively and efficiently. All the communication in the world can’t make up for a lack of ability, so spend the time up-front to ensure that you have equipped your volunteer team with the tools to do their jobs