You're leading a social impact initiative. How do you navigate a volunteer who challenges your approach?

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Leading a social impact initiative can be as challenging as it is rewarding. You're tasked with not only achieving the goals of the project but also managing a team, often made up of passionate volunteers. Among these volunteers, you might encounter individuals who question your methods or strategy. This can be a delicate situation to navigate, as you must balance maintaining authority with fostering a collaborative and open environment. Remember, your role is to guide the initiative towards success while ensuring that every team member, including those who challenge you, feels valued and heard.

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Suparna Mathur

Social Impact, Sustainability & Climate | Strategic Partnerships | Inclusive Community Engagement | Youth & Education
Jose Martinez Schjetnan

CEO & Co-Founder | Pioneering Financial Inclusion & Social Innovation Programs ?? | Passionate About Crypto ?? | ADA…
Victoria Silverman

Expert Storyteller

1 Listen First

When a volunteer challenges your approach, your first instinct might be to defend your plan. However, take a moment to listen actively to their concerns. By demonstrating that you value their input, you create an atmosphere of mutual respect. This doesn't mean you have to agree with their viewpoint, but by understanding where they're coming from, you can address their concerns directly. Sometimes, these challenges can unveil blind spots or new perspectives that could be beneficial to the initiative.

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Jose Martinez Schjetnan

CEO & Co-Founder | Pioneering Financial Inclusion & Social Innovation Programs ?? | Passionate About Crypto ?? | ADA Cardano Advocate ??
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Navigating a volunteer who challenges your approach in a social impact initiative requires tact and openness. Here’s how: 1?? Listen actively to their concerns and validate their perspective. 2?? Discuss your reasoning and objectives clearly to foster understanding. 3?? Collaborate on finding a middle ground that aligns with the initiative’s goals. ?? "Dare to Lead" by Brené Brown offers valuable strategies for handling such challenges. #Leadership #SocialImpact ????

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Kali P.

Innovation Director @ City of Cincinnati | Let's build a sustainable and equitable future ????
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Listening and taking feedback from your stakeholders is important. Make sure to listen with empathy and think about your response before gut reacting with a "no."

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Rola Chehayeb

Commissioner for Oaths | Community Engagement Liaison | Community Development Coordinator | Case Settlement Manager Supervisor | Adult Literacy Program Coordinator | Field Placement Supervisor | Preschool Teacher
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Navigating a volunteer who challenges your approach involves empathy, open communication, and constructive problem-solving. Start by listening actively to understand their concerns. Assess the feedback's validity and reflect on your approach. Communicate your vision, explaining the rationale behind your strategy and emphasizing shared goals. Invite the volunteer to propose alternative solutions, discussing their feasibility together. Compromise when possible, and agree to disagree respectfully if needed. Provide support, and resources, and encourage ongoing dialogue. Maintain professionalism, stay calm and respectful, and document the discussion for accountability.

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2 Assess Validity

Once you've listened to the volunteer's concerns, it's important to critically assess the validity of their challenge. Consider whether their points have merit and how they align with the initiative's goals. If their suggestions could lead to a more effective outcome, it may be worth integrating their ideas. On the other hand, if their approach conflicts with the core objectives or values of the project, it's essential to explain why sticking to the original plan is necessary.

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Suparna Mathur

Social Impact, Sustainability & Climate | Strategic Partnerships | Inclusive Community Engagement | Youth & Education
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It’s important to remember that having a volunteer challenge your approach can be a good sign that you have created psychological safety and an inclusive space. Your response in ensuring the idea(s) are heard and genuinely considered is key. Regardless of whether you integrate the feedback or not, the dialogue you engage in has the power to be transformative. If you see merit and choose to integrate the ideas - you’ve adapted and motivated the volunteer. If you don’t but provide strong rationale, you’ve helped educate your supporters. Engaging volunteers requires an openness and humility in bringing others along on the journey that needs to be different than the (often outdated) managerial approaches with paid employees.

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3 Communicate Clearly

Communication is key in managing disagreements. When responding to a volunteer's challenge, be clear and articulate why certain decisions have been made. Emphasize the strategic thinking behind your approach and how it serves the initiative's purpose. If their suggestions are not feasible, explain the reasons in a way that is constructive and educational, rather than dismissive. This will help maintain a positive relationship and show that you're leading with the initiative's best interests in mind.

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Victoria Silverman

Expert Storyteller
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One helpful thing is to direct message the person and speak to them 1:1. Listen carefully and don’t be defensive. Once you understand their viewpoint and you offer a counterpoint, see if the disgruntled person is willing to edit their response. This won’t always work. The truth is that they are one lone voice. Your brand or organisation should be strong enough to withstand a bit of criticism. If this person has a huge following, you could even use his/her/their viewpoint to highlight your cause.

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4 Empower Participation

One way to navigate challenges is to empower volunteers by involving them in decision-making processes where appropriate. This could mean creating committees or working groups that allow for more in-depth discussion on specific aspects of the initiative. By giving volunteers a platform to express their ideas and take ownership of certain tasks, they may feel more invested and less inclined to challenge the overall approach.

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Nisrine ABD

Intervenante sociale, pédadogue, animatrice d'ateliers artistiques
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Participation can be empowered by encouraging the expression of special or particular needs and allowing the participants to decide ways to meet them. It is also important to empower initiative, creativity, self investment.

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5 Foster Team Unity

Challenges to your approach can sometimes create divisions within your team. It's crucial to foster a sense of unity and shared purpose. Highlight the common goals and values that brought everyone together and celebrate the diversity of thoughts and opinions as a strength rather than a hindrance. Encourage open dialogue and ensure that all team members have the opportunity to contribute to the initiative's success.

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6 Evolve and Adapt

Finally, be prepared to evolve and adapt your approach if necessary. Social impact initiatives often operate in dynamic environments, and what works today may not be as effective tomorrow. If a volunteer's challenge leads to a better strategy, be willing to implement changes. Showing flexibility and a willingness to improve can inspire confidence in your leadership and encourage volunteers to continue contributing their best efforts.

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You're leading a social impact initiative. How do you navigate a volunteer who challenges your approach?

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1 Listen First

2 Assess Validity

3 Communicate Clearly

4 Empower Participation

5 Foster Team Unity

6 Evolve and Adapt

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