How can you manage volunteers resistant to change?

Understanding a volunteer's "why" is mission critical. Just because your mission speaks to them, it's not their entire story. While knowing their motivations and what they want to get out of it is important, you truly need to understand what attracted them to your mission in the first place. If that basic "why" isn't addressed, the volunteer may not experience an organization to the full benefit of both parties and they can leave with a foul taste. Having this understanding allows for a volunteer to have the most transformational engagement with your organization. It creates greater buy in, and greater opportunities for growth.

One reason volunteers are resistant to change is that they connect their identity (and brand) to the contributions they make to an organization. Thus any meaningful changes to the infrastructure, process, or project(s) they contributed towards, are not only a reflection of their work passing into obsolesce but may also trigger a fear of irrelevance. As impending changes may jeopardize the volunteers' standing in the community and value to the organization s/he resists. To overcome this emotional dissidence, the change management process must intentionally engage the volunteer during the initiation phase, celebrate their dedication, position their work as critical to the success of a future state, and offer them the ability to contribute.

Spot on!!! Volunteers value a different currency...like helping others grow or overcome challenges...or meet the full measure of their creation!

Don’t forget why your voultneer signed up in the first place. To guide volunteers through change, start by getting to the root of what drives them. Each person has unique reasons for volunteering, whether it's passion for the cause, desire to connect with others, or personal growth. By recognizing these motivations more clearly, you can tailor your approach to align with their personal goals, making change feel less like an imposition and more like a shared journey.

To effectively manage volunteers resistant to change, it is imperative to articulate the rationale and benefits of the change clearly. Active listening to their concerns and involving them in the decision-making process can foster acceptance. Providing comprehensive training and support is essential for their successful adaptation. Leading by example, acknowledging achievements, and maintaining a patient and flexible approach are critical strategies. Creating a supportive environment where volunteers feel valued and their contributions are recognized can significantly reduce resistance and facilitate a smoother transition to new practices.

Start with what everyone shares in common, which is often the mission statement and the reason for the organization to exist and work from that commonality.

Within here, ask questions and initiate a conversation about what they think is working really well, and areas of weakness. Can you incorporate that information into the change process?

This is a place where you can inspire hope by empowering them to be architects of the future vision. And it invites them to be invested in the success.

No one likes change just imporsoed on them, change is easier to accept when one feels part of it. Involve your volunteers in planning and empower them during the decision-making stages to share ideals, thoughts and suggestions. This not only gives them a sense of ownership but also leverages their insights and experiences as they develop leadership skills. Such involvement can lead to more effective solutions and smoother implementation, as volunteers are more likely to support and lead changes they helped shape.

Involving volunteers in the decision making process (such as committees) reaffirms that their opinion is valued and their support of the organization is needed. Volunteers are at the heart of what we do, and offer invaluable insights into the perspectives of members or clients from the ground up. Involving volunteers will help strengthen the team, which strengthens the overall organization in turn.

Know that not everyone will experience the same reaction and the process will not be linear so create space in the process for varying responses.

Resistance often stems from fear of not being heard or uncertainty. Acknowledge these feelings openly and provide a safe space for volunteers to express concerns. Empathetic listening can turn resistance into constructive conversations, paving the way for acceptance and adaptation. Recognizing emotions validates their experience and shows you care beyond just their volunteer role. Share information.

Facilitate a constructive and productive outlet for volunteers to express their emotions. Frequently, their resistance originates from feelings of fear or frustration. By providing them with the chance to openly express themselves, they will feel acknowledged and understood. Moreover, the organization can gain valuable insights from their perspective.

Positive recognition is a crucial component of establishing a long-term relationship with volunteers. Considering that there is no monetarily compensation, most volunteers are motivated by the cause and having their efforts acknowledged is rewarding - it reinforces that their efforts were not in vain. It also encourages them to volunteer again for future opportunities.

Recognizing and celebrating the contributions of volunteers can boost morale and open their minds to change. Highlighting successes, big or small, reinforces their value to the organization and the impact of their work. Celebrations can be simple acknowledgments in meetings, thank-you notes, or public recognition in newsletters or social media. So remember, never waste an opportunity to uplift others this will inspire your volunteers, external community members and potential donors to want to sign up and help too. Talk about spreading kindness for social impact !

The primary motivation behind many people's decision to volunteer is their desire for learning and personal growth. Therefore, it is crucial to offer them ample opportunities to develop their skills and acquire new knowledge. Investing in their career development is essential to ensure their motivation and willingness to embrace change and tackle fresh challenges.

Sometimes you have to ask your volunteers to think about succession in roles. This means that the organization cannot continue to adapt to their needs, but then sometimes they may need to leave, but do so on constructive and meaningful terms.

In my experience understanding their journey and why they want to contribute time & effort helps to build meaningful relationships. If this is done well with longer conversations and sharing transparently what the nonprofits need right now to which their input would significantly contribute is vital. Most volunteers start with passion and sometimes these conversations can help in navigating misalignment. It is also critical that we share the story of the organization that inspired you to take up this journey can be powerful. This can make them invested in your cause and be an ambassador even after the stint is over.

Actually I have found that volunteers resistance to change may hinder organizational growth. I agree there are times when resetting the relationship is valuable. However, if change is necessary and aligned with your mission, it is important to secure volunteers that are supportive. When facing ongoing resistance despite efforts to respond to concerns, it becomes an issue of establishing new criteria for volunteer stakeholders so that the organization may grow to make greater impacts in the future than in the “comfortable” past.

Consider whether the volunteer is resistant to change or reacting to something else in the organization environment. Use the information gathered during the discovery process to resolve the volunteer's resistance to enhance your change management policy. If you don't have one, now is a good time to start!

People volunteer for a multitude of reasons but the most commonly underlying one is passion for the mission. As a nonprofit leader, your mission should also be central to everything you do. Presuming that any change within the organization is to benefit the mission, volunteers may become more accepting of change when understanding, over time, that it will have a positive impact on the mission that is also at the heart of their work.

An example I've seen is to involve your volunteers in the change process in a meaninful way. When volunteers feel valued, they are more likely to embrace the change, which can reduce resistance to it.