No matter how well you plan a volunteer event or manage your volunteers, eventually something is going to happen that doesn’t quite go as planned. It’s important to address the problem quickly and professionally and getting back to normal.

Identify the Problem

Try to understand what has happened that has created some difficulty. Take a moment to reflect on the problem to try to find the root of it. What’s going wrong at the moment needs to be addressed, but there may be a deeper cause of the problem.

Face the Problem

After you’ve identified the problem facing your program, the next step is to face it.

While it might be easier to avoid the problem, avoiding it won’t help make it go away. Face the problem with resolve and try to solve it in a positive way.

Move On

Once the problem is solved, move on. Try not to dwell on the problem once it’s solved. Don’t keep rolling the situation around in your head, it will only make you anxious and stressed.

Remember the Lessons Learned

Moving on doesn’t mean that you forget that the problem happened, though. Make sure you understand what caused the problem and try to implement new practices that won’t let the same problem happen again.

Be Ready for Problems

No matter how well you plan a volunteer event or the processes in your program, something is eventually going to go wrong. Knowing that and understanding how to solve problems can make your program stronger and better able to deal with unexpected problems.

 

What was the biggest challenge you’ve ever faced managing volunteers? How did you solve it? What did you learn from it? Let us know in the comments!