Managing conflict and disputes

When conflict arises, having a plan in place will support your club to work through any complaints and disputes.

Strategies to help resolve conflict

With a team of passionate and dedicated volunteers, conflict can arise at any time A planned approach to handling disputes will lead to better resolutions and reduce the impact on your club.

You should consider and document:

• Who will deal with the dispute at its initial stages and if the issue escalates
• How and at what point the issue will be formally documented
• Clear steps to follow when a complaint arises
• What resources you can call on for assistance, particularly in a small organisation
• Timelines for each stage of the conflict management process
• How the club will support each party equally

For more in-depth information, guides and examples on managing, making and resolving complaints, see Play by the Rules - complaints handling, opens in a new tab

Resources

• Conflict resolution toolkit, opens in a new tab Volunteering NSW
• Complaint handling e-course, opens in a new tab Play by the Rules
• Complaint handling video, opens in a new tab Play by the Rules
• Dealing with conflict, opens in a new tab VicSport/Volunteering Victoria