How to resolve conflict among trustees

When board meetings result in fractious parties, it’s time to put in place conflict resolution measures. In this article, we run through our top tips to make bickering trustees get along.

Choose the right forum to resolve the issue

At Charity Digital, we’re fierce advocates of digital tools and techniques. When it comes to communication, however, it’s clear that sometimes email and social media exchanges aren’t the best way to resolve conflict.

When starting the resolution process, think about solving the issue privately, or in person. Make sure that the forum is planned in advance and that each party is aware of what you hope to achieve during the meeting.

Ask trustees to practice ‘digital patience’

With remote and hybrid working practices in place, there’s the risk of digital miscommunications and potential for conflict.

In his article, Steven Dinkin, President of the National Conflict Resolution Center in the US, says that following digital etiquette guidelines and stepping away from the screen can prevent misunderstandings and cool down heated situations.

In practice, charity leaders should remind trustees to take their time to consider their response before shooting out replies on email or social media. If possible, share your digital policy with trustees and make them aware of the etiquette to follow.

Remind trustees of their duties

There’s nothing like a dose of reality and professionalism to encourage difficult trustees to get on side. The UK government offers guidance on the role of trustees and how they steer charity decision-making.

When mediating between opposing sides, remind trustees of their promise to cooperate for the good of the charity. Reconfirm their position of influence by sending them the government’s digital guidance – it includes wording on cooperation and working together.

To calm even the most rancorous trustees, use the Charity Commission’s The Essential Trustee guidance, as it will reassure all decision-makers of their role and purpose.

Ask a neutral party for advice

There may be neutral parties which can act as an adjudicator for your organisation on a particular matter. The Guardian says that to resolve disputes, a trained mediator might be involved to channel messages between parties.

One perk of having a trained mediator is that they might be able to find common ground between entrenched parties and act as a go-between. Our top tip here is to find a mediator that both parties can agree on to find a new way forward.

Review digital records

Digital records from Zoom meetings, constituent management systems, and project management platforms come in handy. These digital tools have preserved notes from meetings and decisions that could be the key to convincing trustees one way or another.

To resolve conflict among trustees, download the records and ask the warring parties to review and reconsider. Senior charity leaders may wish to emphasise how previous decisions led up to the best course of action.

Our top tip here is to leverage the reporting tools from each platform.

Foster positive attitudes and actions

A strategy to take forward regardless of conflict, fostering a positive and supportive environment encourages cooperation. Blogspot offers tips for positive communications. They say that to resolve conflict, use “yes and…” statements to build consensus. To grow positive attitudes, they also suggest using humour when appropriate to lighten the mood.

Build trust, even remotely

Most trustees don’t get together very often and communicate online. To set the tone for cooperation and conflict resolution, there are digital tools to help. Team building exercises are fun and can lift the spirits of your trustees. For more guidance, the NCVO has a quick checklist of points to go over when planning away days.

Virtual away days for trustees help them solve their differences. To get some perspective, quizzes can be designed to build trust. QuizBreaker includes ready-made templates to help people build an understanding of each other.

For informal events, virtual team socials work well. Remote team building firm Wildgoose has inspirational ideas, including virtual escape room and murder mystery challenges. A bonus for organisers, these events come with a downloadable app and online content.

Involve the Charity Commission

Getting the Charity Commission to take a look at the conflict is one of the last things to try. Engaging the regulator is a serious task. In order for them to take a look at your issue, they need to be sure that, “all other available methods of resolving the dispute have been attempted and have failed.”

For charities, this in itself may be an onerous task, as the Commission may ask for supporting evidence that everything possible has been explored. For very serious roadblocks, our pro tip is to check out how solicitors can help you before engaging with the Charity Commission.