Leading Nonprofit Success: The Executive Director’s Role in Resolving Disputes and Achieving Vision

Introduction

In the vibrant and mission-driven world of nonprofit organizations, the role of an executive director is both pivotal and multifaceted. As the cornerstones of leadership and strategic direction, these leaders are not only the face of the organization, but also the driving force behind its success. In an ecosystem where people have come together to further a common goal, clearly communicating the vision and purpose of the organization is crucial to keep people focused on that bigger purpose, fueling their efforts.

However, seasoned executive directors know that the maintenance and upkeep of this vision isn’t achieved solely by giving inspirational speeches; it requires identifying and addressing the obstacles to the fulfillment of that vision that may arise.

The very passion that ignites people to act on their convictions is often the tinder that sparks internal conflicts. Although people are working together toward the same goal, opinions often differ on how to achieve it. In this delicate dance of enthusiasm and discord, the executive director's ability to prioritize dispute resolution and align the team is essential for organizational success.

How Executive Director Leadership Matters for Nonprofit Conflict Resolution

How can executive directors help with resolving nonprofit disputes and maintaining organizational health? Depending on the size of the organization, it might not be necessary or even advisable for executive directors to get into the particulars of conflict that is occurring, as they are uniquely positioned to influence the way the organization deals with conflict. It’s not unusual for organizations to downplay tension, either by not addressing it or not providing conflict resolution skills to those immediately involved. By making conflict resolution an organizational priority, executive directors are demonstrating their commitment to keep disputes from escalating, thus preserving the performance and morale of personnel and teams.

Here are some actions executive directors can take to maintain the health of the organization:

• Strive to address conflict early: As soon as conflict occurs, directors can take the lead in brainstorming solutions with the team, communicating that conflict resolution is a priority, as opposed to accepting friction as part of the status quo.
• Create a culture of open communication: A culture of open communication is essential for preventing conflict. This means encouraging staff to share their thoughts and concerns without fear of reprisal.
• Promote difficult conversations: When there is a problem, executive directors can take the lead in initiating processes for improvement that might prevent future occurrences.
• Policy implementation: Executive directors can help develop and enforce policies that minimize conflict potential.
• Capacity building: Executive directors can provide teams with conflict resolution training and tools for effective organizational conflict management.

Dispute Resolution Strategies for Nonprofits

Even if executive directors are not handling conflicts directly, one of the biggest contributions they can make is coaching team members on how to resolve disputes. Here are a few considerations on conflict and how organizations can address it:

Understand the Conflict:

Categorization

Organizational conflicts can be put into two broad groups:

• Values-based conflict: Although two people might have a few shared values — enough to make them rally around the same cause — each person is an individual holding space for a variety of truths. What we may call personality clashes are, at their core, different life experiences and beliefs that suggest one way of approaching things over another. When both parties lack the capacity to compromise, however, conflict can escalate in complexity.
• Structural conflict: This kind of conflict arises because of the way the organization is structured. A common example is resource constraints putting too much pressure on a team, which causes another team to struggle to perform without the timely output of the first team.

It is particularly important to understand what kind of conflict is present, as the solutions and their scale are usually very different, as we will see through the following conflict resolution examples.

Getting Information

When addressing conflict, never assume that you know all the information. A lot of the details are often missing from public discussions due to a party’s unwillingness to speak out, distrust or fear of reprisal. Conduct one-on-one interviews with affected parties and extended teams to help uncover the details. For this, executive directors can nominate someone to collect information or, depending on the size of the organization, act as a facilitator in the investigation themselves.

Important Considerations

When an organization proposes to initiate a dispute resolution process internally, it should be mindful of internal bias and, equally as important, the perception of internal bias. The very first step to understanding the conflict in which the affected parties are interviewed, rests on the trust they have in the person inquiring. Will both parties be comfortable sharing all the details without the fear of reprisal? Are the interviewees fully trusting that any preexisting negative perceptions of them are being set aside?

As an advisor or conductor of the process, executive directors should start by acknowledging that an internal facilitator is never totally impartial because of the organizational cultural bias that all employees share. When nominating a facilitator, things such as existing relationships, personal perceptions and even gossip should be considered to accommodate fairness to all parties involved. When in doubt, consider enlisting an external conflict resolution professional to help address conflict in the workplace. 

(…) it might not be necessary or even advisable for executive directors to get into the particulars of the conflict that is occurring. They are uniquely positioned to influence the way the organization deals with conflict. 

Implement Solutions:

Once the problem has been understood, an action plan should be designed to address the root causes. Here are a few tips to implement based on the type of conflict:

If the conflict is values-based, the approach should involve engaging with both parties with soft skills such as active listening to repair a conflict. A facilitator who models dispute resolution skills can host guided sessions where a compromise is sought between the two parties. It might also include establishing better support processes or revising policies to cover specific concerns.

Conflict resolution training is especially helpful to address values-based disputes, as it teaches soft skills such as active listening, negotiation and how to compromise. This not only helps individuals navigate the current conflict, but also actively works to prevent new conflicts from taking root. According to the CPP Global Human Capital Report, 95% of employees who received training reported it helped them find positive conflict resolutions.

If the conflict is structural, reform might be needed to effectively address the conflict. Some changes might be very straightforward, such as in the case of ambiguous role definition or overlapping responsibilities between teams. However, when these conflicts involve several key players and structures—what we call complex conflicts—they might be more challenging to address internally. When faced with this kind of conflict, calling in professional help to intervene is always a good idea.

Knowing When to Enlist a Third Party

Preserving the capacity of an organization to realize its vision depends largely on the evaluation of the obstacles at hand and what solutions to apply. As a champion for conflict resolution, one of the most valuable contributions from the executive director is helping the team to evaluate the severity of existing conflict, as well as to know when to call a professional conflict resolution service. This is advisable when the problem is affecting several teams and processes, which calls for major reforms. Especially when an internal intervention has yielded no improvements, calling in a conflict resolution service provider might be the most cost-effective solution in the long run, as conflict tends to chip away at morale, potentially leading to the loss of essential personnel and, in the case of nonprofits, threatening the delivery of valuable services to communities.

The JAMS Pathways conflict prevention and resolution program offers holistic interventions designed to address complex conflict in the workplace. When assessing the problem, experienced facilitators conduct interviews through impartial discussions, but they also examine the workflows, communication channels and hierarchical structures to understand the friction points. Following this, tailored workshops and training sessions are conducted to address the specific needs of the issue and organization. They allow for improvements that will lead to optimal performance, as recommendations are made regarding the organizational changes that can deliver the most impact. The emphasis is on creating sustainable systems that not only resolve current conflicts, but also preempt potential issues by fostering a more collaborative and transparent work environment.

JAMS Pathways’ conflict resolution professionals have extensive experience working in the nonprofit sector. We invite you to visit our team page to find a facilitator with experience in your sector and type of conflict. If you contact us, we would be glad to assist with a recommendation.

Conclusion

The role of an executive director in a nonprofit transcends charismatic leadership. It demands visionary capabilities to navigate the intricate mix of passion and conflict that characterizes mission-driven work. True nonprofit management is about steering the organization toward its goals while harmonizing the diverse and conflicting energies that fuel these objectives. This often requires embracing the roles of mediator, strategist and peacemaker so that the path forward is clear and collectively embraced. More importantly, it’s about transforming challenges into opportunities for strengthening the organization and refining its mission.

Those who meet these challenges head-on will find rewarding outcomes: a team that feels valued, strategies that resonate across stakeholders and a mission propelled by unity and vigor.