It’s always great to work when everyone on your team is in harmony with each other. But that is not always the case. Conflicts between members can arise at any moment. And these will have an impact on your work if not resolved immediately. The situation becomes even harder when dealing with remote teams. To help you out, here are some useful conflict resolution strategies to keep the peace in the virtual office.
Understanding how conflicts happen within remote teams
Conflicts within remote teams happen for similar reasons as any other organization. However, the unique environment of virtual workplaces can affect how such conflicts escalate. By understanding these effects, you can better plan your conflict resolution strategies.
People become harsher in virtual environments
One peculiar thing about the Internet is that people seem to become bolder when speaking online. This is known as the “online disinhibition effect” and is characterized by being more encouraged to do actions online that the person would not normally do offline.
Such willingness is often attributed to the anonymity afforded by the Internet. The asynchronous nature of Internet communication also comes to play here. Since responses can often come hours after people make their online statement, they don’t feel the immediate consequences. All of these make them more confident about their actions.
Online disinhibition can be benign, with people simply becoming more willing to share more about themselves. But it can also turn toxic, as they become more accustomed to using rude languages. Since remote work has the same non-personal setup, team members can also fall for the temptation, creating conflict.
Online communication can be prone to misinterpretation
Another common reason for conflicts to arise is miscommunication between team members. In the real world, people rely on body language, tone of voice, facial expressions, and other visual cues to determine the deeper meanings of what people say. With online communication, these cues might not be present, making it harder for parties to interpret messages.
This is particularly the case with chat-based communications used in remote work. Here, you need to rely on a different set of cues, some of which might not be universally recognized. It can also be harder to express ideas in writing than through speaking.
Even video chat can have miscommunication issues. While you see people face to face, it can still be hard to discern visual cues. This gets worse if you have inadequate video communications, where the video might be cut off at inappropriate moments. These can affect message delivery if not addressed immediately, creating issues.
Remote workers feel more insecure
Employee insecurity is another major source of conflict in any work environment. And in the case of remote work, this becomes more significant. Here, employees feel that the conflicts that happen in the office affect them more because they are not physically present to engage.
Such distance creates different insecurities and c concerns that employees have to deal with. According to a study by social scientists, around 45% of remote employees believe that their colleagues talk behind their backs. Meanwhile, over 60% say that colleagues change project details without informing them.
If not resolved, this resentment can easily become fuel for potential conflicts. However, the distance between remote members makes it harder to address the situation adequately. As such, team managers need to devise a suitable conflict resolution strategy for the situation.
Creating a clear conflict resolution process
The first step that you want to do to better handle conflicts is creating a conflict resolution process. This lets you do a more systematic approach to handling and mitigating issues. Meanwhile, employees become more encouraged to air their concerns since they also have a definite process to follow.
Identifying conflicts
The first part of your conflict resolution plan is identifying the conflict. While some conflicts would be reported to you immediately, others can brew under the surface for a long time before erupting. As such, you would want to diffuse them even before that happens.
One way to do this is by looking for behavioral changes in your team members. This is where a community chat room comes in handy, as you get to see everyone interact on a more casual level. Some of the behavioral changes that you would want to look for include:
- Not using emojis: This can indicate a stiff interaction between members. They might also opt for using one-word responses only when engaging in the chat room.
- Changing interactions: Members might become more rude or brusque when talking to a specific set of people in the team.
- Lack of communication: In some cases, members might simply stop responding to the group threads. They might also go out of their way to exclude certain people in the discussions.
While these signs might not necessarily point to conflicts, they should encourage you to probe deeper. By asking your team members why their behaviors are changing, you will be able to determine if there is a cause to be concerned.
Taking time to hear concerns
It is also vital for you to be ready to hear concerns coming from employees. Set aside a time during the week where you simply listen to what your team has to say. You can do this as a group meeting, where people can speak in front of everyone in the team. On the other hand, some members might prefer a one-on-one meeting with you where they can freely voice out their concerns.
It is also vital that you don’t downplay minor issues. Remember that these can escalate if left unchecked. Even if an employee thinks that they are overreacting to a small slight, encourage them to tell what they feel. This way you can catch on the issues before they escalate.
Conflict resolution process: mediation
Your mindset when mediating conflicts will play a significant part in whether they end successfully. Here, a common mistake that many team managers make is to see themselves as a resolver. According to author and coaching expert Dina Cooper, the problem with this mindset is that you become more focused on resolving conflicts faster.instead of more satisfactorily.
Cooper said that your role should be more of a facilitator instead. By being the bridge to the two conflicting parties, you help them find a solution that they both agree in. This would be a better outcome than trying to force a solution that one party might not agree in completely.
Listening closely to each side
It might be obvious, but it would still be a good idea to emphasize the importance of carefully listening to each side of the conflict. This way, you get to better understand the source of the conflict. This also shows both sides that you are willing to see everything resolved.
To further explore the core of the issue, you also need to ask the right questions. Here, what you want to avoid are questions that would throw the parties into the defensive. Questions like “Why did you do that?” or “What did you think it would be?” would come across as you attacking a party’s judgement. This can end up making them reluctant to respond, prolonging the issue.
Instead, you can first tell them why you are going to ask a certain question before proceeding. For example, you can tell them how the particular question will resolve the issue. By doing so, make both parties feel less reluctant in assisting the mediation process.
Providing a solution
Once you have weighed on both sides’ cases, you can come up with a suitable solution. Here, you need to consider not just how it would resolve the current conflict. You would also want to address how it will prevent future conflicts from arising. For instance, your resolution can lay the groundwork for new rules that address the concerns raised by your team members.
When you present your resolution to both parties, emphasize the positives surrounding it. For example, tell both parties that they aren’t the only ones to gain from the resolution and that it will have a good impact on the team. When they see this, they become more willing to accept it.
Wrapping up
Once you have resolved the conflict, don’t just walk away afterward. You still need to constantly oversee the team and make sure that the issue between members won’t erupt again. Create a regular feedback system that will tell you how well both parties are doing after the conflict resolution.
You would also want to be more proactive in mending their ties. Create opportunities for the parties to re-engage each other to restore their relationship. A great strategy here is to celebrate by treating both parties to a free dinner. That small gesture will help de-escalate the situation and get them back on track to restoring normal work relations.
Master conflict resolution and keep your team together
Conflicts will always be a part of your remote team’s work environment. But by following the conflict resolution strategies outlined here, you can better manage them and avoid them affecting your team’s work. And by better managing your team’s interactions, you can create a more harmonious working environment for everyone.