The COVID-19 pandemic extensively affected in-office work models and necessitated the need for remote and hybrid work. Conflicts are a common aspect in human interactions, but remote workplace conflicts are a little complicated because they occur across a virtual environment.
Organizations are now looking for ways to build resilient teams, which is another way of finding effective ways to manage workplace conflicts in remote and hybrid work environments.
In this article, we will explore conflict management in remote work and find out how organizations can build resilient teams.
Understanding the Unique Challenges of Remote Work That Lead to Conflicts
Remote workers tend to experience different types of conflict compared to in-office teams. In-office workers have the advantage of assertiveness, which is critical in workplace conflict resolution. In virtual environments, it is harder to ensure everyone is on the same page, which makes it more challenging to resolve issues when conflicts arise.
Challenges of Contextual Understanding
Remote and hybrid workers share information using written communication methods, like emails and instant messaging. Written communication lacks nuance, facial expressions, and tone, and remote workers face the trouble of getting their real messages across. Humor or sarcasm can easily lead to misunderstandings and conflicts.
Video Calls Lack Context
Remote workers make video calls when sharing their project progress. It is yet another aspect that introduces unique challenges, such as the struggle with how to introduce new ideas or if a colleague is in a hurry to end the call. Video calls alter visual and auditory cues or body language, and audio delays make debating a little awkward.
Conflict Avoidance
Remote and hybrid workers find it easier to avoid conflicts entirely. Remote workers believe that they are not required to engage, and they don’t focus on resolving conflicts. In the long run, these conflicts fester and become major remote workplace conflicts.
Isolation and Disconnection
Remote workers feel isolated and disconnected from their colleagues, which contributes largely to communication issues.
Overlooking the Challenges of Virtual Teams
Workplace leaders often mistake virtual teams for traditional in-person teams. However, the reality of working remotely comes with unique challenges that cannot be ignored.
In many remote workplaces, issues such as scheduling across time zones or unclear communication can quickly lead to misunderstandings. If left unchecked, these problems may escalate into unresolved conflicts that disrupt collaboration and team performance.
Effective Communication Strategies for Remote Teams
Workplace conflict is a hindrance to employee productivity. Many of the issues affecting the effectiveness of remote workers start with ineffective communication. Clear communication is foundational in resolving and preventing workplace conflict in remote work environments.
Here are a few effective communication strategies that can reduce conflicts for remote and hybrid workers.
Clear Communication Guidelines
Remote and hybrid workers must communicate. However, their communication must not always be impersonal and tense. Clear communication protocols can change that by outlining the preferred channels of communication for daily, urgent, and sensitive messages.
Establishing these protocols also helps reduce misunderstandings and minimizes the risk of task conflicts when teams are collaborating on shared projects.
Regular Check-ins and Updates
Remote and hybrid workers often work on group projects, just like in-office teams. Limited communication on any progress or necessary changes can affect the team’s cohesion. Regular updates and check-ins are critical in keeping everyone informed and aligned, as well as for workplace conflict resolution.
Document and Share Meeting Summaries
Remote workers can enhance their communication by documenting and sharing meeting summaries. Naturally, human memory is short, and some individuals could miss out on the important points shared in virtual meetings.
Circulating summaries outlining key points, action items, and who has been assigned what is a practical way to keep everyone in the loop, while also reinforcing deadlines and responsibilities.
Encourage Openness
Remote workers should have an opportunity to speak their minds, rather than bottling up emotions. When team members feel safe to express their ideas and ask questions, fewer conflicts occur, and overall employee morale improves.
Even in virtual settings where body language cues are harder to read, fostering openness helps create trust and reduces misunderstandings.
Create a Feedback Mechanism
It is almost impossible to understand how people feel unless they have a way of telling us their experiences. A feedback mechanism is a great way to allow remote workers to voice their concerns, especially regarding any lapses in communication.
Feedback mechanisms are a proactive approach to workplace conflict resolution as they can address emerging issues before they become full-blown conflicts.
Tools and Techniques for Conflict Resolution Over Digital Platforms
Communication is a critical part of remote work. It is also considered the biggest cause of workplace conflict in remote environments. Since face-to-face interactions are limited, developing strong conflict resolution skills and establishing clear channels of communication are effective techniques for managing workplace conflict on digital platforms.
Clear communication eliminates misunderstandings and helps resolve conflicts effectively. At the same time, maintaining clear and open communication channels can prevent conflict from emerging in the first place.
- Remote workers should have set expectations defining response timelines for emails and other messaging to prevent delays.
- Regular weekly check-ins to ensure cohesion and uniformity toward work goals.
- Video conferences should be used as much as possible because they offer additional verbal cues and a human connection that is absent in written communication.
- There should be a virtual open-door policy encouraging remote workers to contact the manager whenever there is an emerging issue.
Encourage Virtual Team Building Activities
In addition to enhancing communication among remote teams, it would make an even greater difference to include team-building activities to help build a strong foundation of trust and understanding.
It is always easier to work amongst people we trust, and the same is true even for remote teams. Virtual team-building activities are one way to help remote workers make connections on a more personal level with their colleagues.
A few examples of these activities can include:
- Remote movie watch parties.
- Virtual game nights using apps that more people can play across different locations.
- Online cooking or crafting sessions
- Virtual tours to cultural sites or museums, and discussions in between.
- Remote volunteering and shared experiences.
Remote team building opportunities are one way to ensure that remote teams have a deeper understanding of each other’s personalities and communication styles.
Conflict Resolution Training for Remote Teams
In addition to establishing the structural techniques to prevent and avoid conflicts, remote teams can do better with workplace conflict resolution training. It is a training that will equip remote teams with the skills they need to deal with interpersonal issues as they arise.
It is even better that this workplace conflict resolution training is possible through online courses, virtual workshops, or webinars. Some of the topics to include in the training are:
- Active listening
- Communication skills
- Tips for interpreting tone and intent in written communication
- Strategies for defusing tense exchanges
- Problem-solving techniques
Ideally, workplace conflict resolution training can be made a part of remote teams’ onboarding, and they can be considered refresher courses for existing teams.
Third-Party Mediators
Strong communication and clear communication expectations are effective workplace conflict resolution strategies that can reduce the occurrence of disputes in remote environments.
However, conflicts could still arise, and there would be a need for outside mediators. Third-party mediators can offer fresh, impartial perspectives that can help resolve employee conflicts. Mediation is a confidential process that is also voluntary, making it a conflict resolution tool to effectively manage remote teams.
The Role of Leadership in Fostering a Positive Remote Work Environment
In any setting, leading by example is the most potent form of guidance. Leaders are responsible for creating and fostering a positive remote environment. High levels of positivity and professionalism are some of the critical skills that can influence the behavior of remote employees and influence their approach to conflict resolution.
Strong leaders also take the time to coach remote workers, helping them build resilience, improve communication, and collaborate more effectively. Here are some of the most specific roles of leadership that can foster a positive remote environment.
Building Trust
Trust is a crucial aspect in remote work environments because it is what eventually leads to the success of any organization. Leaders must always lead by example, and it starts with engaging in initiatives that can enhance trust-building among remote employees.
Some of these initiatives that help build a positive workplace culture include:
- Open feedback channels
- Establishing a culture of accountability
- More collaborative work environment
- Weekly all-hands meetings
- Focusing on a results-driven work culture that focuses on outcomes instead of hours
- Prioritizing clear goals and objectives
- Empowering remote employees to work autonomously and deliver results
- Prioritizing communication, accountability, and transparency
- Celebrating achievements collectively to foster a sense of trust and camaraderie
- Embracing methodologies like Scrum or Agile that emphasize adaptability, collaboration, and frequent communication
It is a leader’s role to do all they can in order to build trust, which then acts as the foundation upon which effective remote work relationships are built.
Effective Communication
Effective communication is critical in guaranteeing a positive remote work environment. Communication breakdowns can start at the top, and leaders should always communicate clearly, constructively, and respectfully.
Leaders should not use dismissive or aggressive language because it is their example that sets the tone of communication in the remote work environment. Effective workplace conflict resolution strategies start with leaders showing remote employees how to express their disagreements in a healthy and productive way.
Professionalism
Stress and other challenges are common in a remote work environment. It is up to a leader to maintain professionalism even in the face of these challenges. Professionalism is the ability to maintain a demeanor that reflects respect, dedication, and calmness. Handling pressure calmly eventually sets a standard for a remote team to emulate.
Being Proactive
A proactive approach to leadership is also a perfect recipe for a positive remote work environment. A proactive approach means addressing issues before they escalate. It is the role of a leader to resolve conflict early enough and to demonstrate foresight and responsibility that gets passed on to the team, who will do the same.
Encouraging Collaboration
A leader should foster an environment that allows members to experience comfort and share ideas when working together. Collaboration is a key element in remote conflict mitigation, which ultimately translates to a positive remote work environment.
Rewarding Positive Behavior
Finally, a leader can foster a positive work culture by rewarding team members who contribute positively to team dynamics. These acts are considered effective dispute resolution strategies that will reinforce such behaviors and motivate others to act in the same positive way.
Training Programs Offered by Pollack Peacebuilding Systems for Conflict Management
Virtual work conflicts are common. Unresolved conflict is often noticeable almost immediately because of its devastating effects. If remote employees lack the necessary skills to handle the tensions, these conflicts can significantly affect morale and productivity in general.
We offer a wide range of training programs for managing conflict, including:
Communication Skills
Our training program covers how remote employees can articulate their thoughts clearly, use non-verbal cues, and use active listening to understand others. These techniques are designed to make communication both empathetic and effective.
Conflict Mediation and Negotiation
Our training program also includes a conflict mediation and negotiation module. The module covers the necessary negotiation skills that allow hybrid employees to become better negotiators when potential conflicts arise. These skills are also necessary in guiding discussions between co-workers to achieve resolutions that meet the needs of all parties.
Problem-Solving
Our problem-solving module teaches remote employees how to apply critical thinking skills to conflict-related situations. In this module, employees can learn all the steps involved in creative problem-solving, such as how to first define the problem, generate alternatives, evaluate these alternatives, choose the best alternative, and implement the solution.
Conflict Analysis
Conflict analysis is a critical part of our conflict training program. In this module, employees get to learn how to analyze conflicts systematically, which means identifying the root causes of conflicts, the parties involved, and the dynamics that escalate tensions. Conflict analysis knowledge is critical in crafting different interventions and resolution styles.
Empathy and Active Listening
Empathy and active listening are a critical part of any conflict training program. These skills are also critical in enhancing the ability of employees to understand and share in the feelings of others and listen actively without judging.
Continuing Support and Resources for Remote Teams from Pollack Peacebuilding Systems
Pollack Peacebuilding Systems is dedicated to helping organizations deal with workplace conflict. Our experienced workplace conflict management experts provide comprehensive training modules as well as customized online support and resources for remote teams.
These resources include:
- Online Mediation : We conduct online mediation sessions that are tailored to meet the specific needs of remote teams and their unique situations.
- Customized Conflict Resolution Plans : We can develop tailored plans that can be used to resolve ongoing disputes among remote teams.
- Relationship Mending Services : We offer services aimed at resolving workplace conflicts and enhancing communication between remote teams.
We also share additional resources on our website, where you can find information on conflict management, remote work, and strategies for supporting distributed teams. Contact us to discuss your team’s unique challenges or request a customized workplace conflict coaching module to address any workplace conflicts affecting your organization.
