Collaborative Conflict for Remote Work Teams
Welcome to our ongoing conversation about managing conflict at work.
The collaborative conflict process presents unique challenges for remote teams. Here are some common virtual communication pitfalls to avoid when in conflict with colleagues:
Insecurity
A recent HBR study found that remote workers are more likely to feel like their colleagues don’t “have their back”. They feel like their colleagues are:
Less likely to fight for their priorities
More likely to say things behind their backs
More likely to make project changes without warning them
Additionally, some Common sources of conflict amongst remote colleagues include
Misaligned goals, priorities, and expectations.
Feeling that one or more employees aren’t pulling their weight.
Miscommunication or complete lack of communication.
Not knowing one’s place on the team.
What can you do?
Set clear remote team norms
Teams that have clear behavioral expectations rooted firmly in company values thrive in a remote setting. Clear remote communication norms and expectations make sure that everyone is on the same page and allows teams to assume good intent in communication.
Schedule regular check-ins
Extended periods of remote work can lead to increased loneliness and isolation among employees. To combat this, leaders need to be intentional, persistent, and focused on maintaining and growing personal connections within organizations.
Encourage a sense of community by scheduling regular check-ins and engagement activities with your team. Seeing your teammates’ faces and having opportunities to connect on a more personal level humanizes the often isolating process of working remotely and communicating non-verbally via online channels.
Online Disinhibition Effect
Some people benefit from the barriers of being online (i.e. introverts or people with certain social difficulties) and feel more comfortable sharing and expressing honest feelings online. There are fewer explicit rules for expressing oneself online.
“People tend to abandon their social inhibitions and devalue their moral obligations in cyberspace,” Elena Chis, creative director at PixelUp Inc., writes. “Any behavior is characterized by an apparent reduction in concerns for self-presentation, and the judgment of others, which causes people to adopt behaviors that they normally would not exhibit offline.”
This is known as the ‘online disinhibition effect,’ and ranges from sharing personal thoughts and fears that would otherwise remain hidden to using rude language and making threats. The distance, coupled with a lack of immediate response, can make employees more cavalier and confident in what they’re saying.
What can you do?
Promote “active listening” as a behavioral norm
Active listening means giving your complete, intentional focus to what someone means, rather than what they say. In practice, that means "listening between the lines" to take into account tone, body language, attitude, and non-verbal information a person is sharing with you.
Set clear virtual communication norms
Here’s a guide to share with your team: Questions to ask yourself before sending any digital message
Overall: Would you say the same thing in the same way if they were standing in front of you?
Context: Is this the right time and (virtual) place?
Empathy: How would I want to receive the information if it was me?
Process: Did I follow the right review process?
“Write it, re-read it, send it.”
Toxic Disinhibition Effect
Some people use their online presence to increase negative social behaviors due to the same exact factors offering them protection. Dave Nevogt, a cofounder of Hubstaff, encourages managers to watch the communication of their remote employees and make note of any changes. A few examples of behavior changes include:
Employees no longer using emojis or exclamation points, preferring one-word responses instead.
Employees changing how they interact with a few people instead of changing their whole tone and communication process.
Employees no longer communicating in group threads or going out of their way to exclude certain people from group discussions.
What can you do?
Be more emotionally explicit
It's harder to read expressions, tones, and emotions virtually. It's critical to be explicit and ask direct questions about the non-verbal information you're “seeing”.
“I sense from your facial expression that you’re not in full agreement, am I right?”
Acknowledging non-verbal messages can help leaders open a dialogue for honest discussion online.