A Guide to Effectively Managing Conflict on Virtual Teams

As remote and hybrid work becomes the norm, leaders face new challenges managing conflict on dispersed teams. Miscommunication and tension easily arises when collaborating through screens rather than in-person.

However, conflict isn’t inherently bad. In fact, diverse perspectives can lead to better solutions. The key is handling conflict constructively to reach positive outcomes.

This comprehensive guide provides tips and strategies to successfully navigate conflict on virtual teams. Let’s explore best practices for promoting harmony and productivity

Common Causes of Conflict on Virtual Teams

Before diving into conflict resolution. it helps to understand what underlying issues commonly trigger discord

Lack of clarity on roles – Without defined responsibilities, duplication and gaps occur.
Unclear objectives or processes – When expectations are vague, frustration builds.
Communication breakdowns – Nuance gets lost across channels like email and chat.
Limited social bonding – Impersonal remote interactions can breed mistrust.
Insufficient collaboration – Silos and information hoarding impede shared goals.
Inequitable workloads – Imbalance leads to resentment between team members.
Different working styles – Diverse approaches may clash and cause tension.
Cultural differences – Varying norms and values also spark conflicts.

Proactively identifying these problem areas can allow you to take steps to avoid needless disputes.

Benefits of Healthy Conflict Resolution

Before covering conflict management tactics, it helps to reinforce why it matters:

Fosters innovation – Diverse views inspire creativity.
Uncovers blindspots – Critique sheds light on weaknesses.
Builds trust – Working through differences develops bonds.
Enhances commitment – Conflict buy-in creates alignment.
Improves results – Quality solutions arise from debate.

With maturity and empathy, team members can leverage discord to their advantage rather than be debilitated by it. Next we’ll explore tips to promote healthy conflict.

Best Practices for Managing Virtual Team Conflict

Here are constructive approaches and tactics to handle conflict that arises on remote teams:

Set Clear Expectations Upfront

Many disputes can be preempted by proactively setting and communicating guidelines for working together effectively.

Establish team rules of engagement – Codes of conduct foster harmony.
Clarify roles – Specify individual and cross-functional responsibilities.
Outline tasks and processes – Standardize workflows for consistency.
Define success metrics – Align on precise targets and KPIs.
Agree on tools and platforms– Get everyone adept at key tech and channels.

Taking the time to align on expectations helps avoid friction down the line. Revisit these expectations regularly as needs evolve.

Promote Open Communication

Miscommunication is a top source of conflict in distributed teams. Promote continuous transparent dialogue to nip issues in the bud.

Overcommunicate key info – Repeat announcements across multiple channels.
Encourage questions – Foster a culture where asking for clarification is valued.
Schedule regular check-ins – Frequent informal sync-ups reveal pain points early.
Solicit ongoing feedback – Seek input to gauge effectiveness of initiatives.
Address issues promptly – Discuss problems as soon as they occur to prevent escalation.

Keeping conversations flowing helps surface and resolve concerns before they turn into serious disputes. Provide channels like chat, digital whiteboards and team sites to facilitate this.

Demonstrate Impartiality

As a leader, you set the tone for impartial handling of disagreements. Be fair by listening to all perspectives and giving everyone a voice.

Hear all sides – Don’t pre-judge a situation without understanding different views.
Ask probing questions – Neutrally investigate to get to the heart of issues.
Focus on facts – Don’t let emotions or hearsay cloud your judgment.
Avoid finger pointing – Do not single out individuals as root cause without evidence.

Show you care about finding solutions, not placing blame. Employees will feel comfortable bringing issues to you without fear of repercussions.

Mediate Disagreements

When conflict arises, adopt a mediator role focused on finding middle ground.

Look for common interests – Appeal to shared goals and values of the team.
Help reframe positions – Shift from demands to interests to find compromise.
Find acceptable alternatives – Offer creative options that give something to all parties.
Use win-win language – Present solutions as mutual gains instead of concessions.
Compromise where possible – Make allowances to meet others part way.

With patience and flexibility, mutually acceptable resolutions typically emerge.

Turn Conflicts into Coaching Moments

Conflicts, when handled well, present opportunities for growth. Help individuals and the team learn from disagreements.

Teach empathy – Have team members see issues from others’ shoes.
Share positive intent – Assume people mean well by default.
Acknowledge emotions – Recognize feelings along with facts.
Reinforce shared vision and values– Realign on common ground after disputes.
Extract key learnings – Identify process improvements for future prevention.

Model how to have mature, empathetic dialogue through difficult conversations. The skills developed will serve them well.

Lean Into Team Building

On virtual teams, it’s essential to cultivate stronger bonds to bolster trust and empathy levels.

Share personal stories and interests – Use icebreakers and get-to-know-you’s.
Show your human side – Admit mistakes and vulnerabilities.
Highlight contributions – Call out great collaborative acts.
Inject fun and humor – Lightness and laughter relieve tension.
Organize informal gatherings – Host virtual coffees, happy hours and games.

Getting to know each other as more than just colleagues stimulates connection and compassion. This mitigates the likelihood of severe conflicts erupting.

Signs Conflict Has Become Unhealthy

While moderate conflict can be productive, watch for signs it is becoming excessive and harmful:

Declining morale and trust
Lack of communication and collaboration
Rise of cliques and factions
Chronic finger pointing
Reluctance to share ideas or help others
Increase in errors and missed deadlines
High absenteeism and turnover

Left unaddressed, conflict can spiral into dysfunction. But by deploying the tactics above, leaders can keep it at healthy levels.

Facilitate a Constructive Team Conflict Discussion

As issues arise, you may need to facilitate a constructive discussion to work through differences and align on solutions.

Here is a playbook for hosting a productive conflict resolution session:

Set the Context

State intent – Explain desire to thoughtfully resolve issue.
Set rules – Respect, listen, collaborate, compromise.
Define roles – Designate facilitator, timekeeper, note taker.
Allot time – Limit to 60-90 minutes.

Gather Perspectives

Describe situation – Share brief neutral summary of issue and positions.
Solicit views – Have each person articulate stance and concerns.
Dig for underlying interests – Ask “why?” to reveal motivations.
Park ideas – Capture thoughts in digital whiteboard or notes.

Find Solutions

Highlight valid points – Identify reasonable concerns on all sides.
Seek common ground – Note overlap in interests that reflect shared goals.
Brainstorm options – Generate wide range of potential solutions.
Evaluate alternatives – Assess pros and cons of each together.
Forge consensus – Rally around one or more leading options.

Agree on Next Steps

Specify actions – Who will do what by when?
Identify needs – Resources, budget, approvals required?
Align on measures – How will we gauge success?
Set check-ins – Schedule review cadence.
Appreciate participation – Thank team for constructive efforts.

Following this agenda steers hard conversations in a positive direction so progress is made.

Fostering a Harmonious Virtual Team Culture

With mutual understanding and maturity, teams can use conflict as a catalyst for innovation – a feature not a bug. By applying the tips in this guide, leaders can cultivate a culture of healthy discord that elevates performance.

The ability to effectively navigate differences will serve your team well, enabling you to collaborate seamlessly across locations and time zones. Leverage these best practices to lead your distributed team to new heights.

managing virtual work team conflict

Differences in work styles

The four basic types of work styles will determine how everyone on your team gets work done. Someone who speeds through work will feel slowed down by another person who works through each task at a slower pace.

Work styles have also been affected by the demands of working from home during a pandemic. Some employees have work styles that have been drastically shifted, as they’re taking care of kids or managing other projects, while others might be able to stick to their regular work style. With each member of your team having a unique way they are most productive, you might see some clashes.

Katie Shonk defines task conflict as conflict that “involves concrete issues related to employees’ work assignments and can include disputes about how to divide up resources, differences of opinion on procedures and policies, managing expectations at work, and judgments and interpretation of facts.”

Procedures and processes have changed with employees working from home. This is sure to cause conflict over how things get done.

How To Resolve Conflict In Virtual Teams

The worst has happened. There has been a clash and everyone is looking up to you to step in. But no one ever looks forward to resolving conflict. Here are effective strategies for conflict management in the virtual workplace.

It is tempting to dive in without looking at the situation from all angles. Instead, schedule a meeting with your team members to discuss what has happened. A study shows that holding separate meetings, then having moderated joint discussions yields the best results. Guide them towards finding a mutually acceptable solution to the problem.

But don’t expect to resolve every conflict in one meeting. For conflict that requires several meetings to resolve, set an agenda, duration, and rules of engagement to guide each meeting. Avoid using written messages for these meetings, instead opt for video calls.

Listen to every word and be careful to remain neutral. Also, give feedback and directives on how to avoid or handle future clashes on their own.

How To Manage Conflict In Virtual Teams

How do I manage conflict in a virtual team?

Follow these steps to manage such conflict: 1. Contact the conflicting parties When you’ve determined that conflict has arisen in your virtual team, individually contact the parties involved in the conflict. The aim here is to understand each person’s interpretation of the situation.

How to reduce conflict in a virtual workspace?

Use project management software such as Hive to share documents, manage workflows, communicate fast, and watch how work progresses from a single tool. This shared space will help reduce conflict in virtual teams across the board. 5. Improve communication to prevent team conflict. In the virtual workspace, over-communication is a good thing.

How do you manage conflict in a virtual workplace?

Here are effective strategies for conflict management in the virtual workplace. It is tempting to dive in without looking at the situation from all angles. Instead, schedule a meeting with your team members to discuss what has happened. A study shows that holding separate meetings, then having moderated joint discussions yields the best results.

How can virtual managers reduce conflict?

There are many ways for virtual managers to help mitigate conflict in their teams. The goal is to reduce conflict as soon as a problem is suspected, or before it begins to manifest itself. Anticipating conflict before it surfaces saves time later on, as well as potential expenses caused by work disruptions.