The remote team model is quickly replacing the in-house model because it allows employers to find talent globally and offers such flexibility.
However, for all its benefits, it comes with some unique challenges, such as interpersonal issues. The isolation of the worker can make teamwork trickier if the remote model doesn’t address important psychological aspects.
One big problem is conflict resolution, as many as 80% of remote professionals have experienced workplace conflict.Â
If these issues aren’t dealt with properly when they arise then the psychological safety of the worker is impacted and collaboration suffers stifling innovation.
Fortunately, by fostering a transparent, empathetic, guidelined environment remote workers feel psychologically safe and able to openly contribute and ask questions making conflict resolution easier. Let’s explore the subject.
The Importance of Remote Team Psychological Safety
What do we mean when we talk about psychological safety? Well, in the workplace environment (albeit remote), psychological safety refers to how safe the workers feel when expressing themselves within it.
In order for the workplace to be productive and have innovative collaboration, those employed need to trust that they can say what they need to without fear of humiliation or any type of retribution.
It can be challenging to set up this kind of trust in remote environments where team members have a distinct lack of physical interaction. So, deliberate efforts must be made to keep psychological safety at the forefront of operations.
Psychological Safety Importance in Remote Workplace Environments
When the psychological safety of employees is taken into consideration and the right environment is created workers express themselves freely. This generates ideas that drive innovation.
Errors are admitted, and concerns are raised, which promotes continual improvement.
Environments where workers feel psychologically safe have lower turnover, and employers are more engaged.
In situations where psychological safety needs are not being met, unresolved conflicts tend to escalate, and that has the opposite effect.
Unique Challenges Faced in Remote Setups
With a remote team setup, cultural differences and the reliance on digital communication can lead to misunderstandings.
Time zone differences can play a huge factor as well. A worker might leave a quick message then log off to come back and find that it was taken out of context.
Written communication has limitations when compared to face-to-face interactions. With enough time between, things can escalate dramatically.
These challenges, unique to remote tem situations must be understood, and strategies must be put in place to resolve them effectively.
Remote Team Conflict Resolution Strategies
Virtual settings must be managed with tailored strategies that give communication guidelines, bridge gaps, and strengthen relationships.
With an empathetic and purposeful approach to creating guidelines that encourage workers to communicate clearly and transparently, you can maintain psychological safety and keep things harmonious and productive.
Setting Communication Guidelines
Conflict resolution begins with conflict prevention, which requires clear communication guidelines that everyone understands.
With everything outlined, team members must be on the same page.
The Need for Transparent Dialogue
Open conversation must be encouraged if employees feel they can express freely without any backlash then psychological safety is more sustainable.
Leaders can check in virtually and utilize feedback sessions to facilitate transparent dialogues and understand what is going on within their teams.
How to Leverage Technology
Collaborative remote workplaces rely heavily on technological tools such as video conferencing and instant messaging apps.
In addition, using the right security tools for platform access and communication to keep connections secure can add to psychological safety.
A VPN can help secure remote communication lines and safeguard sensitive information. To find out how a virtual private network can help your remote setup, be sure to read more about VPN connections.
The Importance of Active Listening & Empathy
Effective conflict resolution rests on the shoulders of active listening and empathy. Only by truly listening with an empathetic ear can we understand and value a worker.
When disagreements arise, it is important that the team members feel understood. This also means taking into account cultural differences and ensuring that communication is respectful at all times.
Cultural Diversity Challenges
With a global virtual workplace, cultural diversity brings fresh perspectives, but nuances that differ between different cultures can potentially be the source of conflict. To ensure that isn’t the case, workers must be educated on respecting cultural differences.
Respectful Communication Efforts
Disagreements must be discussed by focusing on facts and emotions and addressing needs respectfully without using violent or offensive language.
Conflict Resolution Framework Tips
Structuring the way conflict resolution is approached in your teams is important to make sure disputes are handled well. Here are two big tips:
- Designate someone neutral to act as a mediator to help keep discussions constructive and find mutual solutions. This could be a manager or a dedicated HR professional.
- Document the resolutions to maintain a record to refer to should the dispute continue. It also makes it easier to spot recurring issues that possibly require grander action.
Strive For Continual Improvement
Conflict resolution shouldn’t be thought of as something you do when a conflict arises. It is a continual effort. Strive to foster a culture of continual improvement from within teams and make conflict resolution a fundamental part of operations.
This can be done with regular assessment, feedback, and training to embed good workplace culture skills. By continually strengthening interpersonal aspects and sustaining a psychologically safe environment, team dynamics improve tenfold.
Points to Include in Team Assessments
With regular evaluations, you can gauge how conflictive the environment is and even nip things in the bud before tensions begin to build.
You can do this through surveys and video-conferencing. Be sure to have 1on 1 meetings as well as group retrospectives. Make sure that you:
- Identify any recurring issues because they indicate the need for a systemic change;
- Measure morale to gauge psychological safety and support via feedback tools such as anonymous surveys;
- Evaluate your current communication tools and practices to make sure needs are being;
- Encourage open communication regarding dynamics with constructive feedback;
- Keep workloads monitored to make sure they are balanced and not causing tension or stress.
Invest in Professional Development
The other great way to ensure a psychologically safe virtual workplace is to train the staff and invest in the development of cultural intelligence and effective communication.
When the team is equipped to handle conflict resolution from within, disputes rarely escalate. Leaders must demonstrate these behaviors and set an example from the top down.
Also Read : 6 Supportive Solutions for Aging in Place
Conclusion
Whether it is a physical or virtual setting conflicts in the workplace are inevitable when it comes to collaboration. Remote workplaces, with their global and isolated nature, can be all the more challenging.
However, by establishing communication guidelines and an empathetic work culture, you can build the trust needed to maintain psychological safety.
When remote workers feel psychologically safe enough to speak out, teams become more cohesive, and conflicts become simpler to resolve and mitigate.
The benefits are numerous but ultimately boil down to a remote work setup that thrives.
