I’m Gonna’ Kick Your Virtual Butt!: Managing Remote Team Conflict
“Conflict in virtual teams is more likely to be negative for performance and is more likely to escalate,” – Lindred Greer, professor of organizational behavior at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.
Although some people think working remotely eliminates office conflicts and politics, think again. As long as you have contact with a boss, co-worker, or teammates, you will find conflict. A Myers-Briggs study of 5,000 workers in nine countries found that 85% of employees experience conflict to some degree. In addition, the study found that U.S. employees spend almost three hours a week on average dealing with conflict, costing the economy over $359 billion annually. In fact, some researchers have found that disagreements among remote team members are more frequent and more difficult to resolve than among an onsite team. When working remotely, conflicts and disagreements with co-workers, teams, or employees will occur just as when working in a brick-and-mortar office. However, without the benefit of face-to-face contact, resolving these issues isn’t always easy. This workshop walks participants through a step-by-step process to effectively address conflict and build a healthy remote culture.
While conflict might be a universal reality, it doesn’t have to be negative. When properly navigated conflict can lead to innovative ideas, collaborative problem-solving, and a healthier remote culture. This workshops equips participants with critical skills needed to successfully address remote workplace conflict by providing practical steps for conflict resolution, a deeper understanding of personality types and emotional triggers, a framework for collaborative problem-solving and strategies for leading difficult conversations.
Key Takeaways:
1. Identify key causes of conflict in remote teams.
2. Identify negative impacts of conflict on remote teams.
3. Provide practical solutions for management and employees in relation to conflict management skills.
4. Understand how conflict can be leveraged for organizational success.
5. Identify four steps to effectively resolve workplace conflict.
6. Recognize five conflict resolution styles (Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode) and how each can be applied to different situations.
7. Utilize the five steps of a collaborative problem-solving approach.
8. Identify practical steps for leading challenging conversations as part of a conflict resolution process.