The future of work has arrived early and there has never before been so many remote and hybrid working options. Overall, remote workers feel like they are enjoying newfound flexibility, feel trusted by their employers, and are happier. But even with these advantages, remote working is not without its challenges.
Whilst it is more common to associate conflict with a traditional office setting, working remotely can create many scenarios where conflict can occur. Frustration, tension and eventually conflict usually begins from a lack of visibility, unclear/unfair division of responsibilities, and miscommunication.
No two people are the same and opinions, beliefs and preferences are derived from the diversity of each person’s background and experiences. Differences in thought processes and understanding lead to conflict.
Conflict is defined as a clash between individuals arising out of a difference in thought process, attitudes, understanding, interests, requirements and even sometimes perception.
Conflicts can result in the loss of harmony, teamwork and collaboration. The intensity of the conflict can range from silent treatment to heated words or even physical abuse. Conflicts in their simplest form can damage relationships and turn friends into foes.
Most employees have a natural disposition to avoid conflict at all costs and when faced with ‘fight or flight’, many choose ‘flight’. In remote teams, additional obstacles are in place and there is a greater tendency to retreat given there will be no awkward moments at the water cooler in a remote environment. While this might seem fortunate, it is not healthy to ignore issues or to sweep them under the carpet, as they will most likely result in a larger workplace issue.
Additional workloads, cultural differences, and misunderstanding of electronic communication all lead to conflict and being fearful of confrontation is not a strategy to improve the issue. The following are common thought processes with employees during conflict.
| Thought process | The employee's reason | The impact |
| “It is not a big issue. Maybe I’m being too sensitive.” | Avoid conflict – keep the other person happy and not create issues or damage the relationship. | This approach downplays the issue and the impact whilst not validating the employee’s needs or feelings. |
| “I am going to rise above the drama.” |
This approach is about the employee convincing themselves that the issue is not worth investing in and it is much better to ‘rise above’ it. |
Whilst this seems like a good approach, it suggests that the employee ‘rising above the issue’ is in the right. It also allows the issue to simmer and wrongly suggests that it does not need to be resolved. |
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“The other person is in the wrong.” |
Many employees like to shift the blame to others rather than entertaining the possibility that they were wrong. |
This approach enables one person to wipe their hands of being responsible and runs the risk of antagonising the other party. |
None of the above approaches assist in enabling the conflict to the removed and they are a particularly dangerous approach in a remote environment.
Leaders often find it challenging to mediate conflict from a remote setting and some even question whether they should be involved. Although the leader does not have full visibility of the team, they still have responsibility for the successful team dynamic and to ensure the health and psychological safety of all team members. If the conflict is not addressed, it can lead to broader business issues with productivity and sales compromised. In addition, engagement and culture may be damaged.
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Conflict is not something that anyone enjoys or seeks but if it does occur, there are some benefits. Although conflict has many negatives, it should be seen as an opportunity to ‘iron out the issues’ before they snowball into a scenario that simply cannot be fixed.
Conflicts provide an opportunity for leaders to understand what is not working well and although they come with disruption and risk; conflicts enable leaders to make required change. Some benefits of conflict include:
Conflict in any work environment is to be expected and remote working can add to the risk. With greater awareness and an appetite to put some processes in place, leaders can effectively minimise the risk and in the process demonstrate strong, emotionally intelligent leadership to team members where everyone feels like they belong.
For more detailed information about managing conflict in a remote work team, see our template resource for leaders.
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Georgina is Senior HR Content Editor – Publications at Ai Group. She is an accomplished Human Resource professional with over 25 years of generalist and leadership experience in a broad range of industries including financial services, tourism, travel, government and agriculture. She has successfully advised and partnered with senior leaders to implement people and performance initiatives that align to business strategy. Georgina is committed to utilising her experience to create resources that educate and engage and is passionate about supporting members to optimise an inclusive workforce culture that drives performance.
