Conflict simply put is a form of intense interpersonal and intrapersonal dissonance (tension or antagonism between two or more interdependent parties based on incomplete goals, needs, desires, values, beliefs/ or attitudes.
A good grasp of the definition already implied more often than not, conflict always emerge when given task is not achieved or well delivered.
Over the past few years, the world has witnessed a massive shift towards remote work. From Tokyo to Toronto, office desks became kitchen tables. Companies adapted, and employees donned virtual avatars.
In a way, the Nigeria story stood out, in just two years, remote work surged by a whopping 200%, unexpectedly, this popularity does not just emerge without the advancement of the Technology.
Available data revealed from between 2018-2020 remote workforce in Nigeria was pegged at 25%, while the United State of America, (U.S.A) had 70% remote workers, India and Australia had 60 and 55% respectively.
However, data from 2020-2022 revealed that remote workers in Nigeria increased to 200%, while the United State of America (U.S.A), India, and the Australia are 110%, 130%, and 90%.
As clearly demonstrated above, remote or virtual work as come to stay and it can only get better, hence we must braced up for the attendant challenges the opportunities presented to us as obtainable in any human organization.
The following steps therefore, present keys to effectively resolving conflict among remote workers.
Find a time that you can dedicate to discussing what’s working and what could be improved in your relationship. Instead of springing feedback on your colleague, give the person a call and ask if you can set up some time to talk about how things have been going.
In Nigeria, some Chief Executive Officers have been tempted to always, and if not almost all the time put calls through to their employee without good grasp of, or understanding of what emotional intelligence is all about.
Some do this with the understanding that those calls fall within the working hours. Colleagues that have purpose towards achieving a common goal also do follow suit.
Little do they know that personal relationship foster effective working condition, beyond the regimented office routine and demands.
It is in this light, we dedicated time to discussing what is working and what needs to be improved on to achieve team result.
1. Use a communication vehicle that has video in addition to audio
Video calls offer more nuanced approach to conflict resolution due to several reasons, seeing each other fosters a sense of connection and empathy, helping in building rapport and understanding perspective better which is crucial in resolving conflicts.
Again, and more importantly, video conferencing platforms allows for pulling up documents on computer which can be tracked resolve provided such conflicts are work related.
For instance, file can be shared real time this way, allowing clients to follow along and see clauses being session itself whether it is editing of documents or using specialized software they have on their computers.
2. Schedule regular online Team Meeting
While individual catch-ups are great, team meetings are just as important. It’s a chance and an excuse for the team to come together and brainstorm as well as bond.
These meetings should be at least weekly and employee can let the team know they are up to and ask questions or express concerns.
They also don’t have to be just work related; you can arrange virtual team-building meetings or even a Friday afternoon drinks session, especially if the team has not met in person.
3. Set clear Expectations
Having clear expectations and guidelines remove ambiguity, especially when it comes to hierarchy. While many companies are embracing a flat organization or a more causal hierarchy model, knowing where people stand and understanding those intricacies can mitigate offence given and taken.
4. Be Proactive
The proactive path is always more professional and less time consuming than the reactive path.
In a remote settings however, managers should be on the lookout for offhand comments and even the smallest of negatives interactions. While you should heed caution in instantly jumping in, it’s good to take note and try to get to the bottom of them during the one-one meetings.
That is trying to understand the motivations and find out certain employees are not getting along. If it’s something you can fix, then you should right away.
However, if this is more a case of conflicting personalities, you should set clear expectations and emphasize that teams must work together and be respectful.
Most of us avoid or delay uncomfortable conversations even with people who sit beside us. It’s natural to dislike confrontation. Now imagine how easy it is to let concerns fester when your teammate is two time zones away.
Avoiding an important conversation is a bad idea with an office mate and an even worse idea with a virtual teammate.
Get the issues out in the open as quickly as possible before they sour your relationship and affect your ability to get the job done.
Provide crisp and clear observations of your teammate’s behavior as free of judgment and subjectivity as possible.
Working as part of a remote team, with colleagues spread out in different locations, is increasingly common and surprisingly challenging.
Absent non-verbal cues, it’s often difficult to gauge how your relationship is going. If something does start to derail your relationship, you don’t have the benefit of informal office interactions to build rapport and re-establish trust.
Small irritants that aren’t addressed can fester into resentment and eventually impact your work. Don’t let concerns with your remote teammates grow bigger than they need to be.
There are a few techniques you can use to deliver feedback that will get the relationship back on track.
As we navigate through the above, let be cognizance of the fact that the prevalence of remote work varied greatly across occupations and industries.
This also gave rise to more remote jobs where employees get to work from the comfort of their homes. Remote work therefore offers flexibility to employee, working in Nigeria remotely is often faced with some challenges.
Atypical Nigerian who resides in the country knows that electric supply is nothing to write home about
The country is still ravage by wide spread power black outs which affects businesses and also remote workers are not exempted.
For a large percentage of people working remotely in Nigeria, one major drawback has been poor supply of electricity supply has slowed down productivity of the work force in Nigeria.
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