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Conflict Handling for Virtual Assistants

Managing virtual teams is not an easy task, challenges, especially when it comes to communication often bring conflict. As a manager, a part of your job is to not only lead the team but to also help handle and pacify conflicts within your group, before it affects the team’s performance. If this is your first time managing a virtual team, below are a few tips you can apply in handling conflicts for such.

Most conflicts can be resolved through communication. To do that, you must take note of the 5C’s: Channel, Concern, Composure, Conflict Resolution, and Celebration.

Channel

As most conflicts are the result of miscommunication, finding the right channel or platform to talk as a group is a must. A great option is to talk in a video call, so as to be able to communicate better by hearing tones of voices and seeing body language.

Concern

Make sure that concerns are well communicated before the meeting, and that everyone is aware of the agenda, in order to resolve the conflict as quickly as possible. This way, the parties involved will be able to prepare what they may have to say about the issue at hand.

Composure

As a team leader, composure is important. When everyone is emotional, you will have to be neutral, in order to moderate the conflict resolution better. Be the person who calms the team, and make sure that the discussion does not get lost.

Conflict Resolution Plan

Once the issues have been addressed, and resolutions have been suggested and agreed upon. Make sure that the discussion ends on a lighter note by having a small celebration. You can have a coffee party online where you just chitchat and bond.

An additional C you can add to these tips is “Consistency”.

Having a consistent or regular team meeting that both discusses the challenges and achievements of the individual members, as well as the whole team, will definitely improve the communication, bond, and unity among the group. This way, you do not only address the current issues, but you can also prevent future conflicts by introducing openness to the group.

Resolving conflict is not easy, especially in virtual teams, when communication channels are already difficult. But just because there are challenges in communication doesn’t mean, that a resolution is impossible to achieve. As a manager, all you need is to be clearheaded, treat the conflict as an urgent matter, listen to everyone, and make sure that their concerns are heard and addressed.