Teams are integral to accomplishing tasks. From concept to execution, a well-functioning team can make the difference between a poor deliverable and an exceptional one.

Teams fascinate me. They are comprised of humans… And humans are complex. Each person’s belief system is varied; our construction of family beliefs, acceptance to social norms, and religious influence all effect how we communicate.

There’s a never-ending number of variables when dealing with people, which makes it understandable interpersonal conflict is a frequent visitor. In the context of work, employee conflicts can be poisonous. Morale crashes, productivity plummets, and key projects very well may suffer.

I am continuously asked how to manage conflict. One person’s resolve is another’s nightmare. I’ve talked about conflict before. First, you need to know the primary types of conflict.

Then, it’s helpful to know what your options are for handling conflict. But what about the benefits of handling conflict? Do you ever wonder what you’re working toward?

The beauty in conflict is that well-managed conflicts can increase trust, respect, and intimacy among employees within and across teams.  The challenge arises when conflict is occurring amidst virtual teams. Do not underestimate the helpfulness of face-to-face time. Personal interaction increases empathy. Without that human touch, task-based conflict can become personal conflict. Remember: use video chat features whenever possible!

If you find yourself managing a virtual team, it will help you to be cognizant the probability of task-based conflict turning into personal conflict is high. How do you prepare to support virtual teamwork?  

Prior to online learning, I would not have found this solution so powerful, but in looking at the research from Ann Majchrzak who has studied virtual projects at many organizations, she found successful teams use one important tool: a discussion board. 

A discussion board demands a shared virtual workspace. In our global and connected workforce, a virtual workspace is easy to come by. Here are the advantages in implementing a discussion board for your virtual team:

• Just like Slack, IM, or any chat feature, communication is often instant. That regularity in communicating creates a norm that accepts on-demand Q&A, regardless of a scheduled time to speak with the team. What this does is empower the team to ask questions while simultaneously offering visibility to the rest of the team. Others may share the same concern. Rather than let an issue fester – waiting for the opportune time to broach the topic (and then you find out it isn’t an issue to begin with!) – the discussion board forum allows transparency as well as communication frequency.

• It’s not helpful to have five different resources to communicate through. Thus, if you are working with a virtual team, set expectations for how inquiries should be conveyed. Don’t leave the team to guess if they should be communicating via email, phone, chat, discussion board (or anything in between!).

• Having an open forum for team collaboration and discussion will elicit honestly and varied perspectives. Set time to review each composition – you want your team to be heard (and let them know that they are!).

• The primary perk in having a centralized location that supports discussion, questions, and collaboration, is to build trust. When used appropriately (make sure to set ground rules for communication!) the discussion board will become a safe space. Each person will have the opportunity to share their insights or opinions. By requiring everyone to share their input in an educated, professional manner, professionalism will evoke healthy disagreements, not uncivil ones.

Test it out. Need help setting it up? Happy to help.