Top 3 Causes of Conflict in Remote Work

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One of the hardest things while working remotely is figuring out how to communicate effectively. Since you’re in the comfort of your own home and not in a traditional office setting, it can be difficult to remember that you’re at work. The remote worker is an island unto themselves in many ways. Leaders attempt to bring the team together as much as possible with camera-on meetings, one-on-one check-ins, and virtual team-building exercises. Still, remote workers are their bosses, their project managers.

Conflict while working remotely looks different for everyone, but most conflicts boil down to communication problems. Maybe your supervisor feels that they offered plenty of information and training for a project while the employee feels they needed more information and guidance to complete the project well.

Communication differences between you and a supervisor or you and a team member can easily pop up in remote work team dynamics. Because those team dynamics might be missing some of the traditional, in-person connection opportunities that can help build trust and camaraderie, they have to be thoughtfully coordinated, designed, and developed. The communication of expectations of remote colleagues must be made clear if you are to prevent unnecessary conflict. Here are some common communication problems that lead to conflict while working remotely. Download and learn more.


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At ONE EIGHTY, we encourage leaders to communicate with their employees using quarterly evaluations or weekly meetings. Whether your employees are in-office or working remotely, they need access to their supervisors and need to know when supervisors are available to resolve uncertainty. Regular check-ins and feedback surveys could help keep lines of communication open.