Management challenges related to teleworking have multiplied over the past four years. One of them, more invisible and insidious, concerns conflicts. How can we detect and take care of them when most relationships take place virtually? The key: prevent them.
Published at 8:00 a.m.
“I was so annoyed with my colleague that I faked connection problems to avoid attending a meeting she had organized on Teams. »
Patricia*, 50, makes this revelation half-heartedly, embarrassed. The Montrealer has worked in the communications sector for around twenty years. She has seen others, she says, but this time, her relationship with a colleague at the same hierarchical level as her was only degenerating.
“It had become unhealthy, almost toxic,” she says. We never agreed, she persisted with me all the time, in the middle of a meeting, in front of everyone. I was no longer capable! »
The problem? Patricia is 100% teleworking. She didn’t say a word about this issue to her immediate boss, an issue that continued to take up space until she broke down… and “it came out a little crooked, out of order, through tears, on the phone,” confides Patricia.
Room for interpretation
His immediate superior had seen nothing. It must be said that if nothing is put in place upstream, it is not surprising that managers do not see teleworking conflicts coming, believes Jean Poitras, full professor in the human resources department at HEC Montréal.
“When working remotely, there is more room for interpretation and subjectivity,” he explains. Also, we cannot trust the informal network, the one that allows us to defuse things gradually, when we meet in the corridor or at the coffee machine. »
The last point that works to the disadvantage of managers: when working remotely, they are often disconnected from their teams. Without non-verbal cues and informal networks, it is not easy to catch an emerging conflict between two employees.
However, the process of intention is never far away if a tense situation arises, notes Julie Carignan, organizational psychologist, CRHA and managing partner at Humance.
“If the manager doesn’t have clues to what’s happening, he or she can’t see the escalation,” she says.
Hence the importance of preventing “before it explodes,” she says.
Management strategies
There are three kinds of conflicts, underlines Jean Poitras: disagreement or latent conflict in which there is no emotional charge and no break in the link; open conflict where there is an emotional charge and two or three people involved (and they are aware); and chronic conflict. Here, duration is important, everyone is aware and this can even influence group dynamics, by creating clans.
Management will be different depending on the degree of the crisis, comments the professor specializing in conflict management. “If we detect the conflict in advance, we can do informal mediation, with people separately, and we see what we can improve and adjust. But if the conflict has derailed and it is more serious, we must meet face-to-face and possibly involve human resources. »
Better to prevent
The best thing is to learn how to prevent conflicts when teleworking, insist the two specialists. First, it takes courage to open communication channels, suggests organizational psychologist Julie Carignan.
“I apply the baseball rule: three strikes, you’re out. If after a written message, an email for example, we feel that something is wrong, that the other person is on the defensive, and that after another exchange, we still have the impression that we misunderstand each other, then we change the channel. We move on to a call or a meeting on Teams. We don’t wait for communication to break down! »
For the manager, several strategies can be put in place. First of all, talk about it, as a team. “Take the time to ask your team members how they want to manage differences and disagreements together. It’s a first step,” advises M.me Carignan.
Jean Poitras recommends meeting regularly with team members in Teams (open camera) to hold “micro-meetings”. If the team is made up of more than 10 or 12 members, it is best to divide it into small groups.
Another effective strategy is to organize meetings in the office with a social focus. “We try to make it fun,” says Mr. Poitras, “and not just based on productivity. »
Take the pulse
And finally, software like Officevibe, created by the Montreal firm Workleap, can provide a little insight into the state of the troops. Employees are asked to quickly answer a few questions. This could be once a week or every other day, for example.
“It’s like a smoke detector,” says Jean Poitras. There is not necessarily fire, but it helps to understand what is happening, to take the pulse. »
Julie Carignan reminds us that the conflict is not only negative.
“The goal is not to avoid conflict. Conflict can propel teams if it helps push ideas, projects, methods further… Debating ideas is healthy! »
*Patricia agreed to testify on the condition that her identity remains confidential. She fears reprisals from her colleagues and her employer.
