When not managed well, conflict can wreak havoc on your team and even harm your managerial reputation. As a new leader, how can you mitigate conflict before it gets out of hand, or deal with it when it does?

• Establish clear channels of communication. Remote teams that rely mostly on emails and chats are more susceptible to conflict, as clear communication often relies on non-verbal cues, most of which can’t be translated succinctly into words. And remember to use the right channels of communication, such as delivering nuanced messages in-person or on a video call as opposed to email or Slack.
• Be transparent about performance expectations. Don’t leave standards, such as what “good” versus “just okay” looks like, entirely open to interpretation.  Take some time to identify your most important performance standards and clearly communicate them to your team.
• Manage time expectations. Conflict can happen when you are misaligned on timing or deadlines. Encourage your team members to track their hours and how they spend their day at work. Have them share it among each other, too, if they’re agreeable. Build time into your weekly schedule to review your team’s trackers and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Clarify task and role expectations. When everyone assumes that someone else is responsible for completing a task, balls are inevitably dropped, leading to finger-pointing, blame, and missed deadlines. With your teams input, create a short guide that lays out the expectations you have of your team members, their roles, and assigned tasks.