How can you manage team conflicts during virtual workshops?

One thing I've found to be helpful in establishing expectations for virtual workshops is to start with a list of "team habits" for the event, keep it short but then have the group add to the list and get verbal agreement (or reactions??) to ensure buy-in. For example: 1- Be kind and respectful. 2- This is a safe place. 3- Move when you need to move. Then ask, "What else needs to be on the list?" The responses from the group set a collaborative tone at the very beginning. I start each day reviewing the list and ensuring we're still collectively committed to our "team habits" for the duration of the workshop.

Independente do ambiente, normas básicas devem ser ditadas, assim o bate papo flui, mas com todos sabendo por exemplo, que devem respeitar as opini?es dos outros e que as perguntas devem ser focadas nas tarefas, para evitar distra??es e desvios.

You need to create a context by explaining and actually listing the 'rules of the space'. ?n a classroom setup you don't always need 'rules of the space', only the rules of the game ??. But online, the context is so different for each of us: one is in a cowork, another in his kitchen, the third in a homeoffice etc. By setting the 'rules of the space', we bring everyone in the same 'mental place'.

From my experience, you want to start with an ice-breaker and not with the ground rules. Here is why. People are dealing with stress, serious and pressure all day. Meeting after meeting, deadline, tasks, more tasks, responsibilities and the list never ends. They are constantly told or primed for what to do and what not to do. Then they are looking forward to your virtual workshops for days or weeks, and you start with laying out the rules. That's no fun. Instead, start with the fun, with team connection and increase their humour hormones. Now they are less defensive and more receptive to your ground rules. I even make them creative to use different themes, to make compliance a lot more fun! The star wars theme is the most popular!

I caution this because it can have an adverse affect. In today's hybrid working environment, too much online meetings and screen time takes a toll on our mental bandwidth. So when you add to that additional distractions that require their brain to focus and switch between activities, they are going to feel more disengaged. Instead, leverage social intelligence and use small break out groups with fun assignments to diffuse negative emotions. Than as a facilitator you need to be skilled in managing the diverse opposing views, in a way everyone feels heard and validated, before you guide them towards common grounds.

Coming back to ground rules, at the beginning of my workshops I am clear on mutual respect and use of language. When you communicate upfront the consequences of potential actions, people feel more prepared and will pay attention. However, at times they don't and conflict starts brewing. If you are present in your training, you notice the early warning indicators. That's when you need to stop it and remind them of ground rules. Than if the problem becomes an emergency, and the entire training is impacted, you need to decide boldly with empathy on what to do next. Because if you don't the entire workshop is fuelled with negative energy and people's learning experience is damaged.

One thing that I found helpful, is to keep the cameras 'on' so we can use our vision, since the chance to 'feel the tension of the room' is very small anyways.

Building trust takes time, true trust. You are not going to build realistic trust during your initial virtual workshops. Except if you are known to the team and relationships are already established. As a facilitator, you want to build connection. When the team members feel connected to each other, they are forced to become more intentional and conscious on their words, actions and behavior. You connect people precisely through humour, storytelling, and any activity that lowers their defense mechanisms. Often conflict arises from something that happened beforehand, and nothing to do with your training. People can walk around as a soda bottle. When shaken to hard and too often, the moment you open up all the bubbles begin to explode.