Managing Hybrid Teams and Conflict

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Janette Clarke has been involved in learning and development since 1996 and has worked as a trainer in the public, private, and third sectors, delivering Human Resources and Management courses. In this interview, we spoke with Janette about the challenges organisations face in managing teams and resolving conflict, particularly in a hybrid working environment.

Q :? Reflecting? on your experience as a management trainer working with different charities and small businesses, ?what would you say is the most common management challenge you see time and time again?

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Janette Clarke:?I’d say, that nowadays the biggest challenge is hybrid working. Trying to find a balance that’s acceptable to both the employee and the employer has been difficult. It was interesting to hear during the Labour Party conference talks about whether working from home should be a legal right. Since the pandemic, this has been a significant issue.

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But it’s not just about letting someone work from the office two days a week and from home three days. There are health and safety concerns, and then there’s the challenge of building strong relationships and networks. It’s difficult to create team unity when employees are either in the office on different days or working remotely. These are the issues managers often don’t fully appreciate.

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Q:? What kind of skills have managers had to develop to navigate these new challenges of hybrid working and team building?

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Janette Clarke:? Team building has become a much more critical skill for managers. When everyone is in the office, it’s easier to get people together for a lunch break or a quick chat. But with hybrid work, it’s a different set of skills to foster team cohesion when people are working remotely or on different schedules.

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Q:? So, part of this challenge is managing technology, right? Managers and team leads need to understand tools like Teams, Zoom, and Slack to keep everyone connected even when they’re remote.

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Janette Clarke:? Exactly. It’s not enough to just say, “We’re using Slack.” Managers need to understand how these platforms work so they can guide their team members through them. There’s also the challenge of pushback—some employees may not be too keen on using these tools, and there can be resentment around constant video calls or online meetings.

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Q:? That brings us to another key area: conflict management. How do you see conflict management evolving in a remote or hybrid work environment, where issues may not be as immediately visible as they would be in an office setting?

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Janette Clarke:? That’s a great point. It’s harder to pick up on signals when people aren’t physically present. In an office, you can sense when tension is brewing between team members, but remotely, it might take longer to identify conflicts.

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The advice I give to managers is to hone their communication skills. Many conflicts arise because people are on different wavelengths. For example, an email might seem perfectly clear to the sender, but the recipient could interpret it differently. So, I often say managers should "measure twice, cut once" when communicating—whether through email, video meetings, or face-to-face. They need to be mindful of their tone, body language, and how they treat each team member.

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Q:? Yes, and you mentioned the importance of treating people equitably, which is different from treating them equally. Can you elaborate on that?

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Janette Clarke:? Exactly. It’s not always about treating everyone the same; it’s about recognizing individual needs and treating people fairly. Many conflicts arise when people feel they’re being treated unfairly or differently from others. A manager needs to be aware of these dynamics and ensure that their team members feel respected and valued.

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Q:? Speaking of appreciation, do you think expressing genuine appreciation can help prevent conflicts?

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Janette Clarke:? Definitely. But appreciation must be genuine. I once had a manager who, at the end of every week, thanked me in exactly the same way—word for word. By the third week, I realized it wasn’t genuine; it felt scripted. After that, the words lost all meaning. Managers need to be sincere when showing appreciation, as employees can quickly sense when it’s not real.

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Q:? That’s a great example. Authentic appreciation can go a long way in maintaining harmony and fairness in the workplace.

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Janette Clarke:? ?Absolutely. When team members feel truly appreciated for their contributions, they’re more likely to feel secure and less prone to conflict or resentment.

Janette will be running short learning lab sessions on this topic and other key management skills - see our website for details of upcoming sessions or contact us for a bespoke session.