Civility in Remote Work: Sustaining Respectful Collaboration in Virtual Teams

In general, civility is about how we treat other people. Relationship building is greatly aided by civil behavior. In the workplace, being courteous, polite, considerate, and respectful are all part of being civil. It has a direct impact on job satisfaction, morale, and productivity.

Furthermore, a polite workplace fosters a cooperative and harmonious team atmosphere, enabling people to flourish and give their all to the accomplishment of organizational goals. Civility is required not just in a physical workspace and environment; it is just as important in a remote team.

Spotting Incivility

To prevent unneeded workplace tension or hatred, you must identify and deal with rude behavior as soon as it occurs, whether it comes from managers, employees, or even the leader. When trying to spot incivility, see if it leads to:

• a disruption in the workflow
• conflict among workers
• poor performance

When working in an online team, incivility could take the form of sending snarky messages about a coworker behind their back, or worse, cyberbullying. It is usually an uncomfortable experience for a worker to report a situation of incivility or perhaps harassment in a normal workspace. It can only be assumed that it is even more difficult for some to speak up when it's happening online, where accountability can be avoided. Therefore, it's important to keep an eye out for signs that there might be instances of disrespectful behavior.

How Do You Sustain Respectful Collaboration in Virtual Teams?

Here, we have a few strategies and tips ready for you to apply to your remote teams and foster a respectful culture.

1.     The Big C

It is something as basic as communication that could prove to be substantially helpful in promoting civility in the workplace, especially in a virtual one where there is room for miscommunication. People could make mistakes and put unintentional emotions into words while communicating via text or email. Words can sometimes be imprecise. The writer may not always be clear about their intention in their writing, even if they believe they are. If this is the case, then how do we fix it?

Emphasize asking questions. It means that you must encourage workers to ask questions when a certain email or text isn’t clear to avoid errors.

One more thing you can incorporate as a practice is confirming understanding by paraphrasing. Employees should confirm their understanding of a task by paraphrasing it to their coworkers/superiors and, thus, reduce the risk of a misunderstanding.

2.              Civility Training

A fantastic method to assist staff members in cultivating a sense of respect for others at work is through virtual civility training. Employees learn about communication, interpersonal skills, integrity, ethics, and self-awareness. You can set appropriate guidelines for behavior and tone, discuss difficulties, and come up with solutions for them.

3.             Conflict Management and Resolution 

A proactive approach to anything is always better than a reactive one. In the context of a virtual workspace, this means that you need to have conflict resolution strategies in place to offer resources when such situations arise. It can be promoted by organizing team-building activities and workshops on conflict management.

4.              Regular Check-ins

Regular check-ins are an important part of any strategy. They ensure that workers relate to their managers and let them know about work progress. These meetings are also important to report any instances of incivility in the workplace.

5.              Feedback

Feedback is closely tied to regular check-ins. Just as these one-on-one meetings should be regular, the feedback should be, too.

Keep communication channels open for feedback. It starts with encouraging your employees to express their concerns and experiences to identify areas where the virtual workforce can become more civil. Ensure that you address the feedback of all members to make them feel included.

6.              Lead by Example

As a leader, you must set an example of civility and respect for your team members. You can accomplish this by expressing gratitude and acknowledgement, politely providing constructive criticism, and swiftly and effectively dealing with rude or uncivil behavior.

This feat can also be accomplished by using incentives such as tokens of appreciation for civil and helpful behavior. You may improve your team’s productivity, happiness, and general well-being by fostering a culture of civility and respect.

7.              Zero-Tolerance Policy

Within an organization, zero-tolerance policies can foster a culture of equity, decency, and respect. Such policy statements send a message to the employees that rude or disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated. These regulations forbid impolite behavior by taking severe measures against those who act rudely at work. It can help people focus better on their jobs and not worry about being harassed. Above all, it establishes a good example of how coworkers should behave toward one another in the workplace and in daily life.

A zero-tolerance policy conveys to all parties involved that every member of your organization is respected and valued. This not only boosts worker morale but also makes the workplace more productive.

Final Thoughts

Workplace civility is undoubtedly an important contributor to your employees’ productivity and satisfaction but also one sometimes overlooked. It is, therefore, vital for you, as a manager, to learn how to spot incivility in the workplace to ensure decorum. You also need to have some strategies and policies in your arsenal for when such instances occur to address the concerns of incivility. Some of these strategies include keeping open channels of communication, conducting regular check-ins, organizing civility training as proactive measures, etc.