Conflicts are quite common in any professional environment  where two or more persons work together. It can be due to any creative differences or lack of coordination , cooperation or any other reason . Conflicts are quite inevitable.Even in a freelancing career, when freelancers collaborate on certain projects ,conflicts can arise because of many reasons. It can include different working styles, different priorities or miscommunication. It is extremely important to effectively handle these conflicts among freelancers , so that a positive work environment can be maintained.In this article, we will explore practical strategies to resolve conflicts among freelancers and foster successful collaborations. But before that let us understand the importance of freelancers .

IMPORTANCE OF FREELANCERS

Freelancers are a specialised workforce that offers any company or client a cost effective solution. In this era of digitalisation, we cannot neglect how important freelancers are!

Be it designing a poster for a new restaurant , the designing of logo of an upcoming brand or boosting online media presence of any influencer.  Freelancers have got it covered all .

In simple words, freelancers represent creativity and innovation and in today’s time, they are important in every field possible.

Why it’s important to deal with conflicts among freelancers?

• Resolving conflicts in any organisation is very important.  Because ultimately the organisation is known by the team work and the members behind the organisation are responsible for the success or failure of the organisation.
• Similar is the case with freelancers .Unaddressed conflicts can lead to miscommunication,  misunderstandings and poor project outcomes.
• By proactively resolving conflicts, a harmonious environment is fostered resulting in increase in productivity if each member.

Simple Strategies to help you to resolve conflicts

Here we have brought some simple strategies,  that can help you to resolve conflict among freelancers.

Foster Open Communication:

• Clear and open communication is the key solution to any conflict .
• Sometimes ,many conflicts arise because because of miscommunication and lack of misunderstandings.  Thus ,encourage freelancers to express their concerns, ideas, and suggestions freely.
• Make use of tools like zoom or google meet to provide opportunities for open discussions .

Encourage Empathy and Respect:

• I cannot emphasise how important empathy and respect is !Try to inculcate these values with any client or company or freelancer team with which you are dealing.
• Encourage individuals to put themselves in others’ shoes, and understand the challenges and perspectives of other people.
• Such a culture should be built that should value diversity and every different work style should be appreciated.
• If we foster empathy and respect , then freelancers will have a deeper understanding of one another, that ultimately leads to conflict resolution.

Set Clear Expectations and Goals

• Majority of conflicts among freelancers arise when they have different expectations or conflicting goals.
• For prevention of situations, establish a clear set of expectations and goals from the beginning of the project.
•  Define your roles ,responsibilities and deadlines clearly to prevent any confusion in the end.
• Make sure to promote asking for questions and seeking clarifications for ensuring that everyone is on the same page. By proactively doing such discussions, potential conflicts can be minimised.

Mediation and Conflict Resolution

• In case the conflict has arisen,deal with it promptly.
• Try to go for mediation for that conflict .Designate a neutral mediator or team lead who can help to facilitate the resolution process. His major job will be to listen to each side actively and promote open dialogue.
• He will not be the one proposing a solution, rather he has to encourage freelancers to propose solutions. If  a mediator is involved , then such  conflicts can be resolved in a fair and unbiased manner.

Emphasise Collaboration over Competition

• Competition among freelancers can sometimes lead to conflicts.In such a   case it’s important to encourage a collaborative mindset by emphasising the collective success of the team.
• Every effort should be made to promote healthy competition.
•  By nurturing such  a collaborative culture, such conflicts can be minimised.

Use Technology for Effective Collaboration

• Make use of project management tools like Asana or Trello .
• It helps freelancers to stay organised, assign and  track  their progress.
• Communication platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams can facilitate real-time communication, reducing the chances of miscommunication or misunderstandings.

Establish a Conflict Resolution Protocol

• One can also go for creating a conflict resolution protocol that should contain the steps to be taken in case conflict arises.
• Having such a protocol ensures consistency and fairness in conflict resolution process.

In addition to all these ,various other tips and strategies can also be adopted. Try to learn from your past conflicts, celebrate success as a team and establish clear channels for conflict resolution.  All this ultimately will minimise the conflict resolution.

Conclusion

Hence ,to effectively manage conflicts among freelancers , a comprehensive approach is required  that includes open communication, active conflict resolution, promoting a positive work environment, and looking for collaborations. By practically implementing these tips like active conflict resolution, clear communication guidelines etc. freelancers can easily tackle conflicts successfully .Plus, by creating a positive work environment and providing opportunities for face-to-face interactions, team-building activities, more productive and harmonious collaborations could be made. Since freelancers have to deal with a lot of pressure , such a positive work environment will also help them in betterment of their mental health.

Now one question which you might have in your mind could be , are there any platforms where you can collaborate with freelancers for free. The answer to this question is yes , there are many such platforms including upwork, fiverr and Croxaint. Croxaint provides for a platform where freelancers and clients can collaborate for various interesting projects. Some of the advantages which Croxaint have over all the platforms are:

•  Zero Registration fees
•  Easy Registration process
•  Dedicated customer support
•  Free Gig post
•  Exclusive calling feature.

We are happy to share certain knowledge on the topic “How to handle conflicts with freelancers”. Now, this was all about this article. We hope that you found this blog informative and helpful. Do not forget to implement these strategies and if you have any query related to this post , you can comment down below in comment section below.