Most businesses are going online these days, and an increasing number of people now work from home, especially during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. There has also been a correlating increase in online collaboration. A virtual team (or remote team) is a group of individuals cooperating from multiple locations using virtual communication tools to achieve a common objective.
A virtual team has its limitations, but that doesn’t make it less effective than a physical one. Using the strategies we will discuss, you can easily get the most out of your virtual team and recruit the right members for your cause.
Choose Competent Team Leaders And Members
This is a very important process in building virtual teams. No matter how effective your communication is, incompetent members will reduce your productivity. You’ll need to choose people who understand your plans and are willing to work with you. You can employ the service of a trusted recruitment agency or get recommendations from reliable sources. You can also source for your team members yourself.
Set Up An Effective Communication System
A good communication system is the backbone of any virtual or physical team. Poor communication causes a lack of coordination among team members.
Effective communication requires you to share factually correct information with your team members and to ensure that the information reaches the intended members. Also, information should be shared so that it’s easily understandable by team members.
Every member of the team should be encouraged to communicate with others. Have live sessions with them instead of just dropping emails on what to do. Apart from communication based on work, it’s a good idea to dedicate a space meant for normal chitchat. This can help build trust and increase friendship between team members.
Use The Right Communication Technologies
In the absence of physical interactions, there might be a drop in team performance. Using the right communication tools helps simulate physical interactions and improve team performance.
To foster effective communication, you and your team members must agree on the tools you’ll use for interaction. It would help if you had a video conferencing app, meeting scheduler, and chat app. Another very important tool is a document or resource sharing tool which allows several team members to work on a single task and give feedback to each other.
Track Goals And Commitments
Many teams make the mistake of not clearly defining their goals and not keeping track of individual performance. Setting clear objectives for the team gives them a deadline to work towards. Each team member should be given clear commitments and goals to achieve. Hold regular meetings to discuss your team’s progress and map out future plans.
Also, clarify individual tasks and processes, so everyone knows who does what and when. Simplify jobs so that individuals can easily handle them. This ensures coordination and effective management.
Show Appreciation
Appreciating the work of your team members will increase their willingness to work with you. Appreciation doesn’t have to be a big deal, a simple ‘thank you’ can help boost your members’ morale. By appreciating them when they do a good job, they’ll likely keep up the good work.
In conclusion, most of the strategies for managing physical teams also apply to virtual teams. It would be best if you always considered the limitations of virtual collaboration when planning a virtual team. Your Talent Team helps you during the process of recruiting your team members. You’ll get the right people for your tasks without hassle.
