Virtual teams are more common than ever, and it’s becoming increasingly important for managers to obtain the skills that make their remote teams successful. Keeping up to date with the trends in your industry, retaining valuable team members, and bringing in the technology needed to ensure your team’s success is just a few of the challenges managers face when leading a virtual team.
Managing a virtual team is very different from working in a face-to-face environment. While many management aspects remain the same, some challenges faced when your team works remotely include time zone differences, technological issues, and poor employee engagement. Improving your management skills will enable you to lead your virtual team effectively and strengthen employee morale simultaneously.
Here are the best practices for efficient and successful virtual team management.
1. Digital Workplace Platforms
A digital workplace platform is a tool that helps bring together all the people, systems, and the company’s content. These platforms give employers and employees all the tools they need to communicate effectively and collaborate in a single space.
A digital workplace platform generally includes employee communications like a chat feature, content sharing and a system for document management, employee training modules, and social engagement opportunities. While most of the items listed here can be identified as separate tools, going with a cohesive digital workplace platform is much more efficient.
2. Utilize Virtual Team Training
There are three types of training to consider for virtual teams. The first, technology training, is essential so your employees all become proficient with the virtual tools you will use while working.
This should also include how to handle tech issues that may arise. The second type of training is group processing training. The training goes over goal setting, problem-solving skills, and collaboration exercises aimed at helping the team better tackle any project-related challenges that come their way.
Lastly, cross-cultural training is essential if your team is multi-cultural. The team will learn to overcome cultural differences, work together while respecting each other’s customs, and overcome prejudice and stereotypes.
3. Regular Conference Calls
Even once you have adopted a digital workplace platform, and you will be connected to your employees through email and chat, scheduling regular conference calls is still a good idea. Set up a standing meeting with the specific purpose of uniting the virtual team.
Sending out a detailed agenda reminder before each session will help to make sure everyone has a clear understanding of the meeting objectives. Some ideas for your agenda include highlighting recent successes, relaying company news, identifying new trends in the industry, and tips for collaboration.
4. Trust Your Team
Check up with your team periodically but avoid the temptation to micromanage. While it can be difficult to realize that you won’t be aware of everything, you shouldn’t engage more than you would if you were working with your team in person.
If your virtual team is going to be successful, you must trust them to do their jobs. You will foster a better workplace environment if you create a space where your employees feel safe keeping boundaries between their work and life. Especially, virtual sales team as they are going to generate revenue for your business.
5. Promote a Team Culture
Building a team culture is just as important for virtual teams as an in-person work environment. It may be more critical since ensuring the team members can build trust and work well together is more challenging for remote teams. You can do a few things as a leader to help facilitate this.
If you have a team that all lives reasonably close together, you can organize in-person get-togethers every few months. Or, if the location is an obstacle, you could host weekly events aimed at team-building remotely, like an online escape room game or group mad libs. Activities like these allow your team members to get to know each other and create bonds.
6. Allow Flexible Schedules
Allowing a flexible work schedule is one of the best ways to motivate your virtual employees. Not to mention that if your team is geographically dispersed, time zone differences will come into play.
Flexible schedules allow team members to vary their work hours to accommodate their personal lives and other commitments. And employees aren’t the only ones who benefit from this arrangement. Businesses that adopt flexible scheduling practices typically have higher employee engagement and productivity than those that don’t.
7. One-on-One Meetings
Scheduling regular one-on-one meetings with virtual team members is an excellent way to show employees they are valued. These meetings aim to check in with each team member, share feedback, establish priorities, and set goals for personal growth.
These meetings could be conducted over the phone but consider video calls instead. Being face-to-face allows you to pick up on nonverbal cues and body language that you may miss otherwise. Interacting face-to-face can also build trust and camaraderie and improve relationships between you and your employees.
