The quality of our teams predicts our company’s success.
That’s why virtual team options are so exciting. Because, today, the caliber of team you can build is almost unlimited. You can tap into rockstar performers and other virtual team members with incredible experience that you might not have had access to otherwise.
But how do you manage virtual teams for high-performance?
We’ve put together a list of four must-have keys to help you simplify virtual team building and leadership.
First up—and no surprises—communication is king, queen, and prime minister rolled into one!
Key One: Virtual Teamwork Requires Clear Goals + Expectations
Your team must know what you expect from them. Clear goals or OKRs, and defining expectations, keep your virtual team coordinated, regardless of where they are.
Start by making a list of your goals and how each team member contributes to achieving them.
Think carefully about what’s involved to reach those goals, and provide a guide for your team on what you expect that process to look like. This includes how long it should take, the tools they should use, and how to track their progress.
Plus, they must understand how you want them to work and what the final product should be—all without getting bogged down into micromanaging details.
Read more: How To Measure The Performance Of Remote Workers: 6 Pillars Of Effective Remote Work Management
Key Two: Online Team Management Means Purposeful Communication (From The Start!)
Building a high-performing virtual team starts with excellent onboarding. We recommend this six-step checklist for every new team member (regardless of their role).
However, what if you’ve already built most of your team? Simply revisit this checklist for each team member!
Great online team management always takes culture alignment, seamless tech workflows, progress tracking, tight comms, and regular progress check-ins and updates.
Use project management tools, like Trello or Asana, to make this a natural part of the working process. Set up regular meetings with your virtual staff using Skype or Zoom. Use shared drives and other cloud-based tools that keep your virtual team under one digital roof that you can monitor at a glance, whenever you want.
Virtual team communication shouldn’t be excessive, but it shouldn’t be absent, either.
Keep the purpose of the communication in mind, whether you are checking on task completion or progress with project timelines.
The goal isn’t to micromanage or intrude. But virtual teams take a different level of intentionality with comms than a central office. Remember, your virtual team isn’t overhearing you in the hallway or at lunch.
If you want your team to know something, make a point to tell them.
Key Three: Acknowledge The Challenges Of Virtual Teams In Management Terms
Going virtual is a great way to build a diverse team, and even reach global customers by hiring from other countries. This potential brings an obvious level of complexity when it comes to management.
Think time zones, different holidays, language, and cultural barriers—those things exist even if your team is in the same country. Throw a lack of face-to-face interaction into the mix and online team management just got trickier.
There will be hiccups.
That’s not a sign of bad management. Accept the hiccups as part of the process, not a failure on your end. By choosing to learn from those bumps in the road and make improvements, your virtual team can thrive. The challenges you face will become the fuel for growth.
Even with bumps in the road, your team will still need clear expectations and regular communication. Flexibility will be necessary at times, this includes how you view successful management practices.
Key Four: Be More Human To Manage Virtual Teams Better
Your team might be virtual, but they are still people!
The best thing you can do with the virtual team you’ve built is to treat them as if they are in the same office as you.
Those regular meetings you have? They shouldn’t always be business and work.
Some should be simply touching base with the team to make sure everyone is doing well. We are more willing to trust and rely on people we know. We naturally do this in person; you’ll have to be purposeful about making it happen virtually.
Think of what happens in an in-person office, and find a virtual counterpart.
Plan times for fun, even if it’s a themed meeting or a holiday “party” done virtually. Create fun surveys or a digital chat room for sharing things like pet photos or favorite recipes. Reach out personally to team members who are celebrating a birthday to send a gift.
Treat your virtual staff as permanent staff and you’ll reap the benefits of having a diverse team. When your virtual team feels seen they can give you incredible flexibility and freedom to grow your business, whether you are at home or on the road.
