The Complete 4 Step Process To Lead Your Virtual Team To Greater Successes!

Hiring virtual teams for companies is currently ‘in’! But with each team, comes responsibility. Since people in virtual settings work independently from their corners, it can be tedious to manage it all together. If you’ve ever been in a virtual room, you would know best that it’s easier said than done. That being said, with the right use of project management software, leaders, and employees, there can be magic. 

But how? 

Here are a few steps you can include in your process for a better-managed team. And this is how you do it. 

#1 The Hiring Process

The number one factor of having a good virtual team is to have the right people on board. Your organization will bloom with individuals who are excellent communicators, can give solutions, and work independently. 

You should also train, encourage, and motivate them to lead and take charge when necessary. Since virtual teams consist of people of different cultural settings, awareness and sensitivity toward the same would be necessary. So, always get candidates who are experienced but are also comfortable with a virtual setting.

#2 Designated Roles In A Fixed Communication Channel

The best part about being part of a virtual room is that everyone is looped in with what is happening. Allocating work to your team members based on their expertise is essential. The day to day operations should be managed by one team. While the larger and more technical issues should be handled by a core team that is in charge of the important decisions. The projects should be led by experts specially appointed to ensure the overall smooth functioning of the same. 

Smaller teams with genuine leadership and narrow goals are always a safer bet than a large organizational structure with no specific designations given to the team. It is also imperative to encourage an open communication channel from top to bottom.

#3 Knowing The End Goal 

The purpose of a team coming together to work is to achieve a certain professional goal. Even in a virtual setting, one should know the purpose and the objectives of the tasks in hand. When you establish a common vision for the team and involve everyone, it’s easier for people to stay motivated and productive. 

Guidelines will establish certainty and deadlines. Often, things can be left unsaid or assumed. Over-communicating and following up on phone conversations over email will help keep the communication process simple. Every business can have its own rules: No multitasking, Fixed timing, fixed hours, a feedback session, etc. 

#4 Using Technology To Interact

The inputs of efficient leaders and employees are rendered futile if they are not using the right technology. Hence, organizations should ensure that different ways of communicating via conference calls, direct messaging, emails, video calls, etc. are encouraged. You can have an official system to monitor the video calls, to keep a record of the decisions made. 

More visual conversations mean that people will understand, empathize, and trust their virtual teammates. Companies can get one step closer to ideal teams with the help of Virtual team building facilitators. 

Conclusion

Staying glued to your computer to get your work done for most of your day is not an easy task. But with the right resources, chats, video calls, sharing documents, files, and to-do lists, it can become a much simpler process. Even though being distanced can sometimes get in the way of communicating with your virtual team coworker. 

But at the end of the day, it is all about optimization and mobilization of resources and your employees. Hopefully, you have found what you were looking for to organize and motivate your virtual team better!