The popularity of virtual teams, cross-geographical, time zone and cultural teams continues to grow exponentially.
Want to make sure your virtual team is built on a solid foundation of success? Here are some factors to consider:
1. Ensure a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of team members
As a virtual team, the need to clearly define roles and responsibilities becomes more important than a face-to-face team environment. As managers and even team members, team members [and managers] must fully understand their roles and responsibilities, reporting relationships, and where roles and responsibilities overlap. If you are a member of a virtual team, what do you think of this?
2. Negotiation matrix management relationship
When professionals can be managed by two different managers, there is a matrix management structure, often depicted by the projects involved. Given the nature of virtual teams, individual members may often be part of the matrix management reporting process. It is common for virtual team members to report to face-to-face managers at their location, as well as to major virtual team managers who may be located in different time zones or continents. If this is the case, then a tripartite discussion between managers and staff is often beneficial, ensuring that everyone has a common understanding of who owns what, reporting relationships, how to weigh workflows, and prioritizing.
3. Provide team members with skills that span differences
Given that virtual teams are often global and even transcontinental, understanding cultural differences is important. Staff should also have the skills and tools to deal with diversity. There may be differences in several continuums, including different priorities, languages, and concepts of time and management methods. Exploring individual cultural differences in a team can be an important process, as well as creating a "common point" and working for a team.
4. Create opportunities for face-to-face interaction
By interacting face to face at least once a month [and preferably more often] through budget and planning, you can greatly increase the efficiency of your virtual team.
Retreats on multiple days can be used as a forum to learn from each other and create a shared vision for the team and its work. Other topics that may flow out of such sessions may be to discuss strategic directions, create shared work plans, milestones, and meetings and communication protocols. The existence of trust is often seen as a condition for the success of a virtual team.
5. Develop a shared vision
The shared vision that all virtual team members understand is an important pillar of decision-making, accountability, and results. Many visual processes can be tried depending on the needs of the customer. At the beginning of the virtual team creation, it is ideal to develop this in a face-to-face session, although creating this stream will also benefit the team.
6. Create a trust environment
Researchers often use the existence of trust in virtual teams as a condition of success. What can you do to build trust within the team? Which systems might be needed to develop? According to different team members, which actions will build trust? Remember that the concept of trust may mean different things to different generations, cultures and individuals.
7. Provide effective leadership to the team
Effective leadership of the team can further leverage and build the foundation of the team. The skills required for a virtual team manager may differ from the skills of a face-to-face manager. Do you have enough work space for team members? Do you want to try micromanagement? Do you provide the resources your team needs? Are you experiencing obstacles for the team? What is your influence?
Virtual teams can provide organizations with many opportunities, including opportunities to frequently disclose multidisciplinary professionals from a range of cultures, geographies, and even generations of employees. What success factors will you focus on today?
Orignal From: Virtual team - laying the foundation for success
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