12 Tips for Leading a Virtual Team
Virtual teams are increasingly common and often include team members working from several different locations. An excellent virtual team leader can manage the unique challenges that may arise with employees working in different locations and inspire their team to thrive. If you are a virtual team leader, it's important to reflect on the strategies you use to manage your team. In this article, we discuss the importance of virtual team leaders and list 12 tips for managing a virtual team.
Importance of virtual team leaders
Most workplaces depend on functioning teams to ensure productivity and success. Although members do not share the same physical space in a virtual team, they typically have similar requirements to in-person teams, such as meeting deadlines and maintaining quality standards. Similar to a team together in a physical space, a virtual team requires leadership to delegate tasks and coordinate and supervise a team's output. Your virtual team may encounter unique challenges, such as balancing work and caring for children at home or handling other distractions. Finding ways to overcome those challenges is vital.
12 tips for virtual team leaders
Here are 12 strategies you can use to find success as a virtual team leader:
1. Choose the right platform
You might only use one platform for phone calls, or you might use a suite of programs to coordinate your team's work. Examples of the types of virtual platforms you may use include video conferencing tools, digital calendars and scheduling tools, task lists, real-time document editing and file-sharing. Consider the most important qualities in your programs, such as unlimited data for file storage, end-to-end encryption or cloud-based storage, before selecting which ones work best for your virtual team.
2. Refine your virtual communication skills
It's important for virtual team leaders to practice effective text-based communication. Examples of mediums in which you might try to develop proper written communication skills include emails, SMS messages, voice clips and shared documents. If you use video conferencing tools, consider your video's background, which reflects your personal and professional image. Also, try to monitor your on-camera body language to ensure you are properly conveying your intended tone.
3. Ensure team members are comfortable with technology
It's important as a team leader to ensure everyone on your team can properly use the tools they require to be successful. Consider conducting individual training sessions with team members unfamiliar with a piece of technology, prepare how-to documents or videos or establish peer mentoring programs to ensure that everyone is comfortable with their technology.
4. Be adaptable
Your initial plan for leading a virtual team might eventually require refinement. For example, your scheduled meeting time may cause problems for employees in different time zones or conflict with other personal responsibilities. Your chosen software might not also be the best fit for your team's working style. To avoid such issues, ask for constructive feedback from team members and try new strategies.
5. Learn about your team
Each team member may have different circumstances associated with their virtual working environment. For example, someone might have an elderly parent living at home who requires occasional assistance or someone may live in a different part of the world with specific cultural expectations. Similar to being in an office, it may be beneficial to understand the goals, skills and challenges that each of your team members possesses. You can also ask about your team members' schedules before arranging mandatory meetings.
6. Practice self-care
As a team leader, you have a unique opportunity to set an example for your team members with techniques you use to optimize your work-from-home setup. You can share your strategies for maintaining a healthy and productive lifestyle with your team and encourage them to share their strategies, as well.
7. Trust your team
Employees working virtually conduct their work with much less oversight than they would have in an office setting. Therefore, it's essential for team leaders to trust everyone on their team to accomplish their tasks to a high standard. Try maintaining flexibility and understanding that certain team members may be productive at different hours than others.
Virtual settings often require leaders to develop mentorship and coaching skills to bond with their team members. If you communicate your expectations and trust, you can inspire your team to reward your effective leadership by meeting your expectations.
8. Establish systems of accountability
Although it is important to trust your team to accomplish their tasks on time, it is also a leader's duty to ensure that this happens. You can do this by setting deadlines, communicating them clearly and asking your team members to discuss specific dates or project milestones with you.
9. Have contingency plans
It's also important for team leaders in virtual settings to consider critical areas where disruptions may impact your team and prepare backup strategies to handle problems when they occur. Consider appointing someone on your team with plenty of experience to be a backup leader if you are away from your computer or recording your meetings if a team member is absent. Also, consider connecting with your business's IT team to ensure the efficient and effective resolution of technical issues.
10. Respect your team's time
A benefit of virtual work is the ability to send messages to your team members at any time. However, it's important to remember that your team members are likely not available at all times. Unless you make prior arrangements, prepare for varied response times, especially outside of typical work hours.
11. Try to be available
In an office environment, team members may expect you to be available whenever you are in the office. In a virtual setting, members may not communicate with you daily and may feel uncomfortable reaching out about issues they believe are minor. If you show your team that you are available to assist them, they may be more comfortable messaging you before smaller concerns become larger issues. Choose your preferred contact method, establish consistent hours you are online and emphasize your availability.
12. Set boundaries
Team leaders often communicate their expectations clearly and precisely. Items to discuss with your team may include meeting attendance and conduct, required turnaround time for responses to emails or messages, processes to address emergencies and the metrics you use to assess performance. For example, if you want your team to remain attentive during a video conference, communicate that clearly during meetings. If a requirement or process changes, inform the entire team of these particular changes when they occur.