How to Set up Virtual Teams to Succeed

The latest research shows that most big and small companies are embracing the use of new technologies to improve their businesses. Virtual teams top the list of emerging trends that most companies are choosing their direction. The trend shows that most workers opt to work at the comfort of their homes and this increases flexibility and efficiency when to come to managing the work.

Now, the question arises, how does a manager ensure his or her virtual team succeed and bring out the desired results? Since your workers are set to work from different localities, there are many considerations you as their leader should put in place to ensure maximum production. Poor planning and poor strategies in virtual teams will automatically lead to failure.

When setting up your virtual team, remember the basic things; time zones difference, means of communication, and standard language understood by all team members, how to deal with an emergency, the number and type of your virtual teams, and the emerging technological trends. Select a team that is flexible; all members should be adaptable to changes as they arise. Above all, as the leader, you must have the right attitude and a positive mindset to guide your team. With this, you are set for success. So, what are some of the practical tips to ensure your virtual team is successful? Let us highlight some of them below:

Embrace new Technology and changes:

We are living an era where technology runs the world. From communication, businesses, education, research, and even transportation. The same technology should be applied to virtual teams to maximize production. Any leader who keeps focusing on one idea calls for failure. When a company looks down on new technology, communication will poor leading to low production. This means that a leader should be steady enough to teach new skills to the employees as they focus on changes on how to make the company better. And how do employees learn new skills? Well, it can only be through communication. The problem arises when the employees are located in different destinations. It is the duty of the manager to embrace new technology by implementing advanced communication ways that will bring together all the employees. It is only through communication that employees are able to air their view, be it complaints, suggestions, or asking questions and answers. All this is to make the company a better working environment to achieve all the set goals. A leader can achieve all this by setting up a system like video conferencing, instant phone call that is available at any time, or even a chat room where everyone can access it at any time.

Set Rules and Regulations:

Any successful organization must have outlined rules and regulations to govern the policies of the company. The rules help all the workers to stick to the policies outlined in the company to ensure quality results are delivered. The rules should have a step by step guideline on how to respond to an emergency.
In virtual teams, rules and guidelines are set according to the duties of each employee and how communication should take place.

Note: A leader should ensure that all the team players involved read and understand the outlined rules and that all of them are in agreement with it.

Define Duties for each Employee:

An organization has a team made up of employees specialized in different fields. As a boss, you must ensure you analyze and understand your employees well, know what they are perfect at and what they do best. Allocate duties accordingly so that no employee will feel the pressure of doing hard tasks that are not fit for them.

Once you have given every worker their role, you then define what you expect from them and the process to use to gain the required results. Defining roles is a vital step because it avoids issues with blaming each other over bad results or unaccomplished tasks. You can also identify a problem and solve with ease whenever there a problem because each employee is accountable for their actions.

Conclusion
Setting up a successful virtual team is not a smooth process. It requires dedication, the right attitude, the right team, current technology, and above all, a spirit of togetherness. With a few tips above, you are set to succeed with your virtual team.