Managing Virtual Employees

Jill Herrin — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:47:05 +0000

Today, companies have employees both on and offsite, which brings the challenge of managing teams they can’t always see. Virtual teams are potentially cost effective, providing that the company has the right structure, leadership, motivation and, most importantly, communication in place. This is where technology can really pay off by substituting for in-person communications. Organizations have a lot to choose from: email, text, conference call, video conferencing, Live Meeting, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.; but too many variables lead to a lack of coherency and make tracking difficult. The bottom line is that the manager needs to know what team members are doing, and that it aligns with the vision and mission statement for that project. In my experience, weekly (or sometimes daily) phone calls with all of the team members together make a huge difference in the success of a project.

Organization is also very important, in terms of timing, objective and success measurements. Roles need to be project specific, documented and truly understood. A sense of urgency is particularly important in virtual organizations. Each team member must be held accountable for their performance within their specific assignments, as well as, the overall performance of the project. Leadership, encouragement and mentoring are crucial to the success of remote teams. Being on-time, or ahead of schedule, and within budget with “actual” deliverables takes a steady hand at the wheel.

Virtual team members can take longer to trust their colleagues and vice versa. When all team members can see the outcome and the completion of commitments, respect and trust invariably follows. Recognition by peers can be more than the manager’s status report. Teams that enjoy working together will take on challenges, increasing the overall efficiency and performance of the team and everyone’s virtual experiences.

Career Talk JDR » virtual teams

Managing Virtual Employees