The obvious advantages of a remote working are limitless. To name a few clichés: working in pajamas, working at the beach, working in my bath tub. However, the virtual team is the real base to any company which chooses to have a staff that is working from numerous different cities, states, and countries at a time. One of the most important questions becomes, “How do you form a virtual team that will act as a group in the interest of this company?”
I cannot comment on the most basic aspect of this which is the actual hiring of the kind of self motivated individuals capable of this kind of work. What I can say is that there is a definite feeling of team building once the company gets underway that needs to be fostered to ensure productivity.
There are a number of ways to develop a sense of community with people you never see but have to work with on a nearly daily basis. I find that reaching out to people for advice is one way to get a conversation started that will prompt a real feeling of a group effort. On the other end of this, it is important to share all the advice you have to offer.
Another very simple way of beginning to feel like a team is to keep up to date on the progress of projects. If a milestone is reached it is nice to have a feeling that not only one individual was involved in its completion but that a group came together to accomplish it.
Like any team, a good coach is essential. Without the encouragement, discipline, and feedback that a coach offers and the demands he/she makes of the group any team will fall apart. The more the virtual team keeps in touch with their “virtual coach” the better they will hold together and be able to keep things moving in the right direction.
My last thought is that a feeling of camaraderie is key. It grows not only out of a sense of achieving something as a team but also out of having fun and enjoying what the team is doing together. The best thing for a virtual team is to keep it light and make sure that you dispense a dose of jovial banter now and again. When you’re looking at a computer screen for hours on end it is easy to forget that there are really people on the other end, something that can never happen in a “real” office setting. So let your coworkers know that you are alive, give them some tidbits of water cooler humor or gossip every now and again.
I know I’m missing some essential ingredients in the virtual team equation. Any comments are more than welcome.
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