Tips and Tricks for Virtual Management

The future is here. Virtual Teams are being built every day. No more commuting and no more coffee talk by the water cooler. So how are people making it work successfully? It's no doubt very tricky. I learn something new every day. Here are some tips and tricks I can pass along.

#1 Trust -

One of the most important aspects of virtual team is the need for trust. As virtual team members work and are managed from a distance, the importants of fostering trust among team members are essential. Team members need to trust the actions and intentions of their fellow team members, as well as those of their manager.

Weekly Check in meetings, constant communication by email or phone will ensure both the manager and employee that the trust is on both sides and the job is getting done.

#2 Communication -

Collocated employees gather information from both informal and formal sources. Informal sources includes the company grapevine and conversations around the water cooler. Formal sources include company memo's and employee newsletters. Virtual team members do not have the luxury of these communication methods. That's why it's important that the manager develops communication strategies that will help the team stay informed.

#3 Training -
In many companies training is an informal hands on process. Is some cases managers use hands on mentoring practices to develop employees for increased levels of responsibility, or employees may learn how to work within a company by observing what is going on around them. This type of training is lost for a virtual team member. It's important to develop training strategies for virtual members