Building a Virtual Team

“We miss you when you’re here.” It sounds like such a strange thing for someone on my team to say, but in my world it actually makes sense. I remotely manage a staff team and fly in for meetings about once a month. On one such trip one of my staff stopped me in the hall and said, “We miss you when you’re here.” When I asked her what she meant she explained, “You are so available when you are away in another city, but hard to connect with when you are here because you are constantly in meetings.” This funny little comment was such an encouragement to me because it proved that while I am not actually in the office, I am very much a part of what goes on there.

The company I manage has over 30 staff and close to 500 volunteers who literally span the globe. Even if I did work from the main office building I still wouldn’t have face-to-face contact with a large portion of the team. Working online means that our staff can live anywhere, but it also means that I must learn to communicate with my team in a whole new way. I need to become part of their day even though I would not see them for weeks at a time. I need them to know that I am always available even though they can’t see me.

Develop a team

It takes effort and skill to build any team. Team building becomes particularly challenging in a virtual environment. A virtual ministry team can consist of both staff and volunteers. Be careful to build community among staff and volunteers and refuse to tolerate any “us vs. them” thinking. This is especially important if some of your staff work in an office together and some do not. Make sure that those not physically in the building are given the same respect and that their opinion carries as much weight as the in-office staff.

Clearly define each position with a job description and expectations. Ensure that you both are in agreement regarding job expectations and roles. Define your expectations related to working hours. You may discover that people will want to work and receive feedback during non-working hours. Explain to them when you are available for interaction.

If you are recruiting volunteers, handle them in the same way as you would any paid staff by having them complete an application process complete with references. Take the time to check the references by phone. If you take their position seriously, so will they. Show respect to your volunteers by increasing their levels of responsibility when appropriate. Value your volunteers and make sure that no one feels they have been given a “junk job” or just the filing to do. Make their involvement high-impact according to their giftedness and schedule.

Equip your team

If your team members have resources and know how to get assistance when they need it, they will operate much more efficiently. Make sure that staff and volunteers never feel like they have to “go it alone.”

1. Provide resources for team members (volunteers) to do their job. These resources may be training, definition of expectations, or equipment and software as necessary.

2. Provide a reporting structure with a supervisor or coach responsible for each team member. Create a mechanism for each person who is involved at a significant level to regularly communicate their goals and progress.

3. Supply ongoing training to develop the team. Communicate new information and maintain vision.

4. Take time to listen to your team. It is vital that they know they are valued for who they are and not just what they do.

5. Provide opportunity for your team members to give feedback regarding their role and their experience on the team. Make sure that everyone knows it is okay to ask questions and when it is appropriate to do so.

6. Ask team members for their input on how to better equip others. Learning from one another, and even implementing some of the ideas of team members gives them a sense of ownership. It also stretches them to think as part of the leadership, rather than being content to volunteer at the lowest level of involvement.

7. Establish expectations for issues like office hours, notification of times off, switching days, and protocol for non-work contacts on email/Skype/MSN. Systems like weekly reports enable you to keep track of projects and problems. Expect the same behavior and protocol as you might in a real office environment, and communicate that you expect the same level of professional behavior even in a virtual environment.

Provide community

A community is developed when a group of individuals make an effort to relate to one another. You will find that team members and volunteers will be much more engaged in their role if they build relationships with one another.

1. Incorporate regular times for the teams to connect. Use of chat rooms, discussion boards, voice over IP (Skype), immediate messaging (MSN, ICQ, Yahoo) as well as email. Encourage team members to develop relationships and communicate with one another.

2. Make a commitment to acknowledge special days. It makes the team members feel more real and relational.

3. Send thank you gifts and/or cards when appropriate. Even e-cards are meaningful.

Have fun! A virtual world can give a lot of opportunity for humor and fun – especially when you make the commitment to have team times together.

Communicate, communicate, communicate!

A virtual team needs to place heavy emphasis on communication. Be quick to ask someone what they mean or to clarify what you believe they have said. Things can easily be misunderstood because you can’t hear tone of voice or see facial expressions for large portions of your communication. Communicate in terms that can be easily understood and clarify issues over the phone when necessary. Communication over the phone should be followed up with written text to clarify/reiterate.

Virtual teams have a unique look and feel to them. The more you put into your team, the more you will benefit.

Tags: business, Career, communication, internet, Karen Schenk, leadership, Men, Women, workplace, World

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