For companies to work better, it is crucial to boost team productivity. Teams working from the office can communicate more effectively. They can address each other's problems and share a bond that manifests in a positive work culture.
However, the scenario is quite different with virtual teams. Of course, you can leverage the power of video meetings to interact. But is it enough to boost productivity? Perhaps not.
On many occasions, remote workers feel left out of office events. Maybe it's a Fun Friday fest at the office? Or a recognition awards program that you are hosting? Since they are not physically present in the workplace, remote workers may lose engagement.
Despite the geographical distance and varying time zones, ensure that the virtual teams feel connected to the organization. To achieve this, you need to find ways to manage virtual teams.
This blog will inform organizations about the best practices for managing virtual teams, such as incentives, recognition awards, and gift cards. From strengthening team engagement to enhancing transparency, you can establish a solid foundation with remote teams- beyond virtual meetings.
You have teams working from different locations, but the tasks they perform are similar to those of office employees. They are the virtual teams of your company.
Instead of working from a conventional office building, they work from remote locations. It is a modern approach that helps employees balances their personal commitments with their work.
Virtual teams comprise team members from various departments. They perform daily operations as any in-office employee would, with a shared goal that aligns with the organization's objectives.
Many businesses are moving towards a virtual work culture as they offer various advantages.
1. With virtual teams, companies will not limit themselves to hiring talent globally.
2. Higher scalability is one of the advantages of virtual teams in project management. Depending on the project needs, you can either seek more talent or remove some as needed.
3. Virtual teams often consist of team members from different time zones. As the business operates 24/7, you can respond to customer needs more effectively.
Many organizations adopt the remote-work culture. However, it was not on everybody's radar until the global pandemic hit.
As the pandemic approached in late 2019, an increasing number of companies were shifting towards remote work. Teams would leverage the power of technology to perform the work that they used to do in an office setup.
However, in the initial days, both remote teams and companies were facing difficulties in establishing effective communication. The development of various centralized systems made the communication process simpler between remote teams and organizations.
But that also had its share of shortcomings, including connectivity issues and frequent downtimes. Even today, companies find it challenging to manage virtual teams. These challenges are as follows:
• Shifting from in-office to remote work:
Routine is a part of corporate life. From morning commute to evening snack, and the work in between, sums up the life of an office employee. However, when teams start working remotely, they may struggle to adjust to the change.
To conduct their operations and connect with members, they might need to use various virtual tools. And that brings a change in their work policies. All these can pose challenges in managing remote teams.
• Lack of Transparency
"My Wi-Fi is not working, can't work now." It is a common thing that many remote employees say. Sometimes it is true, but often these are excuses. As someone stationed afar, you may not know what's actually happening with remote employees. And that sparks up a lack of trust.
Without proper knowledge management, the lack of transparency may seem to persist. When you share the goals, duties, and policies properly with your team members in the virtual context, it builds trust among team members and the organization.
While the pros and cons of knowledge management in virtual teams are plenty, you should find ways to keep a better eye on the team.
• Miscommunication Mishaps Leading to Conflicts
Even when people work together closely, conflicts may arise, whether it's a project or workflow. The dynamics become more intense when teams shift to the virtual space. How to manage conflict in virtual teams?
The answer would be effective communication. Remote work often reduces the number of meetings that take place in the office, and sometimes it affects team coordination, leading to conflicts and poor work quality.
• Problems with Time Scheduling
One of the great challenges of working as a remote team manager is connecting with the team members. Since virtual teams often comprise people from different time zones, it becomes difficult for managers to schedule meetings.
The lack of meetings and conversations often creates a distance among them. And that affects their productivity at work.
Business owners expect the same work output from virtual teams as they do from in-office teams. Of course, with virtual teams, you can hire the best talent from different locations. And that can help your organization to reach new heights.
With proper management, even virtual teams can provide optimal results when it comes to engagement and productivity.
The following are the best ways to manage remote teams.
• Tools To Boost Remote Teamwork
Even when managers communicate ideas in the best possible way, establishing teamwork in remote locations can be hard. The lack of teamwork can affect the overall productivity of the organization.
With the best tools for managing remote teams, you can create a productive workforce even outside the office. The use of mind maps for brainstorming ideas can allow team members to connect and share their ideas for the project.
Additionally, consider implementing task-assigning software for virtual teams. Ensure that it is a centralized tool from which all team members can view their tasks. Such a practice reflects transparency and increases productivity. Among the best tools for managing remote team productivity are options like Miro, Notion, and Trello.
• Implement Asynchronous Communication to Connect Better
Employees often get caught up working from remote locations, which can lead to a lack of interaction. The communication gap can often fuel conflicts. One of the most effective methods for managing conflict in virtual teams is implementing asynchronous communication.
With such communication, you don't have to rely on real-time interaction. Your virtual teams can use platforms and tools like emails, pre-recorded messages, and text messages (via mobiles) for seamless communication.
These tools can help them connect with teams better, even if they are at a distance. With better connections and understanding, teams can become more productive.
• Create Team-Building Activities
The feeling of isolation is common among virtual teams. Often, organizations host social events in the office, which excludes the remote workers. It creates a sense of emotional distance. And that's why employee engagement becomes difficult in virtual teams.
To strengthen connections among all teams, organize team-building activities. Perhaps you can encourage your teams to take virtual tea/coffee breaks between work. That way, they can take some time off from their work and communicate with other members.
These small breaks can help them feel at the office, without the commute and conventional building. Also, it allows them to exchange thoughts and ideas that can be applied to improve performance.
• Measure Productivity by Goals
The working hours of an employee define their productivity. The concept is true in traditional office environments. But it may not be applicable for virtual teams.
To measure the productivity of virtual teams, companies should track their goals. Tracking goals and objectives can be the best way to manage virtual teams. The goals include completing tasks on time, producing high-quality work, and other similar objectives.
By tracking these goals, you can better understand the effectiveness of the virtual teams. And accordingly, you would know who is performing well and who isn't.
• Allocate Equipment to Remote Teams
Companies expect virtual teams to deliver the same quality job that in-office employees offer. That's not wrong. However, without proper equipment, employees find it difficult to meet expectations.
Organizations should therefore integrate equipment providers who would allocate the same to remote workers. Every company requires laptops/desktops and noise-cancelling headphones to perform the duties.
While these resources are already available in the office, ensure your virtual teams can also access and utilise them effectively.
• Schedule a Video Call Session with Virtual Teams
It is a common question among companies: How to manage remote teams in different time zones? Well, scheduling video calls can help improve communication with teams. However, ensure it has a proper intent.
There are various video-conferencing platforms like Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Google Hangouts where you can schedule real-time meetings. Such meetings can help virtual team members to interact better.
Teams across various departments can join the on-schedule meetings to share ideas and discuss projects. Keep a track of everyone's working hours, and schedule weekly meetings for better workflow.
• Prepare Team Members for Remote Work
When transitioning employees to virtual teams, prepare them for the process. Ensure they know what's coming on their way.
While some employees are flexible in different work environments, others may struggle to adapt to changes. As a company, you should ensure the transition process is easy for all team members.
You can give team members a buffer time to process the shift from in-office work to remote work. Once they get the time to process the change, virtual teams may deliver better performance that would drive the company's success.
• Give Virtual Teams Autonomy to Manage Work-Life Balance
One of the greatest benefits of virtual teams is autonomy. Companies trust their employees with the resources so that they can complete their tasks without any external supervision. And that leads to proper work-life balance.
Being virtual teams, you shouldn't expect them to work beyond their timeline. As a good employer, you should encourage them to complete their tasks on time so that they can get back to their personal commitments.
Since all the team members are coming from different time zones, they will likely have varying holidays and working hours. To manage remote teams effectively, organizations must offer them flexibility.
• Introduce Documentation Practices for Virtual Teams
Virtual teams mostly communicate via messaging platforms or emails. Often, the communication that takes place in groups lets employees miss the important messages.
It is thus necessary for companies to document key information for internal communications. With clear guidelines, the teams would know what they are expected to do and what not.
Whatever you document, ensure to share it with the virtual teams. It will build an environment of transparency and trust. And that will foster a positive work culture out of the office.
• Organize Rewards and Recognition Programs
As an employer, you should prioritize the needs of your remote employees. Employee rewards programs are always a great way to boost their motivation.
With effective recognition and employee appreciation ideas, you foster positivity among the virtual teams.
Sending physical gifts to virtual employees in different time zones can be challenging. In such cases, you can opt for gift cards that align with their interests.
Consider sending gift cards to your foodie virtual team members from Dunkin' Doughnuts or Baskin-Robbins. Such gestures will make these employees feel valued. As they understand the company is recognising their efforts, they are likely to perform well.
Managing virtual teams never comes easy. But with proper practices, you can make the most of these team members. Through face-to-face meetings and equipment allocation, you can ensure that the virtual teams are not feeling isolated.
Additionally, team-building activities can help bring in-house and remote teams closer together. Perhaps you can organize an event to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day! For the virtual teams, don't just host meetings. Rather, send them incentives or rewards to show gratitude.
At Gifted, we provide a platform where companies can create gift ideas for employees, regardless of the distance. To cater to the interests of virtual teams, you can provide employee gift cards from our endless options.
Explore our gifting options to develop effective management practices for virtual teams.
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