The era of active globalization and rapid development of modern technologies offers numerous virtual teams, which are already considered key elements of any successful business. Teams that can work remotely today provide maximum flexibility and high productivity. However, new virtual team management techniques have become real challenges for some owners and managers who must coordinate remote activities while maintaining motivation and high engagement levels for all team members. Therefore, qualified professional support becomes essential.
Konstantin Birman – founder of MIA Creative Solutions, a company offering comprehensive marketing solutions for market research and digital solution development. Konstantin Birman actively participates in developing individual approaches to solving specific tasks. His company specializes in modern marketing, and innovative technologies are considered one of the primary tools for brand development and attracting target audiences. One of the fundamental missions of the entire team of specialists is to provide qualified assistance to various companies and organizations in strengthening their market positions and creating long-term, promising customer relationships.
Characteristics of Virtual Teams for Modern Business
A virtual team is typically considered a group of people aimed at achieving one result. However, such people can physically be located in different cities and even countries. Their collaboration and active interaction are based on the use of various digital tools and platforms:
- Video conference services;
- Electronic mail;
- Task managers;
- Various corporate messengers;
- CRM systems and much more.
Competent virtual team management allows combining the coordinated work of people with diverse skills, knowledge, and experience who may be in different time zones. Thus, company and enterprise leaders gain flexible access to a wide range of professionals. However, it is crucial to have a special approach to future management to maintain efficiency and coordinate each team member’s work.
Main Principles and Management Strategies
Successful virtual project team management involves using a special approach, strategies, and skills. To maintain the productive work of the entire team of specialists, the following current actions are recommended:
Developing and Adhering to Business Communication Rules
Despite distance and time zone differences, a virtual team must remain a team, which means it is important to follow common rules. Moreover, these rules should be followed not only by subordinates but also by all company or organization leadership (demonstrating an example of coordinated work).
Optimal Schedule for Remote Meetings
One of the main problems of teams working remotely is the loss of critical information due to its lack. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct regular group sessions and seminars aimed at synchronizing the collective efforts of the entire team. During meetings, details and issues requiring collective attention can be discussed. When distributing tasks among specialists, it is important to ensure that each of them precisely understands the work conditions.
Conducting Informal Online Meetings
Discussing professional topics and resolving work moments is beneficial for the team’s coordinated work. However, even in remote communication, one should not ignore the need for online meetings in an informal setting where any topics except work can be discussed. For example, discussing current news, sharing personal stories, playing online games, and more.
Optimal Set of Tools
When managing global virtual teams, it is impossible not to pay attention to the most suitable tools. The choice of such tools depends on the individual needs of the company or organization and team preferences. It is necessary to develop an effective and convenient remote collaboration strategy with the ability to use special video conferencing platforms at any moment.
Moreover, two main tasks must be addressed:
- Choose an optimal network resource for future storage and prompt file and information exchange in collaborative work conditions.
- Find tools that all team members can use. If some lack experience with such tools, it is important to organize effective training.
Tool selection directly depends on the tasks to be performed. Based on this, the entire set of tools can be divided into three main categories:
- Special Project Management Platforms. These tools will help quickly organize tasks and projects while maintaining transparency and facilitating planned work coordination.
- Video Conference Tools. This list includes special programs through which online meetings can be organized in real-time, thereby improving communication and interaction among all team members.
- Cloud Information Storages. These are special services designed to securely store files and enable file sharing between team members, aimed at maximizing the simplification of specialists’ collaborative work.
It is necessary to remember that maintaining communication between employees and between employees and company/organization management from a distance is a critical and integral part of success. Otherwise, various problems may arise: lack of professional growth, decreased productivity indicators, and emotional exhaustion of individual team members.
Virtual Team Management: All the “PROs”
All companies and enterprises that choose effective strategies and methods for managing virtual teams should remember the advantages they can obtain:
- Save on operational costs – equipment and premises rental.
- Gain a competitive advantage for their brand – remote work in comfortable conditions contributes to the desire to work at maximum capacity.
- Reduce precious work time loss – absence of distracting factors common in office environments.
All this is possible only under competent and professional approaches. Therefore, virtual team management training is essential, where one can discover a wealth of useful and genuinely interesting information. Many virtual team management methods are considered critically important for solving common problems such as time differences and employee engagement.
