Technology has revolutionized human life. It has brought such disruptive changes that our previous generations did not anticipate. We all are witnesses to how things can change with massive speed and regularity. Technology has expanded the horizons of easiness and convenience to the world. Such satisfaction brings a newer phenomenon and opportunities in the world. Today, you can shop online with your phone without moving from your couch. You can connect with your friends around the world through a smartphone with cheaper rates than a landline call.
However, these developments not only bring humanity to change alongside, but they become the new normal. And the failure to adopt such changes will make you and your work obsolete. In addition to these required changes, the global COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to acquire individual lifestyles and operating ways. One of such adoptions is working from home with the aid of technology as physical office spaces are not safe. Many organizations are trying to figure this new norm, and employees are facing difficulties too.
Although we are facing a compulsion to adopt “Work from Home” or remote working, this operating concept is not new. Many organizations, especially IT-based companies, utilize employee services without them geographically present in the office. According to Skillscouter.com, around 43% of the employees work remotely for at least a portion of their employment lives. Remote working is a beneficial concept as companies save many administrative costs, and they can attract a larger pool of talent. Remote working is made possible in the era of technology, where you can stay connected with the team irrespective of location. However, it is still not adopted on the mainstream scale, as it brings its own set of challenges for the employer. For Instance, in remote work, it is difficult for leadership and management to align, track, and manage teams. Similarly, it does not provide a sense of bond while working with virtual teams.
Let us dive into some strategies and tips to overcome challenges while leading virtual teams.
1. Communication Style and Medium:
Half of the virtual team leadership is communication. Humans can swiftly adapt their way of communication while interacting and working in the same geographical space. However, online discussion is a bit trickier to manage. Every individual in the team has their preferences while communicating. Some prefer to be handy on instant messaging, while others prefer email.
For virtual team leadership, it is essential to manage and acknowledge everyone’s communication style. You can create a communication structure that encourages collaboration, clarity, and simplicity. Make sure that staying connected with the team ensures productivity and improved performance rather than itself becoming a barrier for the business.
2. Right Tools:
Some of the inconvenience in remote working is due to the unavailability of the right tools. When you are operating in a physical space together, it is difficult to ignore the technological gaps. But to work effectively at the same level, your teammates need access to the required equipment.
Some employers support this issue by offering a technology loan clause in their employee contracts. In this way, they get access to the right equipment without burning their pockets.
3. Distrust:
Seeing is believing. Leadership and management exist to lead teams present in a physical space. However, when the administration is spending money but is unable to see where it is going, this creates assumptions and negativity. Thus, management becomes distrustful.
Even if you cannot see whether a person is working, you can monitor their activity level per day. By doing so, you can keep all the remote workers on track. Undoubtedly, such distrust is one of the most significant barriers to effective virtual teamwork.
Therefore, as a manager, it is essential to bring as much transparency as possible. A property task management system is a great tool to bring clarity and let everyone know who is working on what. These distrusting feelings need addressing as soon as possible as they can turn into something serious overtime.
4. Lack of Office Culture:
Office space has its significance in bringing productivity and efficiency to work. Similarly, it satisfies the human need to interact with colleagues and staff. People may go days without interacting with colleagues, and they might not meet them in person.
Therefore, it is crucial to create some virtual office culture. The management can set up instant messaging groups to create ongoing conversations. Encourage people to have informal discussions on the groups by sharing memes, share weekend stories, etc.
5. Slow Response:
Like in every physical office routine, it is vital to set some semi-regular business hours to maintain an efficient workflow. It means that everyone must be online in those hours and available for communication. If team members reside in different time zones, a system and structure should exist to accommodate everyone.
Slow response time is one of the prime reasons for the ineffectiveness of virtual teams. Ensure that a flexible hour’s work regime comes with some formal structure to avoid delays in response, deadlines, and setbacks.
Conclusion:
Virtual Team Leadership is a new concept, and the world is learning by trial and error. It is challenging to manage work, targets, deadlines, and relationships virtually. These relationships with co-workers and team are delicate. Therefore, the key is to have an open mindset for adapting the structure so that trust can be maintained. It will allow making communication effortless, enabling teams to work together and thrive in this digital ecosystem.
