Whatever size company you own or work for, chances are at some point you will be in the position where you need to manage virtual contractors or employees, or be a part of a virtual team yourself. 

There are several relatively simple things you can do to make this a positive and productive experience for everyone involved. All it takes is a little effort and consistency. Let me share an example and some best practices.

I have had experience working on virtual teams and overseeing a global methodology development project at a leading consulting firm. I worked in the US headquarters and we were always being told that we didn’t consider the other regions – Europe, Asia Pacific, etc. My manager did a smart thing and selected a primary project manager who was based in Sydney. I was the North American project manager, and we also had someone based in London to represent Europe. 

This was my first time being involved in a team like this – so many time zones, especially when we included the partners who needed to be involved, taking into account wherever they were in the world at that time. Singapore’s time difference really threw a monkey wrench into our call planning!

We were a highly effective team for several reasons. We regularly:

  • Kept all team members updated on progress via email. This was helpful because team members could look at the emails at their convenience.
  • Scheduled regular conference calls. We had calls that everyone attended to talk about issues that couldn’t be handled by email, or to discuss the overall strategy and progress of the project. These calls helped us to feel connected and more like a team. We got to know the other members as people as well as professionals.
  • Gave positive and constructive feedback. It is important to be more polite when working with people from other cultures. Sometimes informal language and actions are not part of their culture and can create issues.
  • Met face-to-face when possible. We were able to schedule a few in-person meetings, which helped cement relationships. We worked side-by-side for several days in a conference room and went out for team dinners at night.

That project took place before we had the benefit of messenger platforms and inexpensive video call technology. Those tools really boost the cohesiveness and effectiveness of virtual teams. In my own business, I have used them with great results.

The way we work may include managing or working in virtual teams, whether physically located in the same city or state, or halfway around the world.

Personally, I love knowing and working with people from different countries. I keep thinking of the line in that song, “It’s a small world after all.”

Photo by The New York Public Library on Unsplash