Mistakes to avoid when managing a virtual team

When we are working with a virtual team, many things can go wrong; simply because it is easy to lose track of the work that needs to be done, the distribution of the workload, or the list of things that need to be done.

Some of these things also can go wrong in a typical office, but with distance and technology in the middle, is easy to let these things slip through the cracks.

So to make sure we manage our virtual team the best way possible, we have a list of big mistakes to avoid.

Not using the right equipment to make virtual work efficient.

Let’s not forget that we can work remotely because of technology. So make sure that your team is using the right technology to make workflow and communication as effective as possible.

For example, a meeting can be just as good as it can be in person if everyone has a proper bandwidth and a good quality camera and microphone to guarantee communication is crystal clear.

Regarding the tools available, the list is endless. With the growing tendency of virtual work, it is huge to offer software and options to put a solution on every need that virtual teams have. Evernote, Google Drive, Trello, Dropbox and many others will make your life so much easier to know who is doing what, to meet deadlines on time, and to keep track of your employees’ productivity.

Not Scheduling.

Understanding your team’s time zones, and keeping those in mind when setting deadlines, will define whether people can work as a team or part of your team will end up feeling drained and tired and will end up moving to another company.

The schedule should work for everyone everywhere, and you should keep in mind everyone’s local holidays. Complicated, right? We know.

Not defining what you need from your team and setting a clear agenda for everyone.

If your team is failing in their performance, there a big chance the first one you should be evaluating is yourself.

Set clear expectations for your team, say what needs to be done, by whom and by which date. Be clear and use a platform in which that information will be always available.

Also, set short team goals for your team that can be revised weekly or monthly to also keep their motivation up. Don’t forget to give them some sense of responsibility that will make them feel engaged and a little more in control of what is going on, just accept that you can’t be on every little task and learn to delegate not being scared of the geographical distance.

Not supporting (and creating) a good communication system.

Being far from each other doesn’t mean we have to be disconnected from the people we work with. Your employees need to feel that they can reach and talk to anyone on the team when they have a doubt or something to check. So the first thing to do to support good communication within the team members is to have available for everyone a list of the team members, their location, their contact and their positions.

Equally important is to promote communication. A work chat, weekly meetings to just evaluate the work that is being done and creating a space for new ideas or comments will make a huge impact on the productivity and the engagement of your employees.

Another good way to favor that communication flow is to share with team members relevant information on what is happening on everyone’s area before a meeting so we make sure that everyone is fully aware and looking for the right solutions.