While some companies have built their organizations remotely, others are just starting to consider to make virtual teams and management work. From measuring productivity to building an “office” culture, many tasks are conducted differently when there is no physical office to work from. There are both pros and cons to having a virtual team, so let’s dive into some challenges of virtual teams that managers may face.
The Six Challenges of Virtual Teams
1) Equipping Your Team With the Right Resources
Almost every in-person office has a vast array of resources, from plenty of office supplies to a myriad of printers, copiers, whiteboards, and other helpful organizational tools. But, most who work virtually have a small home office, while some do not.
This poses the challenge that your team needs access to essential tools, and you, as the manager, must provide them. Keep an open discussion with your employees about what software, supplies, or other things would help them be productive and stay on task.
As the IT department isn’t just a walk down the hallway, virtual managers may have to be more proactive than usual to ensure their employees have the right computer and updates.
But, there are more resources in business than just physical tools. Most employees are used to being able to connect with HR for questions about their employment or pop into their manager’s office if they have a quick question. With virtual teams, managers need to be clear with how to get in touch with them, as well as other applicable departments.
By preparing your employees upfront with the right tools and human resources, you will be ready to take on the first of many challenges of managing virtual teams.
2) Productivity is Hard to Measure
Walking around a physical office allows a manager to see when people are collaborating, taking a break, or scrolling on Social Media for a bit too long. With virtual teams, it can be challenging to see who is working and who is not.
With virtual teams, managers may have to set more, smaller goals and deadlines to ensure their employees stay productive, especially when starting out. Using productivity tracking programs, like Trello or Monday, helps teams stay on track.
3) Employees Need Strong Communication Skills to Excel
Communication is key to any relationship. But, much of communication is done nonverbally through body language, microexpressions, and tone of voice.
Virtual teams often do most of their communication through written words in emails or through a communication platform like Slack. This written communication leaves managers without the ability to gauge their employee’s morale and other feelings.
By opting for phone calls and video conferences, managers can touch base with their employees and gain a better sense of how they are doing. If a company is unable to prioritize these other forms of communication, employees will need to have strong written communication skills to succeed on a virtual team.
You may find that as a virtual manager, you spend more time going back and forth over email or message threads, helping clear the air about a miscommunication that would not have happened if it had been in person. This is a simple challenge of virtual teams that can be subdued through training, mentorship, and solid hiring practices and screenings.
4) Trust is Slow to Build in a Virtual Team
When someone sits down to work at their computer from home, they are probably already in the mindset of work. This contrasts with someone arriving at the office, where they may pass multiple coworkers on the way to their desk and exchange pleasantries, personal news, or a note or two about a meeting later in the day. These small interactions are what build trust in a team.
One of the hardest problems with virtual teams is figuring out how to cultivate trust between coworkers. Many people are cautious about sharing information on a group chat about their family or personal life when they would have been comfortable displaying a family photo on their desk.
So, managers should utilize ice breakers, current events, or even memes and jokes to rally their team and share. These personal conversations are what will build trust and increase productivity throughout your organization.
By building trust in your team, managers will be able to have more confidence in their employee’s deadlines and have more open and frank discussions when things do not go as planned.
5) Internet & Data Security Varies
Depending on your company, you may be dealing with sensitive information daily. This one of the top challenges of virtual teams that leaders face. The data may require some top-notch security that was easy to enforce and install when everyone worked in an office. Depending on your team, your employee’s internet and set-up could vary from their phone’s hotspot to a local coffee shop’s wifi network.
Setting clear expectations about what privacy and security measures must be in place is vital to the security of a business. Managers may need to provide their employees with extra resources, from internet capabilities or an additional work monitor or laptop to keep business info right where it should be. Most importantly, managers should leverage a remote work policy with their virtual teams and ensure that they adhere to it.
6) Lack of Process or Workflow
If expectations are not incredibly clear, there may be discrepancies about the work process, timing, or how the flow of the day should go. With many virtual teams spread out across different time zones, the workflow is often not as seamless as at a physical office. When workflow expectations are not evident, trust and productivity come to a halt.
To help keep everyone on the same page, try to have a few hours every day that everyone must be meeting on, even if they are in different time zones. Also, there should be a written expectation of how long someone has to respond to a question sent to them. Setting this precedent will help people know when to follow up.
The Challenges of Virtual Teams: Conclusion
By understanding the challenges of virtual teams, like the difficulty of building trust and staying productive, managers will be better prepared to face them head-on. This creates a team that is more productive – and happier – than one at the office.
This is a guest post by Jennifer Clark.
