How to Effectively Manage Virtual Teams

Interview with Michelle F., VP, eLearning & Informatics– BioSoteria

Tell me about your past experience managing virtual teams. What are the lessons learned? Can virtual teams work productively without ever meeting in-person?

I have been working with virtual teams on and off for about 13 years and I see people getting much more comfortable with them... More and more corporations are accepting and embracing virtual teams and not having everyone sit in the same place.

Over the years, I have learned that the keys to making virtual teams work are setting clear expectations upfront, scheduling regular check-ins and empowering team members to problem-solve and communicate. If there is a problem early on, the team should notify the manager instead of waiting to the last minute. This is really important with a virtual team in order to keep the team cohesive and working collaboratively to reach a common goal. 

It helps if you have some sort of file-sharing system in place so team members can post files and deliverables for each other easily. Perpetual emails and multiple versions of documents can begin to happen quickly if you do not have an effective way to manage the files and digital aspects of the team.

What is required for virtual teams to be successful?  How do you establish this?

What is most important is not just a clear mission but a clear vision or sense of what we are about and what we are trying to accomplish. When working on a project with various employees and consultants, I make sure that there is a clear description of the situation, an understanding of main milestones and deliverables and a clear picture of roles and responsibilities for all team members.

I always have a kick-off or initial meeting at the beginning of every project even if team members have worked together before. It is important to clarify what the project is, what the goals are, and who is doing what in each of the various roles.  I want to be sure to establish a clear direction for people who are going to work and communicate together.

How often do you schedule the check in points or one-on-one meetings with members? How do you manage relationships for virtual members?

It is very important to schedule regular meetings. I want to avoid bombarding the team with too many meetings and it depends on the demands of the project, of course, but it is always important to set regular team meetings and one-on-ones with individual members. Even a short half-hour meeting with a team member can be useful.  I’ll also set up meetings as needed on ad hoc basis if I need to contact an individual member to talk about a particular issue.

I also make sure to call a meeting if I feel the team is not gelling well at the beginning or if there have been misunderstandings, issues with the project, or changes in scope or timeline. In those cases, I will not wait until the next scheduled meeting.

Occasionally I staff a project with team members who are used to working virtually and comfortable with that arrangement. In those situations we might meet less, but I am always sure not to check out completely. Even with a very experienced team, I stay accountable to the members and communicate with them consistently.

How do you build relationships with virtual team members? Do you consider social skills when hiring or putting together a virtual team?

A project lead should attempt to establish a relationship with each team member in one-on-one and team meetings where they can talk together. I do not necessarily consider social skills when hiring but sometimes it comes up. Often, skills, abilities, hourly rates, and the right skill set for the project tend to take precedence over whether or not I think the group is going to enjoy working together. If I’m in a situation where I’m able to look at those social factors then I look at them.

As a manager for a virtual team, how important is it to recognize team members and their role in the project? What qualities should a manager possess when managing virtual teams?

It is really important that everyone understands who is responsible for what from the onset of the project. I also consider it important to recognize team members who are doing a good job, meeting deadlines and working autonomously. I encourage folks to do all of those things.

As far as qualities of a manager, I strive to be a competent leader and facilitator on a project rather than only a boss or an authority. I will often involve team members in decision-making and seek their advice, and I always value the contributions of all members of my team. Whenever possible I also try as a facilitator to empower members to problem-solve, work autonomously, and feel free to come to me when they have a problem.

With the variety of technology available, does it create over-communication or confuse communicating with members? What are the best technological resources to use when working with a virtual team?

I have worked in a virtual setting since 1997 and have found over the years that there can be an epidemic of emails flying back and forth on multiple projects. For small questions that can be answered quickly, I encourage folks to use instant messenger rather than email. Often that will cut down on extraneous dialogue. As much as I can, I try to fit the type of question to the appropriate type of technology.

Another challenge with email is that tone and attitude can be misinterpreted. Team members can come across as angry or hostile even though they are not. It is so easy to read things into email that aren’t there.  When that happens, I try to get the person or team on the phone to correct the situation and not perpetuate negativity or perceived negativity.

How do you create an environment for all team members to be comfortable and interactive? How do you manage communication for a virtual team?

Scheduled check-in meetings with team members is a must. I encourage and empower members to work directly with each other and bring me in as a project lead when necessary.

Most of all as project lead I try to set up communication with necessary information but not overloading, which can be a delicate balance. I also send status updates and reports on a regular basis to keep everyone informed where things are in the process. If there are going to be changes in the schedule or in our approach to certain deliverables, I make sure to communicate those updates as quickly as possible. Also, I always encourage team members to contact me with questions and I try to make myself available as much as possible to my team.

How do you prevent topic drift, unnecessary input or information overload? Is it important to establish email etiquette (e.g., set guidelines for cc’ing or responsiveness time)?

It is easier on telephone calls to prevent topic drift or unnecessary input. I try to gently guide conversations back to the topic at hand and keep things on track.

I don’t really set email guidelines for my team unless I see a problem and then I address that on an individual level. I do try to set a good example by making my emails as brief and clear as possible. I also don’t hit ‘reply all’ on a message unless necessary, as it can be really disruptive.

In a project where people are going to have to be in touch with me or each other on a regular basis and keep odd hours instead of a traditional 8-5, I use IM and update my status regularly so a team member can look at the IM list at any time and see if I am available, away or on the phone. I encourage the team to do the same. IM is a tool to know whether someone is available or not, without walking down the hallway the way we would in a traditional setting.

How do you handle new members entering a team mid-stream? Do you allow for the whole team to welcome them in?

If we are changing a key member, say from one lead ID to another, I think it is important to introduce them at a team meeting and explain how they will fit into the process and what they will be responsible for. I usually meet with that individual in advance to get them the information that was shared at the kick-off meeting, especially the timeline and project roles and responsibilities.

In addition to introducing a new member at a meeting, I also send a team email to welcome the new person and make sure everyone has his or her contact info. If there is anything special about how the person prefers to communicate or when he or she is not available, I try to share that with the team as well.

Is it important to recap or summarize responsiveness throughout a project and send an update to the virtual team? Should a manager be concerned when there are times with less activity or involvement?

I always try to recap responses. If there is an important summary or take home point with next steps, I try to send out an email within the same business day to recap and assign work to people.

A manager does not need to be concerned when there is downtime. If there is a phase of the project where certain team members are not involved, I will still cc that person on a weekly update so they feel included in the project and can keep track of where we are with things and when they will re-enter the process. When doing this, I make it clear that no action is needed and they are cc’ed as an FYI. 

Are there any other insights you have concerning working with virtual teams?

One of the central challenges with virtual teams is accountability. In the days where we all sat under same roof, we interacted much more face-to-face, and accountability was less of an issue. Sometimes it is easier to let things slide when the person you are reporting to is in a different state. Sometimes it is easier to email late at night or first thing in morning to say you are running late on the deadline.

Because of this, especially on a project with multiple deadlines, you have to check in regularly and keep tabs on things. As a project lead, it is important to hold people accountable to their deadlines. If someone is not making deadlines consistently, I try to remediate immediately.

« go back to all articles

More and more corporations are accepting and embracing virtual teams and not having everyone sit in the same place.

...the keys to making virtual teams work are setting clear expectations upfront, scheduling regular check-ins and empowering team members to problem-solve and communicate.

It is important to clarify what the project is, what the goals are, and who is doing what in each of the various roles.

...important for a project lead to establish a relationship with each team member in one-on-one and team meetings where they can talk together.

I will often involve team members in decision-making and seek their advice, and I always value the contributions of all members of my team.

For small questions that can be answered quickly, I encourage folks to use instant messenger rather than email. Often that will cut down on extraneous dialogue.

Most of all as project lead I try to set up communication with necessary information but not overloading, which can be a delicate balance.

I also don’t hit ‘reply all’ on a message unless necessary, as it can be really disruptive.

In addition to introducing a new member at a meeting, I also send a team email to welcome the new person and make sure everyone has his or her contact info.

One of the central challenges with virtual teams is accountability. In the days where we all sat under same roof, we interacted much more face-to-face, and accountability was less of an issue.