I can remember an assignment I had early in my career where I sat at a desk across from my colleagues in an open concept area. We just had to look up from our computer to ask a question or to help one another. If I wanted to speak with my manager, I could be at his office in 3 seconds flat. Now consider a team that is spread out over various geographic locations and working virtually. In that case, how does a manager effectively assess performance and build team cohesion?
The good news is that great performance and team cohesion are within reach for a virtual team. While there are several actions a company can take to support a mobile group, here are a few in particular that I have found to be relevant.
Select managers who have had success in building high performing teams. One could argue that should be the case in any circumstance and while I agree, this skill is even more necessary for a virtual team. A manager who is particularly skilled at building effective teams will deliberately find ways to create a feeling of belonging, build spirit and morale and foster dialogue among team members, regardless of where they work.
Make a point of creating face to face opportunities and use that time thoughtfully. Depending on the positions and business needs, this may be more difficult to do in some companies than others. Nonetheless, how creative can you be in finding an opportunity, even if it is once a year, to pull the team together? And, when you have that opportunity, define 2-3 objectives that if achieved, will be success. Use these objectives as a filter to decide how you will plan your agenda. In one experience that I had managing a remote team, we brought the team together for a face to face meeting for a day. While we used the time discussion related to our department’s operations and mandate, we also included an educational component and built in time for people to get to know each other better.
Ensure that everyone’s role is clearly defined, objectives are set and performance measures are clear. Again, this is important in both co-located and dispersed teams but the matter of objectives becomes even more important if the manager cannot make impromptu or regular observations of work getting done. Role clarity ensures that team members understand how their work fits into the department’s mandate. Well-articulated objectives clearly communicate what you expect from the position. Help your team members to understand how you will be assessing their performance. In addition to your own observations, will the assessment also include peer feedback and customer feedback?
Maximize the technology available to you. Take stock of how you can incorporate technology to keep your team connected. Even if you don’t have the most recent tools and gadgets, don’t underestimate the effect of the tools that you do have in building habits and practices that keep people connected. For example, is a team huddle by phone for 30 minutes every Monday helpful? Will an online document collaboration system help the team store and access documents used by everyone? Does instant messaging help you to connect people when you need them? Figure out what protocols matter within your team’s business processes and use all the technology available to you to support those practices.
Involve your team. Everything doesn’t rest on the manager. Each team member can make a positive contribution to their coworkers no matter where they are. One manager I worked with used a “buddy system” as a way to support new team members. In addition, her team established a weekly call where they brought their most challenging situations to the meeting and used their colleagues as a sounding board. Team members took turns facilitating the meeting.
If you have been part of a mobile team, what has worked for you?
