Ten tips for best practices in managing virtual work teams using the web.

1. M A N A G I N G V I RT U A L T E A M S

2. MANAGING VIRTUAL
TEAMS
Michaels & Associates Docntrain, Ltd. dba Michaels & Associates
11639 E. Wethersfield Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85259 USA
marketing@docntrain.com www.docntrain.com
Phone: 480-614-8440 Toll-free: 877-614-8440 Fax: 480-614-2775
Copyright © 2008 Michaels & Associates Docntrain, Ltd. dba Michaels & Associates. All rights reserved.
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TEN TIPS FOR BEST PRACTICES IN MANAGING
V I RT U A L W O R K T E A M S U S I N G T H E W E B
Good team management is tested by having employees in remote or distant locations.
Success depends on a little creative thought when adding exciting new tools that will assist
you with your good old-fashioned management skills. Choose tools that are gaining traction
and your virtual team management life will not only be productive, but it can be a lot of fun.
1. Use solid management practices
Your overall management style should not differ between in-house and off-site teams. As
you would with any project, assess company objectives and criteria for success. Assign
tasks according to team member strengths, factoring in risks. Clearly express expectations,
objectives, criteria and benchmarks. Insist on full and accurate formal status reporting.
Follow up. Establish a known routine of maintenance, reporting, re-aligning and
communicate an ‘exception’ handling process.
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2. Select the right tools and technology
There are thousands of tools available to keep your team in the loop. Of course the oldies but
goodies should still play a big role: phone, instant message, email, web conferencing. Ready to add
something new to the mix? Many online tools have free trials so you can make the most of new web
applications with a rapid test run. Remember to have your IT support team look into any security
issues or policies that may need to be addressed.
3. Seize opportunities for social interactions
Find tools that foster communication and trust. It’s important to ensure all team members are on the
same page about what’s happening in the organization as well on their dedicated projects. Social
networking tools make it easy to keep the lines of communication open at all times, building deeper
relationships and lessening isolation among geographically dispersed peers.
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Sustainable Virtual Team Communication Model
As today's workforce becomes more geographically dispersed, more and more organizations are facing the struggles of virtual communication. Good
communications skills are the key to making the virtual team work. Adopting an effective model of communication will enhance the strength of your team.
Experiment with a mix of both traditional and web-based collaboration tools, especially those aimed at geographical distribution, to find the right combination to
make your virtual team the most successful it can be.
Hold an internal kickoff with all stakeholders for each project or Check on benchmarks as they relate to timeline and budget with
assignment. Communicate logistics information, such as contact the use of web-based invoicing or time-tracking applications.
info, system access, etc. and ‘single voice.’ Meet via Expect to review results in small chunks until processes are
teleconference, web conference or tele-presence, established. Allow for frequent updates and status reporting
if possible. Define and communicate objectives between benchmarks. Do NOT tolerate that
and criteria for success with each ‘no news is good news.’ Hold frequent
team member. Communicate meetings to establish and expand trust.
priorities and ‘nice to haves’ clearly.
Seize opportunities for social Emphasize individual contributions. Give
interactions. Create an open team members control to brainstorm,
environment for virtual teams share research and generate new
to assist one another and ideas online. Monitor and maintain
support a diversity of communication weekly for success. Expect
backgrounds, talent and ideas. resolution if issues arise, accountability and
Celebrate accomplishments throughout solid go-forward plans from all team members.
the project life-cycle. Find creative ways to Use online resource management application to store
acknowledge achievements as individuals and as a team. project materials and record knowledge in a central location.
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4. Establish and express standards and processes
The newness and social aspects of online tools can be exciting, however, it’s important to determine
standards and protocols as to how and when your team will use social networking tools. Some tools,
such as web-based invoicing or time-tracking applications, can assist in setting these standards. And
online resource management applications can facilitate project processes and store all your
knowledge-based information in one place.
5. Start simple
Begin with one or two easy-to-use social networking tools. Choose ones that are well-established and
match your industry, such as Del.icio.us or Linked-In. Find out which tools your staff is currently using
and determine if any are appropriate for company-wide adoption. As the comfort level grows, so can
your team’s participation in new tools.
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6. Consider team demographics
When selecting the right tools, ensure they meet the needs of the diverse individuals who will use
them. Do these tools assist in solving some of the typical challenges for virtual team members, such
as adjustments to differing time zones, cultures and languages? Ensure that older individuals are
comfortable with the newer technologies you select and that younger ones recognize the benefit of
using tried-and-true tools.
7. Foster creativity, sharing and co-creating
For companies to grow, they must now rely on internet collaboration and emphasize individual
contributions. Give team members the control to brainstorm, share research and generate new ideas
online. Use social networking tools that capture personal observations, invite comments from other
team members and distribute new knowledge. You’ll be surprised at the innovations that occur once
thoughts, groups, and connections converge.
8. Enable learning
Create virtual learning environments online to record best practices, process improvements and
lessons learned on all projects. Re-evaluate regularly the tools and technologies used to manage
projects to determine if they continue to meet project and team requirements. New tools or the
combination of tools (or mashups) arrive on the market by the hundreds weekly. Something that was
not available six months ago may solve your project or business problem today.
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9. Create transparent communities
Open and clearly defined business communities provide opportunities for virtual teams to assist one another, collaborate and build trust. Tools that
enhance transparency, such as instant messaging and online workspaces, allow team members to find out who is busy, in a meeting, out of the office,
or available to talk at the moment. Face-to-face meetings, whether online or in person, do even more to strengthen bonds and facilitate
communication.
10. Celebrate and publicize successes
Mark personal and project milestones as occasions for celebration throughout the project life-cycle. Be creative in finding ways to acknowledge
achievements as a whole team. Learn what motivates each person on the team or what type of reward would be appreciated. Sharing your success in
and outside the organization will inevitably inspire your team to even greater accomplishments.
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Remember, a little creative thought and the appropriate tools can assist you with your good old-fashioned management skills. The proper mix of these
elements will create an environment where your virtual team management life will not only be productive, but also a lot of fun.
Not sure where to start? Drop us a line and we'll be glad to get you started. Michaels & Associates — we do the virtual thing for a living.
marketing@docntrain.com www.docntrain.com toll-free: 877-614-8440
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