Everything You Need to Manage a Virtual Team

VIRTUAL TEAM MANAGEMENT • CHE C K LI ST • If you've ever managed a virtual team member or an entire remote team before, you know how difficult it can be to keep everyone aligned. We've created a checklist of the processes, tools, and mindsets you'll need to create solutions for those challenges and keep your virtual team on point. PROC ESSES Welcome : STANDARDIZED ON-BOARDING OPERATIONS DOCUMENT COMMUNICATION GUIDEBOOK CONTACT INFORMATION SHEET A How-To packet of info for new hires. Guidelines on how to Steps on where to turn or what to do next to keep work going. communicate with the Details on how to team. contact all coworkers. MONTHLY OR QUARTERLY REVIEW REGULAR MEETINGS Q3 2014 Schedule them with individuals and with the To measure and provide big-picture feedback about team and individual progress. entire team. FACE-TO-FACE TIME TIME ZONE SENSITIVITY SMART HIRING Pay for people to come together once in a while for team building events. Or, use video calls in lieu of voice calls. Rotate meeting times so the same people aren't always waking up early or staying up late. Always test if new hires are cut out for the virtual work with an evaluation period. TOOLS SCREEN CAPTURE So you can "point" at your screen and say, "This is what I saw!" INSTANT MESSENGER COLLABORATION So you can "run into each other in the kitchen" or share funny links you found on the internet. So you can easily work together on task planning and execution. CLOUD FILE SHARING So you can store relevant files and people can access them at any time (e.g. contact information list, communications guidebook, operations document). SCREENSHARING So you can show colleagues what's on your screen right now. PROJECT MANAGEMENT So you can quickly plan projects, share updates, assign tasks, and track progress. MIND SETS CELEBRATE ACHIEVEMENTS Come in Work extra hard to make sure your isolated team feels appreciated. Celebrate every WE'RE OPEN small and large achievement. BE CLIQUE-AWARE BE AVAILABLE Your existing team might be resistant to a new hire. Go out of your way to include new employees in the informal chatting and bonding. Can people come to you for help? Consider regular weekly online office hours. ENCOURAGE CHATTING Humans are social creatures. Share life updates, fun news, and celebrity gossip. Casual bonding strengthens a team and keeps ideas flowing. 12 EMBRACE DIFFERENCES ALLOW FLEXIBLE WORK HOURS Don't allow your team to view cultural differences as setbacks or barriers. Encourage varied opinions. 3 Let people to work at their best hours of the day, not your best hours of the day. RUNNING A VIRTUAL TEAM OFTEN TAKES MORE WORK THAN RUNNING A CO-LOCATED TEAM BUT IT ISN'T IMPOSSIBLE. IF YOU CAN CHECK OFF EVERY ITEM ON THIS LIST, YOUR VIRTUAL TEAM IS WELL ON ITS WAY TO SUCCESS. Want to learn more about Bought to you by WrYke Brought to you by running a virtual team? Download our PDF guide: Award-Winning Project Management and Collaboration Software bit.ly/virtualteammgmt www.wrike.com L-O