remote working tips

17 Tips for Building a Successful Virtual Team

Virtual teams and work-from-home arrangements have grown in popularity in recent years. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant shift in how people approach their work. As of 2023, 12.7% of full-time employees were working remotely with 16% of companies being fully remote in operations.

With the rise of remote work and hybrid working environments, it has become increasingly important for management to learn how to manage these teams effectively. Although virtual teams can provide many benefits, they also present challenges, including decreased productivity and heightened distractions within the home workspace.

A successful virtual team is effective and delivers high-quality results. They know how to balance regular check-ins while maintaining autonomy, and self-discipline. Effective communication, inclusivity, and trust are all fundamental elements. Platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Slack are essential to a successful virtual team.

In the following sections, we will dive deeper into 17 tips for a successful virtual team.

1) Adaptability

Given that the world of virtual work is a relatively recent concept, not everyone has fully acclimated to it. Thus, having employees who are willing to adapt, learn, overcome challenges, and obstacles is important to the success of a virtual team. It’s crucial to encourage your team as you navigate this virtual environment together.

2) Technology

In an office setting, collaboration often involves face-to-face interactions such as meetings in conference rooms and informal chats at other’s desks. However, online work arrangements, don’t allow for this to happen. Thus, having appropriate technology to help facilitate some of these interactions is important. This technology enables communication channels and enhances the efficiency of remote work. Later sections will delve into various types of platforms that serve this purpose.

3) Communication

Effective communication has always been a key to success for any team but it's even more important for virtual teams. With everyone working independently, you can’t just pop by a co-worker's desk to discuss a project. Communication looks very different virtually. With virtual teams, you send emails, and instant messages, schedule video calls, etc. Setting clear communication standards becomes paramount, given the heightened autonomy in remote work, which can lead to communication gaps. Using online programs such as Trello, Miro, Figma, etc. can help to increase the coordination, communication, and efficiency of a virtual team.

4) Motivation and Self-Discipline

Many of us have likely experienced working from home, where we encounter tempting distractions like napping, checking our phones, or watching TV. Successfully navigating these distractions and maintaining focus on work requires significant self-discipline.

The absence of direct supervision results in employees feeling less guilty for succumbing to distractions and being unproductive. Thus, employees must have internal motivation and self-discipline to hold themselves accountable. This isn’t always an easy task so it’s important management asks questions during the interview process to try and identify individuals who have a strong sense of motivation. You must also set standards and promote a culture of self-discipline.

5) Team Culture

Although the team is virtual, setting a team culture is still important. In the office, it’s easy to build stronger connections with your team through talking in the mornings, taking coffee breaks, and much more. A team’s culture can play a big role in motivation, as it increases an employee’s engagement and makes them feel a part of something bigger.

Establishing a team culture online can be hard compared to in person. You might consider hosting online events to build the culture and relationships of the team. You can also host in-person events occasionally to facilitate face-to-face interactions.

6) Online Team Building Activities

As previously discussed, establishing a team culture involves team activities. Here, we will dive deeper into what these team-building activities entail. We often forget the importance of relationships. Employees seek friendships with the people they work with and when they can do so, they care more about the place they work. This contributes to their satisfaction, reduced employee turnover, productivity, etc.

There are a variety of online games that can be done but some popular options involve virtual escape rooms, murder mysteries, trivia, charades, etc.

Sometimes motivation to join these events online is reduced, so leadership needs to set an example and attend these events.

7) Setting Goals

When working in virtual teams, check-ins happen less frequently as you can’t easily drop by your boss’s desk to stay updated on the work and the team.

This is why setting clear goals and effectively communicating them to the team is so important. Clear goals serve as a roadmap for all team members, providing clarity on what they should be working toward. Without such clarity in goal-setting and communication, employees may find themselves uncertain about their objectives. This can also lead to different employees working towards different end goals.

8) Sense of Purpose

An integral aspect of a successful work team is having employees who are dedicated to their tasks and committed to the team's success. To be dedicated to your work, you need to feel a sense of purpose in your work. This can be hard when working virtually as you feel very disconnected from the team.

It’s important for management to not just delegate but explain what the individual’s contributions do for the company as a whole. Providing recognition also plays a pivotal role, as it reinforces the significance and impact of employees' efforts. If an employee doesn’t see the value of their work, they won’t feel that they play an important role on the team, leading to reduced motivation toward the team’s success.

9) Delegation

Everyone plays a role in a team and it's important you know what your role is. Managers need to delegate tasks and make this clear to everyone. There can be miscommunication when employees take the initiative on their own to do things without a clear direction of what is expected. This might result in certain tasks not being done or multiple people doing the same task. This doesn’t mean initiative isn’t important but that delegation is a crucial first step to take. It makes it clear to employees what they need to do especially when they work independently.

10) Set Clear Expectations

As we know, virtual teams require independent work. There is a lack of oversight by management as you can’t see what your team is doing. Although you can never guarantee that your team is performing to your expectations, setting clear expectations can help to guide employees. Throughout onboarding and even during the time of employment, it is critical to emphasize expectations in terms of working hours, work quality, turnaround time, policies, procedures, etc. This helps employees to know what is expected of them and how to do their job properly.

11) Regular Check-ins and Be Available

Remote work does require a lot of self-direction but management should still oversee the work of the team. Thus, regular check-ins either weekly or bi-weekly will help to keep the team on track and allow everyone to share updates on their work. This allows for more effective communication and helps the team feel like they are a part of something bigger. When working at home, it’s easy to forget what you are contributing to and that you are part of a bigger team.

Not only are check-ins important but being available for your team. Employees may have questions that arise when doing their work and since they can’t pop by your desk, they need to be able to reach you online. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t focus on your work or that you should answer the second that they message you, but make sure you are keeping an eye on your messages. You could even consider setting aside a period during the week when you are open for questions and chats.

12) Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is crucial for any organization’s success. Maintaining engagement can be harder in a virtual setting when interaction is reduced. Employee engagement drives productivity, commitment, and a positive culture. Cultivating strong employee engagement is not always easy. As previously highlighted, virtual work environments often pose challenges such as distractions and reduced motivation, making employee engagement crucial in mitigating these issues. As this is not an easy task, you might consider discovering ways to improve employee engagement.

13) Recognition

A part of employee engagement, satisfaction in the workplace, and commitment to your work comes from positive reinforcement. Providing recognition and feedback allows employees to feel appreciated for the work they do.

Even in traditional in-person settings, recognition can sometimes be insufficient, despite the presence of non-verbal cues that offer reassurance in ways that words cannot. it's important to proactively announce and recognize team contributions during regular meetings or through rewards. By demonstrating that you acknowledge and value their efforts, even within a virtual team, you motivate employees to invest more effort in their roles and strengthen their commitment.

14) Flexible Working Hours

Flexible working hours are important for any team. With virtual teams, there can sometimes be more burnout as the individual’s personal life and work life overlap as it all happens in their home. As employees get burnt out in the office and become less productive, the same happens for virtual teams although it seems like a more “relaxed” work arrangement.

Allowing for flexible working hours will allow the employee to take breaks when needed without feeling guilty. It will help to refresh their productivity and provide them the opportunity to work when their motivation is higher.

You might also consider why your team is working virtually. It might be because they physically cannot be in office due to children that need to be taken care of, elderly, etc. This can be exhausting, balancing working and taking care of someone at the same time. Thus, offering flexible working hours will allow employees to work when it is best for them while increasing employee satisfaction and engagement.

15) Project Management Tools

As previously mentioned, project management tools help to ensure communication. It also helps with shared goals and staying informed. Using such tools will keep track of everything that everyone is working on and keep it all on one platform. This allows the team to track the progress towards deadlines and will notify others when a team member completes their tasks. This will ensure instant updates on the progress of a project, allowing for collaboration and organization through continual co-creation.

Teams can consider platforms such as:

  • Trello: track tasks, deadlines, and comments with colour tags in a calendar layout. Co-create projects in real-time.

  • SmartDraw: helps teams that work primarily with images and visual presentations with free templates in a shareable format.

16) Virtual Team Training

Without an in-person setting, establishing a rigorous and clear training program will improve the team's success. Even in the office, programs do not always provide sufficient training for the employees. With online teams, it’s even more important as you don’t have someone to turn to right away if you need help.

It’s important to also consider informal training for your employees via creative media resources. Consider creating a B2B podcast for your company, where you can learn from key clients, CEO/leaders, and network with influential figures in your industry. This can help employees learn more about your culture, improve personally, and move your business forward.

Most companies don’t have the time to figure out the format, production, and marketing that goes into a B2B podcast, so you can leverage a B2B podcasting partner to handle the entire process.

Technological training is key. The use of technology is so important in a virtual environment as you are using online communication platforms alongside other project management collaboration tools. Some employees might be unfamiliar with these platforms and will require training to ensure they can be productive rather than trying to figure out the technology.

As previously mentioned, communication is more important than ever. However, not everyone is great at communication. Thus, effective communication training is important. This entails both verbal and written communication. Having training for written communication is key as it can be hard to properly express what you mean in writing. Written communication lacks vocal inflection and body language which can lead to miscommunication. So, training regarding how to write an email or send a Teams message can play an important role in ensuring a successful virtual team.

17) Reviews

As most of us know, you normally want feedback when you do your work. You want to hear what you are doing good and what you need to improve on. Doing regular reviews is important so that employees can know how they are performing. During these reviews, you can outline feedback and set goals moving forward. Not only does this allow the employee to correct unproductive performance but also provides direction for the future.

Conclusion

As we navigate this new landscape of virtual teams, we learn something new every day. Every day we work online, we become more effective and successful in our teams. If you are considering starting a virtual team or having problems with your current virtual team, it’s important to ask how and why. It’s time to consider some of these steps and make your way to a successful virtual team.

Written by Kaitlin Duong

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Jony Studios is a client-focused media production studio offering audio/video production, B2B podcasting, and audiobook services. They have worked with a wide range of clients from small businesses to larger organizations such as Penguin Random House, Amazon, University of Waterloo, Freakonomics Radio and many others.

 
 

10 Ways to Foster a Positive Hybrid Work Environment

Introduction 

Cultivating a positive work environment is the foundation to any successful business. If you have ever heard the quote “Happy Wife, Happy Life”, it’s pretty much the same idea except work version, like “Happy Employee, Good Productivit-ee?” or some variation of that. When people feel encouraged, accepted and happy, they become more motivated and perform better. A simple yet extremely effective formula to achieve in a workplace. Setting your team up for success, especially in hybrid settings, which let’s be honest, is the reality we live in these days, comes down to the emotional, intellectual, and physical ways you support them. Even the simplest things can create a good and enjoyable work environment, leaving employees feeling like more than just working dogs, but actual valued members of the company. 


Here are 10 tips to creating a positive work environment for your company:


1) Prioritize onboarding and training

There’s no such thing as starting too soon! Creating a positive work environment starts from the beginning when employees are first hired. Especially for those starting their new jobs remotely, onboarding can feel daunting, and if done poorly, can impact retention. Therefore, it is extremely important for managers to create opportunities for new employees to interact and be involved within the company culture. Strategies such as introducing an internal mentor/mentee system can help both junior and senior level employees get to know each other and find common interests. Additionally, implementing team socials, after hiring new employees, whether it be online or in-person, can allow for employees to interact with each other in a stress-free and casual environment which will ultimately lead to creating a positive team dynamic. 


2) Provide a suitable and comfortable work environment

Positive team dynamic is one thing, however, a good physical work environment is a whole other thing. Having a comfortable and adaptable work environment creates a positive work experience with many physical and cognitive benefits. A good work environment goes beyond providing regular breaks, a break room with vending machines, and an annual employee appreciation breakfast. Employees also need adequate support, training, resources and space to perform their job. Mood is also influenced by overall workplace conditions such as safety features, adequate lighting and comfortable temperatures throughout the building. For companies that have employees working from home remotely, it is even more crucial for companies to provide as much support as possible in creating an ideal workspace for their employees.

3) Trust your team members

An essential part of any successful team is transparency and honesty. This requires mutual trust and respect between employees and employers. In action terms, this means that when you delegate, really let go and let the individual own the task you gave them. You can also communicate trust by asking team members to make decisions on their own for their part of the project. At the end of the day, people act the way they are treated, so the best rule to stick by is to treat other people the way you want to be treated. As simple as that. 

Another effective way to generate trust is to see the people you are working from time to time in-person or even on zoom for a virtual coffee date. Having everyone turn their camera on can help everyone feel more connected and part of a team, and helps with clients as well.

To set yourself a part when working from home, upgrade your studio setup so you can look and sound your best in front of all your co workers and clients, allowing for better connection, which can lead to substantial business growth and employee confidence. We are experts at studio setup upgrades and can walk you through exactly what you need based on what you already have, and how to set it up properly (100% virtually) using our Digital Studio Setup package, contact us here to learn more!


4) Listen to EVERYONE'S ideas

Everyone on your team has great ideas, that’s one of the reasons you hired them! Take advantage of that individuality and diversity among your employees and listen to the ideas they bring to the table. Whether it be the newest hire or the longest employee, each brings different experiences and perspectives to the project that they are focussed on. Trust them and allow them to express themselves freely without judgment! Give the good ideas a try; you never know what might happen – other than the fact that the team becomes more invested in their work and the project outcome, for starters.


5) Conduct regular check-ins

It’s no surprise that people who enjoy what they are doing are more likely to do better work. Encourage that by checking in regularly with your employees whether it be work related, or even casual conversation. Having scheduled check-ins on a weekly or monthly basis allows for team members to feel included and involved in the work environment, it also gives managers a chance to review the work that has been done and provide feedback. In terms of remote workers, it’s no question that people get burnt out from time to time when they are sleeping, eating and working all under the same roof. Employees need to know they are being supported beyond the confines of regular 1:1 chats, especially if they’re used to being able to walk over to your desk and ask a quick question. 

6) Create opportunities for learning

Employees thrive on being stimulated and challenged from time to time and this wouldn’t be possible if there weren’t opportunities to learn new things. Providing either online or hands-on learning experiences increases work productivity and overall brain stimulation, which let’s be honest we all need at times. A company can save millions in lost productivity by making sure that employees have access to the information they need to do their jobs.

7) Show your appreciation

This ties in with having trust in your team members. People are often fuelled and motivated through receiving gratitude and appreciation from others. Employers need to make their workers feel like they matter in a way that gives their work a sense of purpose. Meaningful and honest appreciation can be done through creating a simple “shout out” group chat through the company's communication platform to acknowledge the hard work that employees have been putting into a certain project or task. This way, your employees can understand what they’re doing well, and do more of it. When people feel like they’re doing good work, they want to rise to the occasion even more. A simple “thank you” goes a long way. 


8) Protect employees physical and mental health

This is a two parter. Both working at home and working in the office can make people feel fatigued and burnt out at times, providing regularly scheduled breaks and opportunities for relaxation can go a long way. Companies can promote a more positive and relaxed workspace by encouraging employees to take periodic breaks, allowing them to customize their workspace, and organizing a staff outing, picnic or retreat. Additionally, if in-person activities are not a possibility, then sharing various resources with employees so they can utilize their breaks by participating in eye, breathing and stretching exercises to feel refreshed.

Companies should also work to create a culture that encourages employees to talk openly about how they feel, both with their coworkers and managers. Employee Assistance Programmes are a great way to address problems before they begin and create a work environment where employees are happy and healthy. Talking about mental health can also go a long way towards helping employees feel supported and happy at work. Poor mental health can often lead to sick leave, which negatively impacts your business and team. Don’t keep mental health in the closet. 

9) Promote diversity

An essential ingredient to a positive workplace is diversity. Not only does a diverse workforce make it easier to attract your industry’s best and brightest, but it also increases productivity and profits. Employees are naturally more comfortable, which opens the door for creative thinking and innovative ideas. Plus, when employees are happier with their work environment, they’re less likely to spend their time looking for another job. 


10) Be spontaneous and have fun!

Everyone wants to have fun at work — even though everyone defines “fun” a little differently. Fun happens when people feel well-connected with a team where there’s mutual respect, open communication, acceptance of who people are and everyone’s collaborating and working toward the same goal. When teams are working well together, it makes it easier to be spontaneous and have some fun – whether it’s a last-minute Happy Hour on Friday after a project launch, or a brief pause in the afternoon to tell stories and have a few laughs over topics that have nothing to do about work. Sometimes we all need a break from the seriousness of business.


Conclusion

Building high-performing teams hinges on the culture you cultivate, the hybrid work environment you create, and the relationships you build. Company work culture plays such a huge role in their employees lives, so it is crucial to any team that they create and maintain the best work environment they possibly can. And remember, whether you’re a team leader or team member, everyone plays a role in contributing to your work environment.

Written by: Rena Wu

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