This week we are focusing on supporting a successful virtual team. But before you can keep your squad thriving, you must set yourself up for success. If you still need to read it, review the first article in this series, Building A Successful Virtual Team. 

Nowadays, all leaders are virtual leaders. You are also a virtual leader if you interact with, communicate with, or inform your group through digital means (phone, email, video, online, etc.). Leading in the virtual world takes just as much intentionality as face-to-face leadership – if not more. It’s about more than maintaining the status quo or keeping your team functioning. Proactive virtual leadership seeks to support team members. Good virtual leaders are thoughtful and take good care of their crew regardless of location. Being remote doesn’t interrupt their ability to add value and invest back in their people. 

Let’s look at a few strategies to support your virtual team. 

Don’t Forget About Your Online People

This suggestion should be obvious, but unfortunately, it is frequently a pitfall for virtual leaders. It’s the age-old issue of “Out of sight, out of mind,” and it haunts many leaders with hybrid teams. 

When you work with a crew that is made up of virtual and in-house members, it can be easy to forget about your online audience until there is a problem. That’s when phone calls or video conferences usually take place. But successful virtual leaders make it a point to keep connected with their remote members BEFORE there is an issue. Little connection points go a long way when dealing with a remote unit. An email simply to say “Hello” or “Thanks.” A quick phone call. A Text. Personalized and consistent interactions keep team members connected to you and the organizational mission. It doesn’t take a lot, but it does take intentionality. Your team will feel much more cohesive with a little extra effort. 

Connect Visually

The success or failure of your virtual leadership will have a strong base in your ability to keep your team feeling connected. While phone calls and emails are helpful, there is something to be said about face-to-face conversations. One of the best ways to keep your community strong in a virtual team is to video conference with your people. 

Remember, a lot of communication happens beyond the words you use (or don’t use). Body language and other nonverbal transmissions can offer significant clues to how your audience really feels. We frequently rely on tone of voice, eye contact, and facial expressions during conversations to decipher what is said. When you remove that from the equation, it is easy to miscommunicate. For example, think of all the emails you’ve had to follow up with a phone call after they came across a way you didn’t intend.  

Not only does connecting face-to-face make it easier to read between the lines, but it can also help your team grasp new initiatives better. Research shows that 65% of the population are visual learners. How you decide to communicate is critical when you need to teach, train, or present new material to your team. Using the right platform is essential to virtual leadership. 

But there is a warning attached to this concept. Only do ALL team meetings when ABSOLUTELY essential. Getting the whole group together is great, but recognize that virtual teams usually span time zones and team members have other responsibilities. Everyone hates unnecessary meetings. They are particularly annoying if you have to wake up in the middle of the night to attend. A good virtual leader knows to use meetings wisely. 

Be In Your People’s Corner

Working as a team is hard. Removing daily, personal interactions and adding a layer of a screen can make it even more challenging. You will run into roadblocks. Your team will make errors. There will be miscommunication and misunderstandings. Knowing that these pitfalls are part of the territory of online leadership can help you handle them properly when you eventually come up against them. 

This all goes back to our strategy of setting expectations at the beginning. Let your team know that you are in their corner. You don’t want anyone to fail. You are here to support and help them win. Although they may be working remotely, team members are not alone. They are part of a connected unit that works together to accomplish goals and solve problems. 

When your crew understands that you are there for them, they will begin to operate more confidently.