Alluvionic’s expert project managers have been managing virtual teams successfully for years, so we wanted to share some tips to help you if this is new to your entire organization.
- Have video meetings if your network can handle it. This helps keep your team connected and helps to avoid miscommunications.
- Have regularly scheduled 15-minute “stand-ups” with your team. This allows you to discuss priorities and make sure your teammates are all on the same page and engaged.
- Send out updates as needed, but at least once a week to your entire team during this stressful time. This can be as formal or informal as appropriate, but it is important that your team trusts that you are keeping them informed.
- For larger projects and organizations, make sure each team member is part of a smaller team to ensure connectivity and communication. You don’t want to leave anyone alone on an island.
- Over communicate with your team so they will over communicate with you. It’s a lot harder to pick up what’s going on when your team is not physically together in one location. To keep that synergy, you need forced communication while transitioning to this new virtual world.
- Make sure your IM is running properly. It is important that your team can reach each other easily for quick questions. This can help reduce the number of extra meetings, which saves you time and money.
- Keep an Action Registry. With communication happening virtually at the speed of email and conference calls, it’s easy for tasks to pile up. Keeping an action registry will organize and track your activity and can help you plan your virtual workday.
