Connection is critical in any case, it is even more important in a virtual team which needs to be characterised by a constant connection between members so as to make them feel part of a common action.
In a virtual or geographically distant group, team members can feel very isolated from each other. And isolation is not good. This condition is a two way street and concerns not only the team leader but also the individual members of the group.
Solution? Support!
It assumes particular importance for the leaders at all levels to spend time supporting each member to connect with others and for individuals to spend time in this activity, as this peer support is often as important as the support to the team. own manager. Advice, opinion and experience are transferred between peers often more effectively than when the same process happens top-down and, all in all, is understandable: is easier to trust peers experience.
But support is not only the high level one enabling connection, but deeply dives into all actions that create the feeling (and making it happen in practice) that everyone is an active part in the common mission is extremely important. Some ideas for doing this include:
A) Seeing is better than hearing: use a platform that allows visual connection. The phone call is certainly fast and “pragmatic” but the video connection creates closeness and empathy.
B) Mix virtual and physical. Provide an opportunity for the team to come together for team development, so they operate from similar frameworks, have a shared vision and understand what the plan is. Have regular team meetings to keep everyone aligned and cohesive. This is also valid for “physical” teams but is even more relevant when it comes to virtual teams: face to face enables trust and relationships, do not under estimate it.
C) Communication is never enough. Creating and maintaining a newsletter or communication dedicated to the team is a way to keep people connected and know what others are doing. You don’t need a lot of resources for this, sometimes it is enough to circulate the minutes of the meetings with the main actions to create a sense of belonging and inclusion.
