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    "result": {"data":{"contentfulSkillmeterBlogPost":{"url":"how-to-get-the-most-of-your-virtual-team","title":"How to Get the Most of Your Virtual Team","description":{"description":"<p>Today’s world is one of virtual offices and\r\nteams that are managed without people ever meeting face to face. You may never\r\nknow what the people working for you physically look like. No longer is there a\r\nneed for cubicles and conference rooms. In fact, many people can work directly\r\nfrom home wearing their pajamas if they choose. While a virtual team has\r\nnumerous advantages including cost and convenience, it also comes with its\r\nshare of challenges. How do you manage a team from across the city, across the\r\ncountry, or across the world? How do you ensure work is getting done,\r\nmilestones are being met, and the quality of work is maintained? While it may\r\nbe a little more challenging than walking to your coworker’s desk to check in,\r\nmanaging a virtual team is not only doable but often more efficient.</p>"},"body":{"body":"<p>\r\n\tToday’s world is one of virtual offices and\r\nteams that are managed without people ever meeting face to face. You may never\r\nknow what the people working for you physically look like. No longer is there a\r\nneed for cubicles and conference rooms. In fact, many people can work directly\r\nfrom home wearing their pajamas if they choose. While a virtual team has\r\nnumerous advantages including cost and convenience, it also comes with its\r\nshare of challenges. How do you manage a team from across the city, across the\r\ncountry, or across the world? How do you ensure work is getting done,\r\nmilestones are being met, and the quality of work is maintained? While it may\r\nbe a little more challenging than walking to your coworker’s desk to check in,\r\nmanaging a virtual team is not only doable but often more efficient.</p><p>\r\n\t<strong>Communication\r\nis Key\r\n\t</strong></p><p>\r\n\tWhen your team members are working\r\nseparately, it is easy to become disconnected. Time zones, language barriers,\r\nand cultural differences are all dangers of communication break downs for your\r\nvirtual team. Communication is the key to success in a virtual environment.</p><ul>\r\n\t\r\n<li><strong>1.&nbsp;</strong><strong>Communicate Often</strong>\r\n\t<br>\r\n\tCommunication is even more\r\nimportant when your team works remotely. You will need to communicate often to\r\nensure everyone is on track and on the same page. Regular communication and\r\nmeetings also help set a routine that your team can get familiar with. Start\r\nthe schedule as soon as you begin working with your virtual team. Go over\r\nstatus updates of project deliverables in each meeting and ensure that all\r\nissues or problems are brought up right away. Help your team identify road\r\nblocks and work through them. Show that you are there to help! Build trust and\r\nyour team will work harder for you. \r\n\t</li>\t\r\n<li><strong>2.&nbsp;</strong><strong>Use Multiple Communication\r\nChannels\r\n\t</strong>\r\n\t<br>When it comes to\r\ncommunication options, technology is your friend. Even five to ten years ago,\r\nthe only viable options for direct communication were phone and email. Today,\r\nwe have many choices including group chats and video conferencing over the\r\ninternet. While email and phone are still important, having video conferencing\r\nallows everyone a chance to get to know the face behind the name and builds\r\nteam comradery. Video meetings also are often the most efficient because your\r\nteam will remain focused, and the video brings some of that “office” feel to\r\nyour meeting. Even for team members in different time zones, there is often a\r\ntime that will work for everyone. \r\n\t</li>\t\r\n<li><strong>3.&nbsp;</strong><strong>Provide Feedback</strong>\r\n\t<br>Just as in an office\r\nenvironment, providing timely feedback is essential to managing your virtual\r\nteam. If a project is not going the way you want it to, speak up right away.\r\nProviding feedback is a crucial part of managing any team of people and is even\r\nmore important when your team is spread out. The more often you provide\r\nfeedback (especially in the beginning), the more valuable the end product will\r\nbe. Ask your virtual team to keep you updated regularly and provide feedback\r\n(both positive and negative) right away.\r\n\t</li></ul><p>\r\n\t<strong>Create\r\na Professional Work Environment\r\n\t</strong></p><p>\r\n\tJust because your team is not in an office\r\nbuilding does not mean that professionalism goes by the wayside. Create a\r\nprofessional work environment, and hold people accountable to maintain it.</p><ul>\r\n\t\r\n<li><strong>1.&nbsp;</strong><strong>Set Clear Goals</strong>\r\n\t<br>Setting clear goals ties\r\nback in with communication. Let your team know upfront what is expected of them\r\nand your ultimate goal for the project. Clearly inform and document expected\r\nfinish dates for each task. Make sure that each team member agrees to the goals\r\nand guidelines you set.\r\n\t</li>\t\r\n<li><strong>2.&nbsp;</strong><strong>Have Detailed Deliverables\r\nand Due Dates\r\n\t</strong>\r\n\t<br>Break up the project into\r\nworkable short-term tasks that can be monitored along the way. Ensure that each\r\nteam member provides status updates regularly and knows who to turn to if they\r\nhave questions as the project progresses. Review the work early and often to\r\nensure that the project is advancing as you had envisioned. Quickly redirect\r\nthe work if it begins to stray from your goals.\r\n\t</li>\t\r\n<li><strong>3.&nbsp;</strong><strong>Maintain Accountability</strong>\r\n\t<br>Each member of your virtual\r\nteam is accountable for the project deliverables that you have provided. Only\r\naccept work that demonstrates the quality your customer expects. If you start\r\nto make revisions after your team submits work, they will not learn and you\r\nwill end up doing much more work than you intended. Provide courteous and\r\ntimely feedback if any team member is not performing adequately.\r\n\t</li></ul><p>\r\n\tManaging a virtual team is rewarding, and if\r\ndone correctly will result in success for everyone involved. Stay involved and\r\ncommunicate closely with your team.&nbsp;</p>"},"authorName":"Melissa Ricker","authorBio":{"authorBio":"Melissa Ricker is a writer who covers career topics for <a href=\"https://www.jobhero.com/\" rel=\"nofollow\">JobHero</a>, a free resource that helps job-seekers with various steps of the job search process by providing resume samples, cover letter samples, job descriptions and more."},"publishedOn":"2016-10-06T11:17:27.513Z"}},"pageContext":{"id":"a1fff8e6-033a-5d0a-9a95-41ae3d63be64"}},
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