How do you evaluate virtual team performance across borders?

2 Use multiple criteria and sources

The second step to evaluate virtual team performance across borders is to use multiple criteria and sources to assess the results and behaviors of your team members. Don't rely on a single metric or indicator, such as hours worked, tasks completed, or sales generated. Instead, use a balanced scorecard approach that considers both quantitative and qualitative aspects of performance, such as customer satisfaction, innovation, teamwork, and learning. Also, use multiple sources of information, such as self-reports, peer reviews, customer feedback, and data analysis, to get a comprehensive and objective view of performance.

4 Recognize and reward performance

The fourth step to evaluate virtual team performance across borders is to recognize and reward performance. Recognition and reward are powerful motivators that can boost the morale, engagement, and loyalty of your team members. However, recognition and reward can also be culturally sensitive, as different people may have different preferences and expectations for how they want to be appreciated and rewarded. To avoid offending or demotivating your team members, make sure your recognition and reward are fair, consistent, transparent, and aligned with the goals and values of your team. Also, use a variety of recognition and reward methods, such as praise, feedback, bonuses, promotions, or opportunities, to suit the diverse needs and interests of your team members.

5 Adapt and improve your evaluation process

The fifth step to evaluate virtual team performance across borders is to adapt and improve your evaluation process. Evaluation is not a one-time event, but a continuous cycle of planning, monitoring, reviewing, and adjusting. As your team evolves and faces new challenges and opportunities, you need to review and update your goals, expectations, criteria, feedback, and recognition methods to ensure they are relevant, realistic, and effective. Also, you need to solicit and incorporate feedback from your team members on how they perceive and experience the evaluation process, and make changes accordingly to improve their satisfaction and performance.

6 Foster a culture of trust and learning

The final step to evaluate virtual team performance across borders is to foster a culture of trust and learning in your team. Trust and learning are the foundations of high-performing virtual teams, as they enable your team members to share information, ideas, and feedback openly and constructively, and to learn from each other and from their experiences. To build trust and learning in your team, you need to model and encourage behaviors such as honesty, transparency, accountability, respect, curiosity, and feedback. Also, you need to create and leverage opportunities for your team members to interact, collaborate, and learn together, such as regular meetings, online forums, virtual coffee breaks, or training sessions.