Managing a Virtual Team: Pain Points and How to Overcome Them

Many organizations explore opportunities in foreign countries and markets, and in so doing, are often required to set up local offices and teams in those countries. 

This huge task includes dealing with regulatory authorities, leasing/purchasing properties, infrastructural setup and going through a very rigorous hiring process. For large organizations with well structured systems, processes and deep financial pockets, it may be less of a challenge because they have the capacity to outsource some or all of these requirements. 

Small and medium businesses on the other hand may oftentimes have to consider exploring global expansion differently because of budget constraints amidst other factors in order to find a cost-effective means of harnessing opportunities in diverse markets. Thus, a unique opportunity presents itself in leveraging virtual talents, along with the right set of skills, knowledge and culture fit to achieve global expansion. And it is no longer news that the Covid-19 pandemic has transformed the way many organizations around the world now conduct business which includes a shift to virtual workforce. 

There are many challenges to managing a virtual team but I’ve highlighted a few of them below:

1. Communication (OVER or UNDER)

This is one of the greatest challenges faced in a virtual team environment. Effective communication is a combination of various factors - our voice, body language, gestures, etc.  However, some of these factors may not be easily detectable in a virtual team environment which may oftentimes lead to miscommunication while sending or receiving information. For instance, you can’t walk over to your colleague to discuss or clarify a project/task. 

One of the best ways to address this is by creating an environment that promotes open and honest communication - a non-judgmental workplace where people are kind in providing feedback and can receive feedback without fear. 

How do you do that?

Avoiding ambiguities when assigning tasks/projects, and not making assumptions that the other person on the virtual spectrum will know what you are thinking can go a long way to get team members feeling very confident of what is required of them. It’s best to pass instructions across in a simple, clear and concise manner. Understanding how team members' communication preference can also go a long way of preventing over/under communication. While a written instruction might work for one team member, a face-to-face video call may work better for another team member and so on. It may appear that this is a huge task at the start, but it can save you a huge amount of time and money by preventing miscommunication problems in the long run. 

Remember that the easier you make communication in your team, the better the results you get. Learn more on how to collaborate effectively in a remote team.

2. Time Zone Differences

It can be challenging to get projects done when your team members are geographically located in a different time zone. So, how do you get the results you need on time if your day time is equivalent to your team’s night time? Relying heavily on technology is one of the major solutions to bridging this huge gap. 

Business communication tools such as Slack, Zoho Cliq - can help team members do a daily check-in, quick updates or clarifications on tasks/project - making it easy to stay informed of all the details and moving parts on a project. 

Collaboration tools, like Google Meet, Zoom or Microsoft Teams etc, can help put a face to the interaction through video and audio calls, which will improve your team’s feeling of being connected. 

All inclusive apps, like Google Suite, Microsoft 365 ensures everyone has access to the necessary data, emails, calendar, secure file storage and sharing and other tools, minimizing productivity issues. 

In virtual teams, having people operating in a variety of time zones means that you can meet and exceed your client’s business needs, with almost a 24-hour service. 

The downside is scheduling meetings everyone can attend. Here is a time converter tool that can help with setting meetings with your virtual team. See other team communication tools here.

3. Cultural Differences

Culture can have a major impact on how people work all around the world. It is more straightforward when people on a team share similar cultural values, norms or perceptions. However, in a virtual team environment where this isn’t the case, it can be more complex to successfully have an unprejudiced interaction among team members. 

Oftentimes, our decisions are influenced by our cultural beliefs and values, while other people interpret our actions based on their own culture perspectives. It is vital to create an environment that supports diversity when considering building a global virtual team. According to a research by Inc., there are three types of culture you deal with as a business leader/owner which can have an impact on the behavior of a virtual team - national/ethnic culture, company culture and personal culture.

“The playwright George Bernard Shaw famously described Americans and the British as “two nations divided by a common language.” His quip captures the challenge of sustaining shared understanding across cultures. There are some actions that are permissible in some cultures while they are unacceptable in others. We can speak the same language as a form of communication but not understand each other because of our cultural differences.

Building a strong sense of community within a virtual team can help break cultural barriers. Enabling a good company culture that embraces professionalism yet respects people’s cultural beliefs is equally vital in empowering everyone on the team. Simple things such as involving individual team members in leading projects/meetings can help build better cultural synergy within the team as people learn and become more aware of other team members' culture. It is important to always remind the team that although we may all come from different backgrounds, we are set out to achieve a common goal.

4. Performance Evaluation

It may be tough to measure people’s performance when you don’t see them show up at work everyday. However, that’s fast becoming a fad as remote work continues to thrive. Establishing goals and measurement metrics across your virtual teams, and having frequent one-to-one touch points can help keep track of everyone’s performance. 

My mentor used an example of how she sets expectations with her children when she gives them a task such as cleaning their bathroom. This meant they needed to wash the bathtub and toilet bowl, mop the floor and clear the thrash. She also tells them the time it needed to be done. Whichever way they decide to carry out the task is totally up to them but the expectations have been clearly set at the onset. Applying this simple principle of clarity with your virtual team members will help promote fairness in performance evaluations in the organization.

5. Trust

Trust is the foundation of real teamwork and once that foundation is destroyed, it becomes a big challenge to build a formidable team.

How can you tell if your virtual team members are where they say they are per time? How feasible is it to keep tabs to ensure they are not using your business time to meet personal needs or serve personal interests? How do you monitor work and how can you be sure a virtual team member is not taking advantage of the virtual system? What measures can you put in place to make sure people are working when they say they are? 

The most important factor here is to first, establish a culture that is built on trust and then put systems and processes in place to track performance. While it is important to earn your team members' trust, you need to have checks and balances in place. This HBR article provides some insight on how to build trust in a virtual workplace. For more information on how to effectively manage a virtual team, check out tips for running remote and this whitepaper by Highfive - Leaving the Office Behind: A Guide to Remote Work.

I'd like to learn more from you on some of the challenges you have faced/ are facing in building or managing a virtual team and how you’ve dealt/are dealing with them in the comment section below.