Virtual Team

Building a virtual team that consistently wins, day after day is easier said than done. While COVID-19 forced many business to work remotely, it did not automatically mean their team is performing better. 

Challenges and Solutions

Unlikely the team in your physical office,  there are several challenges with a virtual team

Firstly, they are not in physical proximity. You don’t have their attention when you want it. For this reason, when hosting a Zoom or Teams call with the staff, it is recommended that video is turned on.   

Secondly, is navigating time zones. If your team is scattered across different continents & countries, co-ordinating them can be difficult. Sometimes you have to settle for a compromise amongst the team, rotating the time of meetings, to accommodate everyone. 

Thirdly, with a global virtual team, take care with labour regime that may affect the terms of employment and pay from one country to the next.

Fourthly, access to reliable technology to undertake the work is vital for each team player. There is a vast difference between working in an office with high speed internet versus using a smartphone in a rural village. 

Fifthly, don’t under estimate the value of face time over screen time.  You don’t get to know the person on the other side of the screen up close & personal, as you do, sitting over coffee in the canteen. To the extent possible, schedule face to face meetings each month for the team to come together in person. 

Finally, with POPI legislation coming with far reaching implications for the we treat data, get your policies and security measures in place. What happens if an employee has a burglary at home and their laptop with customer information is stolen?