We live in an increasingly globalised and interconnected world. The workforce is becoming more contingent, so it is inevitable that at some point in your career you will have to manage a virtual team. This is something we have become increasingly adept at, here at Hot Spots Movement, through our Jams. These are facilitated online conversations, for multinational organisations, providing them with insights to take on business challenges.

During these Jams, we work with a virtual team of facilitators. As the team is scattered around the planet we rarely get the opportunity to meet everyone in person. However, our facilitators play a major role in the success of our Jams. So how do we make sure everyone performs at their best in our team? Here are three recommendations based on our experience.

Prepare your team before the project

Our facilitators’ primary role is to create an engaging environment in which people are confident to express their views, share their ideas and collaborate with their colleagues from around the world. When a Jam goes live, we receive hundreds of comments in a couple of hours and our facilitators need to analyse and follow up on the content of each comment. This requires maximum focus and minimum distraction, otherwise the golden nuggets of insights might be missed.

To prepare facilitators for this role, we provide them with all the relevant information at least four weeks in advance. We also deliver that information in a number of formats – including briefing documents and calls – to accommodate different learning preferences.

So, tip number one is to start the preparation early and let your team stay focused. Even though it is inevitable that new information will pop up and you need to communicate this to your team, they will need to take in less.

Identify the best means of communication for your purpose

If you have friends in another country, you know that frequent communication is key to keep in touch with them. It’s the same with work: we need to ensure that we have enough touch points with our virtual teams to ensure coordination and to minimise isolation.

When there is a break between Jams, we send around an email or set up a quick call to find out what facilitators are up to – we take a personal interest in who they are outside of their role on the Jam. We also ensure that they are in the loop with what we are working on and when they can expect the next Jam. During these breaks emails and calls work well, but during Jams they are slow, and can be distracting. For real-time coordination on project work we use a designated chat room. This chat room is both our office and kitchen during the Jam: there is space for instructions as well as casual chats. After all, chats in the kitchen are a good way of getting to know your team members.

When setting up your virtual team, identify the most effective means of communication for each point in the project or team lifecycle. Bear in mind that you will need a different communication channel depending on the nature of the task – chat rooms are ideal for real-time collaboration, while static means such as emails are a great way of checking in during quieter times. Not only will this keep your team together between projects, but it will also enable bonding.

Analyse the project and the process

Our facilitators appreciate the opportunity to give real-time, open and honest feedback to us about what’s working and what could be better. We love this. It signals that they are invested in the project and feel part of the team.

One of the key moments when we hear this feedback is during the night shifts when Jams are running. These tend to be slightly quieter sessions and the online chat room gives us a great opportunity to chat to our facilitators. We talk about how they feel about the atmosphere of the Jam and which topics participants prefer. We also exchange tricks and tips on how we could improve the briefing process and how to improve task-based work. Similarly, our facilitators feel comfortable reaching out to discuss how we feel about their performance. Whether they want to do this in the group chat or in private, it’s up to them. We do this real-time when the experience is still fresh.

When your team is together, that is your best opportunity to dissect the project and find out what works, what needs improvement, and what you need to drop.

It’s interesting to see that the three points above also apply to teams that share the same physical location. The difference is that the virtual world amplifies flaws in the processes of preparation, communication and evaluation.

So what are the three things you need to think about as a manager? First, are you preparing your team well in advance of the project? Do you take a moment to identify the most effective and efficient means of communication for a given task or message? And, do you take the time to exchange constructive feedback throughout the project, as well as reflecting at the end?

 

David Takacs

Digital Support Manager – Hot Spots Movement