A virtual team is no longer a new name in the business world today. As there are positive sides attached to something, in the same ways negative sides are also to be tackled cautiously. Similarly, when it comes to virtual teams, team members may often get displeased on how they are going to work with people who are virtually not in front of their eyes cyro.se. This can be a negative side, but if we consider the positive side, we will find that results are often outstanding when talent from faraway places is pooled to work on a particular project.
Virtual Team
However, the difficulties in tackling each other should not overpower you when the organization you are working for has given you a huge responsibility for accomplishing the task. The challenges that you may come across while working with virtual team members are such as unavailability of a person when required help of, sometimes you are unavailable due to time differences, misunderstandings due to cultural differences, unclear roles defined to team members and many more to mention.
When the condition is defined that you have to work together with a remote team to reach a particular level the organization wants to attain, you do not have the choice except working together. Moreover, if you find the way out, there is nothing you cannot get to.
Build Relationship With Other Person
The first thing you can do to build a relationship with another person is sending your introduction. In many cases, delegates get the chance to have a meeting when they have been approached to work together. Irrespective of that, you are required to make your qualifications handy for another person. You can do this by presenting your resume in the form of a web page or professional listing. Meeting just once with the person does not summarize the person of your qualifications and achievements. Presenting it in the written form is always beneficial as you will not be working with the person face to face.
With this, you are also expected to make your value propositions clear as much as possible. If you let the other person know your role in particular in advance, there will be fewer chances of confusion. Added to this, if you also define your connection with other team members in terms of work to be delivered, it will add to your “good impression” and it will be easier to build a cordial relationship with the team.
The next step is an affirmation. When it comes to team members, you have to have affirmation from another person of three things- whether the person has anything to offer you, whether you can count on him and will he keep up to his commitments to attain the organizational goals? Not only this, in return, you too are supposed to affirm all three questions.
When it comes to different time zones, you have to make yourself available when the other team member requires you at a particular moment. This should happen once in a while and most of the times it also depends on the nature of the work they are carrying forward. Other than this, if you were not able to attend the call, specify the same in email and always revert. Not doing this will only raise the question of your working with a remote team. After all, you are working for the organization, by which you have been trusted to do so.
Many times misunderstandings have been seen created when colleagues are not working face to face, which is normal too. This difference is often created due to cultural differences. The manners and etiquette you are following in your country for your business may not be the same in the country of another team member. Generally, in India, at the time of exchange of business cards Myhrconnection, the recipient should read it when it is handed over to them, whereas in other cultures this may not be followed.
This was just one example of how different cultures can be of two different places. If any kind of situation like this takes place between you and another team member, it should not be given the tag of ill manners or not so good etiquettes. If you are working with the person of another country or other culture, it is good enough to know their business ethics and cultural beliefs in advance to avoid unfavorable situations.
As the members of the virtual team are dispersed, efforts should be taken to bring them together in different ways. If there is a leader of the team, he should be responsible enough to take the steps to bring close the team members. He can do this through conference calls, webinar meetings, frequent common mails so on and so forth. The more you know the person at another end, the more it gets easier to work with.
Also when the people are not working face to face and not able to shake hands, it gives rise to certainty to build doubts. For this, the initiative must be taken from your part to clear them and do not let these doubts ruin your business relations.
When people are working in the same office, roles defined to them are often handy, and if they are not, it is easy for them to ask their superior for the same. Whereas, when a person is working in an isolated manner and still in the team, it can create a lot more confusion. In this case, it is on the part of the organization and the administrative people that they give defined authority and responsibility to each member.
Chances are potential that problems may still occur. For this, a member from the organization should be given the authority and at the same time, he should be responsible enough to tackle such differences. If there are any loopholes visible, the team members should be able to contact the person held responsible for the same, so that he can guide all the team members to a common route.
Furthermore, if you make other people feel that you are always there when you are required, adds to the trust. Therefore, you should always respond to voice mails, messages and conference calls. Also, take initiative to ask what other person expects from you, what job they are in and in what way he feels you can help him out.
The success of virtual teams depends entirely on understanding and trust among the team members. With lack of trust, not even the people working under one roof can attain the common and you never know that building business relation may sometimes give you relationships to treasure for all your life.