Virtual teams, popularly referred to as remote teams, are groups of individuals/remote workers who collaborate together from different locations and time zones, by relying on virtual communication tools to finish a project. A good virtual team should be able to communicate effectively using apps or software and can consist of employees from a single company or employees from different companies. Virtual team building creates a support system for remote team members. It also improves the onboarding process by making new team members feel welcomed and excited.
According to a foremost expert in the field, 65% of remote workers admitted that they have never had a team-building experience. This is to say that a lot of companies are failing to perform an easy task that can produce tremendous benefits.
Considering the rise of the coronavirus pandemic and its deadly effect on social and economic life globally, many companies, corporate organizations, and even governments have opted for remote work as the next resort. The world of office has changed significantly over the last year with many companies moving to fully remote work. This new working environment has led to the introduction of a new way of managing and coordinating workers. Since team members are physically separated, it becomes more necessary for team leaders to discover means of bringing them together. Technical solutions for remote gatherings ultimately prove to be the surest path. This is where virtual team building comes to play.
Fortunately, you really don’t need a large budget to accomplish this. To create this spicy and thrilling experience, all that is needed is a bit of creativity and courage!
Below are some of the Top 10 tips (in no particular order)
- Be clear on the exact purpose of the meeting.
- Designate a host.
- Create an engaging story.
- Organize monthly informal virtual meetups.
- Invest in the right communication tools.
- Create a remote work policy.
- Introduce fun and games.
- Celebrate team members.
- Buiild trust.
- Encourage open communication.
Be clear on the exact purpose of meeting
Be specific and concise on what the purpose of your virtual event is and use that as a guide in addressing your attendees/team members.
Designate a host
Be sure there is just one specific person to be the host, to lead the event. It is necessary to designate a host, facilitator, project/team leader, or hire an internal communications manager. This doesn’t always have to be the most senior member of the team. In fact, it’s an easy way to empower junior members to be more actively involved. The purpose of a good event host is to steer the action, ensure that information shared is factually correct, ensure that the projected information is easily comprehended by team members, present and enforce the rules of engagement ensuring that every person feels seen and included. Also, the team should be encouraged to display a certain level of communication skills.
Create an engaging story
The exciting fact about the human brain is that it is wired to learn best through storytelling. Engage your team members on the exciting path of storytelling through humour, suspense and intrigue, then observe their participation rate increase.
Organize monthly informal virtual meetups
As a remote structure, it is possible to organize virtual meetings at least once a month and also invite your team members to participate.This has a way of giving your team members the feeling that they know each other and it also promotes cohesion.
Invest in the right communication tools
A well functioning tool box should at least contain these basics: a virtual meeting scheduling app (such as Google calendar) for remote team members to stay updated on each other’s schedules, chat tools such as slack, skype for efficient knowledge sharing and video conferencing tools such as zoom, Google meet, or Google Hangouts.
Create a Remote work policy
A remote work policy refers to a documented statement/agreement usually between an employer and employee which basically outlines fully, the terms and conditions of work. A remote work policy can be either temporary or permanent and it includes details on how work is to be performed outside the office. Even if working from home is only temporary, it is advisable that one should have a remote work policy in place. This makes it very vital therefore to invest considerable time in discussing with your virtual team on implementing an official remote working policy. A typical remote work policy includes working hours, new parental leave policies, new sick policies, communication expectations, the new structure of workweek in terms of meetings and conferences.
Introduce fun and games
Adding an element of fun and games has a way of adding a structural, yet playful element to any virtual meeting. The human brain is wired to learn easily through play. Many of the remote team-building games also give teams a chance to collaborate on tasks. Even just a few minutes set aside at the beginning or end can make a positive impact since the human brain is wired to usually remember the first and last parts of any event.
Celebrate team members
Birthdays, holiday gatherings online, and other celebrations should be regularly organized. Wishing celebrating team members and co-workers well on these special occasions helps to engender oneness, team loyalty, and cohesion.
Build trust
As a matter of fact, this stands to be one of the basics of every successful virtual meeting. Trust is built by being accountable, reliable, showing empathy, and being respectful towards the virtual team members. Without building trust, you cannot achieve the purpose of coordinating the team members and eliciting favorable responses.
Encourage open communication
Once you have established and built trust among the team, it is essential to encourage open dialogue. A good practice is to ask about the welfare of team members before the commencement of any virtual meeting.
According to Scott Edwards,CEO Science of People (a popular online science platform). “in a digital workplace, relationships are like batteries. They drain and you must constantly recharge them.
According to science,video calling can be a simple way to reduce loneliness and isolation, regular phone calls can help keep team members close and oxytocin (the chemical for bonding) can be produced even through a webcam.
