If you want to trace the history of teleworking, you have to go back to the beginning of civilization. Fortunately, the human resources report has an easy timetable. However, as far as remote or virtual teams are concerned, they began to appear only after the extensive sale of computers and the advent of the Internet. Although the concept is lucrative, it was not widely accepted by virtual teams until the 10s of the 20th century. Organizations are finally opening up to the benefits of virtual teams and the impact of teleworking on employee satisfaction.

However, along with the benefits, the challenges also reached companies. Each company or team is unique and so are their challenges, but some common issues with a virtual team are unified. Here are the eight most common virtual team challenges and quick solutions from experts.

COMMUNICATION STYLES AND EFFICIENCY
Communication is the pillar of every success. Whether the team is virtual or in the office, communication is essential to keep it running. Various forms of communication are played in the office. Colleagues often share information orally, express opinions and even derive information from body language. But none of this is possible with virtual teams, so formal methods of communication are becoming increasingly important.

The most common challenge facing virtual teams is that everyone has a different style of communication. Some people can be thorough and detailed, while others communicate quickly. Some prefer calls, others prefer emails. In any case, when more people use different channels, tracking communication and promoting responsibility can be challenging.

Another common challenge for the virtual team is that some people are not effective in communicating their requirements. So maybe I won't offer as much information as is needed to work in a virtual team. This can lead to incorrect interpretations or missed updates.

WHAT YOU CAN DO?
If your team members have different communication styles and methods, the easiest solution is to create a communication protocol. Ensure that all official communication takes place through one or a maximum of two channels, and that these channels should record all communication for future use. These can be, for example, Slack channels, e-mails or project management tools. However, creating an official channel helps to get rid of ambiguity.

With the clumsy communication skills of your team members, it's easy to blame or approach it in a way that leads to conflict. However, keep in mind that this is neither productive nor useful. The easiest way to meet this challenge of a virtual team is to outline a protocol for communication. When do I need to send updates, to whom, at what intervals, and in what format? By answering these questions, you will add transparency to your process and give everyone the direction to take.
Read more: https://humanresources.report/blogs/8-common-challenges-faced-by-virtual-teams-and-how-to-overcome-them/8737?utm_source=Human%20Resources%20Report&utm_medium=Neethu