Chapter 4: Virtual team challenges and how to overcome them


Posted January 21, 2021 by shonesdaniel

Various Virtual team challenges and different ways to overcome them

 
LACK OF RIGHT TOOLS
Many organizations prefer to use free tools for their processes. While there is nothing wrong with maintaining your budget, it is important to know which tools are necessary for success and growth.

For example, you may use a free project management tool for your processes, and it might fulfill your administrative requirements. But free tools are often low on security measures, and it can put all your data at risk. Similarly, specialized tools such as the ones used for design, proofreading, or market analysis can make a big difference in your productivity and output. This is a specific virtual team challenge as physical teams can still voice their concerns as a team and make changes but virtual teams are often left to their own devices, without the right tools to perform.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Look at these tools as an investment rather than an expense. Create quarterly allowances for new tools and ensure that the existing ones are still useful and maintained well. Do an ROI analysis before investing, if a tool can bring in more money than you spend on it, it is well worth the expense.

SCHEDULING MEETINGS
Meetings are one of the pesky virtual team challenges. Many companies hire from across the globe, and team members work from different time zones. Even if your team is within a single time zone, availability of all members is a common challenge while scheduling meetings.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Clarify that as virtual teams get extra perks, they must also compromise on some factors. Timelines need to be adjusted and meetings should be prioritized for everyone to be on the same page. Meetings are crucial for the functioning of a process, they help everyone get crucial updates and bring everyone on the team in agreement.

For meetings where participation isn’t crucial, some people may be excused and you can share the recording of the meeting with them.

There are several virtual team challenges, individually, as well as on a team level. But it is important to stay in constant touch, share frequent updates, and check in with each other so that there is nothing lost in translation. This guide to work from home policy may offer additional assistance with the same. After all, an effective team is not the perfect one, but the one that’s willing to adapt.
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Issued By Shones Daniel
Country United States
Categories Advertising , Human Resources , Marketing
Tags human resource analysis , human resource companies , human resource development , human resource management
Last Updated January 21, 2021