What is a typical virtual team?

A virtual team is a group of individuals working in different locations, often from home, either as freelancers or employees. Groups sometimes come together for a specific project and can allow you to grow your business without the headache of taking on bigger premises and all the related costs.

How will it work?

There are several issues to consider when forming a virtual team. What is its legal structure? Who takes the customer’s order and who is legally responsible? How are decisions reached? Who is the boss? What is people’s status: full- or part-time employees; sub-contractors or freelancers? How are they paid or rewarded? How are profits split? Does the client see a single entity or a group of individual talents?

Most virtual teams will come together from people who already know each other and perhaps have complementary skills which can be used to enhance each others’ businesses. But where this is not the case some checks need to be made to ensure that virtual team members are of the appropriate standards.

Pitfalls

Communication is vital – you need to know when team members are sick or on holiday so you can arrange cover. The lack of human contact can lead to feelings of isolation. Be available to listen, and use the phone without counting the cost. Audio or videoconferencing can be effective for team briefings and bringing members together. Alternatively, set up an extranet with a chat room to keep members informed of group issues and to give scope for lighter gossip. Get the team together for regular face-to-face meetings. Have mechanisms to allow people to let off steam or air grievances.

Decide in advance how you will reach consensus on group issues. Team members must work in the same way, so give clear guidelines to ensure that work is handled consistently.