Team Collaboration and Project Management for Virtual Teams
Posted by Dana Larson
An increasing trend in modern offices is the idea of a virtual office. Working remotely as a team is gaining popularity because of the many benefits it can provide businesses, including reduced overhead costs, less environmental impact and happier employees.
But when it comes to getting work done in a virtual office, you will have to find the right processes and solutions for keeping your team connected and working together. You’ll also have a few new business challenges ahead of you, but the end result can be well worth it.
Here are a few items to keep in mind when moving to a virtual office.
Utilize a strong tool – Make sure that you utilize technology and find a detailed team collaboration and project management tool to help you manage work and communications. Make sure everyone on your virtual team knows how to use it, and make sure they use it often.
Communicate often - The best way for a virtual office to fail is to not communicate. Make sure your communication channels are open and you and your team are sharing business news, ideas and updates frequently.
Be open and honest – When communicating, ensure you are honest with everyone on your team. Give them detailed, honest feedback on their work, and keep them informed as to the status of all projects.
Trust your teammates - If you don’t trust your teammates, your virtual office will see some significant challenges. Trust your team to get their work done, to communicate well and to produce quality work. The outcome will be a stronger team that works efficiently.
Knowing how to manage a virtual team is the biggest challenge, and when you’ve figured that out, the rest is a piece of cake. By communicating honestly with your team and utilizing a strong project management and team collaboration solution, your virtual team will produce a greater outcome and your business success will increase greatly.
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Tags: business communication, business teams, Communication, project management, team collaboration, virtual office
3 Comments to “Team Collaboration and Project Management for Virtual Teams”
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Himali G says:
If you are looking for something more than the simple project management tool and less complex than the hi-end ones, check out DeskAway (http://www.deskaway.com) . It is a great collaborative tool.
David Delaney says:
Great points. I think that any virtual office program MUST offer in addition to the above, the features of voicemail to email and fax to email. For anyone working outside of an office this is an invaluable service.
Glen Mary says:
Great tips for virtual offices.