For most people who work in the virtual space, there was a time when they transitioned from an in-person team to a virtual one. That transition has plenty of perks, but it also has its challenges! One of the biggest challenges is keeping the communication levels where they need to be. When in a physical office or business environment, it is not uncommon to connect with teammates several times a day, even if it is just to pop in and say hello! Let’s talk about what communication should look like when operating on a virtual team!

Communicate Daily

When you are in a physical work space, people are in proximity to each other. Even if it is just a wave, verbal and nonverbal communication happens with the people who you work most closely with. We need to do all we can to maintain this in the virtual workspace, and it takes effort. It is not out of line to communicate when you are jumping into work, and give a rundown of what you accomplished before you step away from the computer. Your teammate may not know what you’ve accomplished unless you tell them. Making a daily communication rhythm really builds trust and accountability for the long term. Our team lives and breathes on Voxer for these types of updates.

I also want to emphasize that in addition to communicating about business, it is beneficial for the team to bring THEMSELVES into the conversation. Work relationships should not be robotic. If we want to grow together as a team, there needs to be an element of personal connection. On our team, we chat about funny things that happen and share our hearts once in a while! In a physical office, this happens naturally due to shared experiences and proximity. Even silly details- like knowing that your coworker likes Diet Coke from McDonalds the best (Can I get an AMEN?!). We need to “force” these types of connections in the virtual workspace. I promise that these personal connections will better the team atmosphere! People are excited to “go to work” much in part to the relationships they forge.

COMMUNICATE WEEKLY

When you are on a virtual team, seeing and hearing from each other needs to be intentional. It will not happen by accident. A weekly meeting (thirty minutes to one hour) is VITAL for the life of a team. During this time, questions can be answered, updates can be given, tasks can be delegated effectively, and brainstorming can occur. These things rarely happen well on a trello board or over messenger alone. I will stand by the fact that I have seen teams rise and fall if these meetings are not happening. Another piece of weekly communication that should be happening is a time report. If you are a contracted worker, it is important to send a weekly report of how much time was used, and what it was used for. These should be paired with your daily updates.

COMMUNICATE MONTHLY

Most teams have long term goals or projects that are being carried out throughout the month. If you are in charge of one of these projects, be sure to give a broad scale update, and outline what you are planning to do next. If you are running a business social media account, a monthly rundown of analytics is a great idea! If you are running a campaign, giving stats to your team is vital! Monthly examinations of projects will hopefully show measurable progress and assure you that you are going in the right direction- OR it can show you that it is time to change direction.

If you do not have all three of these rhythms of communication happening, give them a try! I promise you will see so much growth for your team.

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