“Sorry, my connection is bad.”
“The meeting time is about to run out”.
“Your mic is on mute.”
We have all heard sentences like these during a virtual team meeting. It can be frustrating and communicating can be very difficult when everyone is in different parts of the world, and this is even more challenging when the levels of connectivity are different. Covid-19 has given us the challenge to work differently with people. It is teaching us new ways of connecting with people, whilst also maintaining a physical distance from them. Being at a university campus that is beautifully diverse, I have had to keep going with my Irish MSc degree from my home in Port Elizabeth. The time zone between South Africa and Ireland is only one hour, but my group assignments consist of team members who are based in India, China, Oman and more places. As a result, I have learnt some valuable lessons about how to work in virtual teams.
Start out with some fun
The experience of working in virtual teams can be super fun and establish a positive energy. Set up a fun icebreaker in the beginning of the meeting before getting into the thick of things. Asking each member to describe three things they are grateful for, or their favourite movies will spark a fun discussion and keep people engaged. It does not need to be a big game or take up too much time. Perhaps even asking people about the highlight of their week thus far is enough to create a positive atmosphere. Here are some examples of virtual ice-breakers which you can use in your next team meeting:
1. Share a family photo
2. Two truths and a lie
3. Show-and-tell
4. Emoji check-in
5. The best piece of advice you’ve received
Set Ground Rules
From the first meeting, it is important to establish how the team plans to communicate. For example, which platform will you use? How long will the meetings be? Should we use Whatsapp for quick messaging? Will cameras be on or off during meetings? Transparency from the beginning will ensure that all team members are comfortable with the way that the virtual meetings are conducted. I noticed that when my camera is off, I tend to pay less attention to the meeting. At some stage, I was listening to a lecture and watching a rugby game at the same time. Since this is not conducive to active engagement, I prefer to keep my video on.
Flexibility:
It is important to be able to adapt to changes. We are living through a pandemic at the moment! If a team meeting time needs to be changed because your team mate has an unforeseen commitment, try to show flexibility by adapting to the changes instead of complaining or being rigid.
The reality is, there will be some challenges that happen whilst working in virtual teams. The connection could fail. The project may not be taking shape in the way you expected. Some team members may be more committed than others. Whatever the issue may be, you need to adapt in order to bring out the best in the team and unlock potential output.
Take up the Challenge to be Tech Savvy
If there was ever a time to work on your tech-savviness, now is that time. Platforms to communicate virtually should be used with ease, and if you are struggling to use them, take up the challenge to learn. There are plenty of YouTube videos and articles which can explain any aspects that you do not understand. And, if you have friends or family around, try to get some guidance from them (especially the young ones!). You should become comfortable with presenting online and conveying information in effective ways to make the most out of the time you have with your virtual team.
Trust
Your team members probably have the same fears about working in a virtual team as you do. Remind yourself that although you are speaking to a screen, there are people on the other side. They also may be worried about their ability to use Zoom, the nightmare of a lawnmower starting as your about to give a presentation or leaving the camera on at the wrong time. The shift towards working online is likely to be as new to them as it is to you. You need to trust that your team is understanding and will give you the same compassion as you will hopefully give them.
In conclusion, I would like to share a story. When I was doing a sales internship, I asked someone who had been in the company for years what they look for in an employee. He picked up a pencil and said to me, “Look, when they want someone in this company, that person must be able to turn something as dull as this pencil into gold. And more importantly, you need to have the drive and vision to turn it into gold.” His words inspired me, not just in the role I was aiming for, but with everything I do. Now, take the virtual teamwork challenge, and use your drive to turn it into gold.
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