| | Virtual Leadership
“In times of change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”
— Eric Hoffer
Introduction
Every day, our increasingly global economy brings us closer to an environment where the virtual work force is the rule rather than the exception. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that from 1990 to 2000, the number of telecommuting employees grew by 23%, which was much faster than the growth of the work force as a whole. Many factors contribute to this phenomenon, from the ubiquity of technology and the Internet to the cost/time of commuting and relocation, and the “greening” of companies wishing to reduce their carbon footprint and impact on the environment.
This evolution to a highly dispersed work force poses new challenges to leaders. Leaders who motivate their employees in a conference room or with an impromptu hallway conversation may need other tools to inspire productivity when leading employees from afar. Even small businesses (including Suntiva) now use technologies such as Skype, instant messaging, and Internet conferencing tools to virtually communicate and get work accomplished. Business and social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are also gaining traction in bringing employees together – and not just around the location for the next Happy Hour.
A Solid Foundation
Many leaders we speak with think that they need to make significant changes in order to run an effective virtual organization. However, the research in this area suggests that approximately 80% of the fundamentals of running an effective virtual organization are the same as those used for running an effective traditional organization. The fundamentals behind this 80% should be familiar:
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Do I have a clear vision and business strategy for my organization?
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Are key members of my team/organization clear on this vision and strategy?
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Do I have the right people to execute the plan, and if not, what is my plan for dealing with it?
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Do people in my organization clearly understand what is expected of them?
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Are they clear on how their performance will be measured and evaluated?
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Do I have the right culture for success, and if not, what aspects need to be addressed?
The remaining 20% does require implementing business and technology practices that are specific to virtual organizations. This edition of Suntiva’s “Executive Insights” will explore what leaders can do to strengthen that other 20% of their leadership skills. Specifically, effective leaders of virtual teams should start by focusing on employee engagement. Engagement is the measure of how committed, passionate, and enthusiastic employees are about their jobs. Here are some recommendations for engaging virtual employees:
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Communicate effectively: This includes scheduling virtual meetings, teleconferences, and videoconferences as well as developing an overall communication plan with your team, taking into account the comfort level of team members with different methods of communication (e-mail, instant messaging, text messaging, and so on). Educate yourself first on all of these available technologies. Because you may never meet some of your employees, you must make concerted effort to build the team’s appreciation and respect for one another by deciding together how you will work and being inclusive in your communications. Look for and respond quickly to any potential issues, such as feelings of isolation.
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Implement orientation and employee appreciation plans: Making new employees comfortable, while also recognizing the efforts of current employees, are both crucial to leading a virtual team. To welcome new employees, consider assigning them a “buddy” and developing a comprehensive ‘welcome packet.’ Because isolation can breed distrust, scheduling time for giving and receiving solid, practical feedback takes on added importance. Also check in regularly with employees for status updates, and to proactively address any problems. Ask employees to contribute to their team members’ feedback and recognize their accomplishments as well.
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Seek additional training: Remember that 80% of what’s needed for effective virtual leadership is common to leading any team. However, few leaders seek training to build the skills that will engage the virtual team. There are training programs available that focus on leading virtual teams (do a Google search), but remember that general leadership training and/or coaching will address a larger portion of your leadership skills.
Summary
Without question, current economic trends (gas prices, globalization, etc.) will only increase the number of telecommuters, remote workers, and virtual teams. Leaders must understand this trend and adapt their skills to match, so that they can look nationally and even globally to hire the best employees. Remember, though, that running a successful virtual organization still requires traditional leadership and management skills. And while there are a wide range of training programs that are focused on virtual leadership, we have found that traditional leadership programs can be just as effective in improving your ability to lead remote teams.
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