Building an effective virtual team involves creating clear missions, goals, and ground rules, while also identifying stakeholders and their expectations. It is essential for team members to understand their roles and responsibilities, fostering accountability and collaboration within the group. Additionally, nurturing relationships and trust through communication and reward systems can lead to a successful virtual work environment.

1. to Building an Effective
Virtual Team
4 Tips

2. Create mission, goals and ground rules
Identify stakeholders and their expectations
Complimentary roles and responsibilities
Build relationships, trust and rewarding experiences
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3. Create mission, goals
and ground rules
3
While some companies may see a virtual team to be difficult to manage, others have leveraged the access
to global talent and have created virtual working environments that thrive and meet expectations.
When building a virtual team, it’s important to have the mission, goals and ground rules laid out in
order for the relationship to be successful. Once you’ve finished the interviewing process and have iden-
tified who your team will be overseas, your first introductory meeting should include these three areas.
Identifying the mission will give your team the 10,000 foot overview of what their purpose is. This will
help them see the big picture outside of the daily details. The mission should be clear and easy to un-
derstand. Without the mission it’s easy to get lost and wander into areas that aren’t relevant to the pur-
pose of what they’re doing.

4. 4
Identifying the goals will bring them down to the 5,000 foot overview. Here, the team will see a little
more detail in the road map to finishing the project. Goals should be broken up into stages which I like to
refer as the mile markers along the way. Breaking the project up into details helps the team feel confident
in their understanding and allows for mini celebrations of accomplishment along the way.
Identifying the ground rules comes into play when you are no longer looking at the overview of the map,
but are now on the ground and seeing only what is right in front of you. At this point the team should
have an understanding of their individual roles and they should be able to share in their own words what
they understand to be the mission and their first goal. Any rules that you want in place to attaining the
first goal should be shared and explained with the team before they start.

5. Identify stakeholders
and their expectations
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Stakeholders aren’t always involved in the daily responsibilities of the project, but they’re identified as the
ones who are invested in the outcome of the project.
The stakeholders should be welcomed into any part of the project, including the interviewing process
when building the team. The team should have a clear understanding of what the stakeholders expect
during the development of the project. This will help the team avoid unnecessary work, confusion and
conflict.
As the Project Lead, having everything outlined and in order will appease a stakeholder and build confi-
dence in them that you are prepared to meet their expectations. An important part of meeting their ex-
pectations is to know what they expect from a communication standpoint during the process of develop-
ment. Scheduling meetings according to the goals (or mile markers if you will) will allow them to feel con-
nected to the progress along the way and give them a chance to feel confident that it is moving forward
smoothly.

6. Complimentary roles
and responsibilities
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Each team member should understand
their roles involving the project. These
roles should be identified on a document
and shared with the rest of the team in
order to maintain accountability and the
fulfillment of their responsibilities.
These roles should be shared with the team
as you identify the ground rules.
These rules should include the following:
Responsibilities
Tasks
Remedies and Protocol when
responsibilities are not fulfilled
Team members should be fully aware of their purpose with the team and their role within it. Each member
should complement one another and bring unique knowledge that provides an asset to the mission. Un-
derstanding their roles will help the team adapt as their purpose and needs evolve.

7. Build relationships, trust
and rewarding experiences
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As you build your team overseas, it’s important to have the right things in place in order for your commu-
nication and relationship to flourish.
Our company has built two development centers that assist with staffing and hosting offshore teams. By
having an office to host your team, you can assure that they work together in a professional environment
under the guide of Engagement Managers that are there to assist in any communication you need. Our
development centers also provide opportunities for face to face visits, which can greatly increase trust in
the relationship between you and your virtual team.
Some of our clients have done an amazing job at making their virtual team feel valued and appreciated.
We’ve witnessed positive results when clients have rewarded their offshore development teams with bo-
nuses and other various acts just as they do with those working in-house. This type of rewarding bridges
the gap that no ocean can divide and creates a successful and positive experience to building an effective
virtual team.

8. Dave.Vanz@intego-group.com
T: +1 407.409.7212 | M: +1 407.850.8269
http://intego-group.com