Succeeding with traditional face-to-face teams can be challenging enough, but succeeding with a virtual team can be just as hard, if not more so. Inspiring a team to create and meet goals, maintain motivation and work together are only a few obstacles when managing a team that you cannot see on a daily basis. But with effective communication and a little discipline, any virtual team can succeed.

Set Clear Goals
Setting goals are one of the most elementary processes that can lead to success. After all, you don’t know where you’re going until you determine what you want! Clear goals are normally set for the team as a whole as well as each individual teammate. The manager works with the team to determine what they want to achieve over a set amount of time while the employee sets their own goals about what they want to achieve as a member of the team. Setting goals with your virtual team can help them stay task-focused and can make them feel as though they are making a difference on the team.

Create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
A Standard Operating System is generally a company’s process or procedure that it follows in the workplace. Sometimes a company does not feel the need to document these procedures, since many people may already know it. But creating these procedures and correctly documenting them allows the manager to share them with other employees and create them as a type of guideline and resource. As a manager, review some of the procedure and processes that have worked for you in the past and try to create them into an SOP. Although it can be time consuming, it will be worth the benefits in the end.

Build a Team Culture
Your virtual team is your family. Every member should take the time to know each other and familiarize themselves with someone else’s situation. After all, every member of the team is a human being and deserves to be treated with respect and friendliness. If employees are not able to socialize locally, allow them to have a chat room on a private server or virtual community they can come and go in to speak with other employees on a non-business level. If possible, assign projects or assignments in pairs or small groups to encourage further mingling and socializing.

Provide Timely Feedback
Positive or negative, feedback is a great tool to help employees at work. On a virtual team, giving timely feedback is important to the team’s overall success. Employees need to know how they are doing on assignments and need to know if they need to change anything. Since the manager cannot randomly approach the employee to give feedback as they would in person, it is best to set up regular, scheduled sessions to alert the employee of any negative feedback that needs to be addressed or any positive feedback that should be shared.

This post is from June’s topic on Virtual Team Building and Management, which is also a course on our Mini-MBA program online from Harvard Square.

As with any job position, certain skills and abilities are needed to be a successful teleworker and member of a virtual team. Common skills needed are ways to manage your time and organize all assignments and duties. When building your virtual team, remember to find employees that can work well under minimal supervision and can function with different types of technology.


Self-Management
More employees have to (or are choosing) to work from home or outside the standard office. It not only saves the company money, but it allows them to expand into other areas and cover more ground. But when working outside of a standard office, you must learn to self-manage. A manager cannot always be present and cannot always watch over your shoulder. You must be able to monitor your own progress and be able to keep track of your assignments and deadlines. If you do not have basic skills of self-management, then you won’t be able to function in a virtual office.

Time Management
When you work with little supervision, it is important that you are able to manage your time on your own. This does not necessarily mean you must manage every minute or try to force yourself to stay focused. Time management means recognizing when you have deadlines and knowing how long it will take you to finish a project or assignment. Sometimes you can let in too many distractions or try to take on too many duties at once.

Organizing and Planning
When a teleworker has to work in their own office, you need to be sure that all files and assignments (paper or electronic) are fully organized, which is a form of self-management. Ensuring that the office is always organized can boost productivity and reduce errors made by misplaced files or a forgotten assignment. Planning is also an important part of organization because you need to be able to manage your time and resources – especially since you do not have a manager to supervise you at all times. Be encouraged to adapt a universal or adaptable filing system to organize your work for easy access.

Communication
Communication can be a difficult aspect to master with a virtual team. You will not only deal with traditional communication issues among team members and management, but you can face additional problems that can cause you to feel additional stress. With your peers not being able to directly come to you when they need to talk; this extra time to reach out to teammates can be a cause of friction. Be open and clear about what you want from your teammates and let them know of ways they can reach you if they have a problem.

This post is from May’s topic on Telework and Telecommuting, which is also a course on our Mini-MBA program online from Harvard Square.

Crisis management is as important as finance management, personnel management, etc. Having a clear and effective program and plan for an event is critical not only to your survival, but critical to the profitability and possibly the survival of the company. Being able to identify risk, assess the situation and respond appropriately is important, and requires not only training, but practice.

Be Proactive
You should have a strategy of what to do in a “worst case scenario.” Workplace violence prevention programs, policies, and training programs like this, will educate you and those around you to recognize the warning signs and triggers of workplace violence. You can learn what to do when you see these behaviors to stop the escalation. The company should also include emergency responses specific to different crisis. What does your company do to stop workplace violence? What are you supposed to do in the event of a crisis?

Policies
There are several policies that the company needs to have in their workplace violence policy. First, a clear company policy stating their position on violence and how it will be handled. This code of conduct needs to come from the top of the company, to stress the importance. This will emphasize that zero tolerance is the company’s stance. Second, policies on natural disaster, such as fire or tornado, need to be included in the plan. Step by step policies address evacuations, documentations, department involvement, etc. Last, policies should be included on criminal acts from outside (unknown) sources.

Programs
Second, there should be programs to perform risk assessments on a regular basis and a statement of how the company will handle these risks available to all employees; this analysis should identify the necessary changes to the company’s response to a crisis. There should also be a program designed for the reporting, documenting, and investigation into behaviors that cause concern.

Emergency Procedures
Emergency procedures need to be included in the crisis management program of any company. The procedures and responsibilities of not only the emergency response team need to be specified, but also the procedures that the rest of the employees need to follow. For example, there needs to be a fire evacuation procedure, an active shooter procedure, etc.

Train Employees
All employees need to be trained on the warning signs of crisis, along with reporting policies and emergency procedures, in the event that there is an occurrence. New hires should be trained as they are hired. As the risks and policies change, the entire workforce needs to be retrained.

This post is from April’s topic on Crisis Management, which is also a course on our Mini-MBA program online from Harvard Square.

No matter how well your team performs, there is always room for improvement. Leaders need to understand when and how to augment team performance. The key to augmenting team performance is offering authority, encouraging questions, resolving differences, and practicing unanimity.

Authority
One of the greatest tools that you can offer employees is the authority to make decisions. This level of empowerment makes employees stakeholders in the company, and it creates personal interest in the results of decisions. Employees should be given the authority to make decisions, but this authority needs to be limited to established guidelines. Employees should not be given carte blanche.

Ask Questions
Employees should be encouraged to ask questions in order to improve team performance. Scenario questions are particularly effective. This requires asking the “what if” questions.

Quickly Resolve Differences
It is important that differences are quickly resolved to improve team performance. The first step in resolving conflict is recognizing that conflict exists. At this stage, all parties agree to communicate and cooperate.

The next step is the clarifying the situation. This requires people to express their different positions. At this stage, facts, opinions, and assumptions are separated. The reasons for supporting different positions are supplied and analyzed. It is critical that people remain open-minded for this process to work.

An agreement is reached in the final stage. It is important to note that this process may be repeated before an agreement is reached. The final stage should include specifics such as dates, actions, and responsible parties.

Practice Unanimity
Unanimity occurs when all team members agree on the action to be taken. This is not conformity; it simply means that everyone has compromised and reached an agreeable solution. The problem with unanimity is that it can be nearly impossible to reach. People will often refuse compromise for the sake of being right. The process of resolving difficulties can result in unanimity when all parties are willing to keep open minds as they discuss their opposing views.

This post is from March’s topic on High Performance Teams Inside the Company, which is also a course on our Mini-MBA program online from Harvard Square.

High performance teams require effective team leaders. A title is not enough to develop leadership. A leader must execute certain tasks well in order to inspire high performance. An effective leader will provide adequate training and constructive feedback. He or she will also create an environment of problem-solving and see mistakes as opportunities.

Provides Adequate Training
An effective leader will always ensure that team members have adequate training. The needs of the team will determine what type of training should be given.

Timely, Constructive Feedback
Feedback is necessary for any team setting. Effective Leaders are able to provide feedback that is both timely and constructive. For feedback to be timely, it needs to address issues as they arise. Do not wait for meetings and reviews to address issues. Be careful not to act out of emotion, however. Wait until anger or other emotions have subsided before giving feedback. When providing feedback, it is necessary to be constructive.

Views Mistakes as Opportunities
An effective team leader is able to embrace mistakes and see them as opportunities. Mistakes are inevitable. The key to handling mistakes is learning from them. When team member understand that they will not be punished for every mistake they make, they will act boldly and take risks that can benefit the team.

Environment of Problem-solving
A high performance environment is one that encourages problem-solving, but this environment requires effective leadership. Demonstrating this approach to problem-solving will encourage other team members to do the same.

Augmenting Team Performance
No matter how well your team performs, there is always room for improvement. Leaders need to understand when and how to augment team performance. The key to augmenting team performance is offering authority, encouraging questions, resolving differences, and practicing unanimity.

This post is from March’s topic on High Performance Teams Inside the Company, which is also a course on our Mini-MBA program online from Harvard Square.

Few people are actually born to leadership. Most people have to learn how to become good leaders. One important aspect of good leadership is knowing what you are trying to lead others to. This involves careful consideration beforehand.

Begin with the End in Mind
Having a plan means that you know what the end result should look like. This can apply to your work environment, the culture, or what you expect from your employees. By having clear idea of what you want from your employees and what you want from yourself, you put yourself in a better position to plan how to meet your goals.

Setting Goals
In addition to company-wide goals, each leader of a team should have specific goals for their team that complement the company’s goals. These goals can inform how you make policy and what kind of team culture you foster. If you have ever been involved in meetings or team building exercises that have seemed to be fun but ultimately pointless or a waste of time, you can understand the need to have clear goals to strive for. Then activities such as meetings, exercises, or other activities assume a greater importance.

Determining Values
Setting goals for yourself, your team, and in some cases your company are important aspects of developing a plan for your leadership. However, on another level, these goals are actually not as big picture as you can get. To really understand how you can lead others, you must account for your own values and the company’s values as well. When you have a good grasp on what is important to you, this can clarify when to stand your ground and when to relent when you disagree with others, which is a position you will find yourself in often as a leader.

A Mission Statement
Imagine you are somehow able to listen in at your funeral. What will everyone say about you? What would you like to be said about you? Now that you have taken the time to identify some specific goals and some core values, the next step is to write out a mission statement. Think of the mission statement as a kind of personal constitution. Just as the US government uses the US Constitution as a guide toward decision making, this mission statement can help to serve as your guide. This can be your own personal mission statement, but it is also helpful to work out a mission statement with your team. However, the most important step in making these mission statements is that you have identified what you truly value and understand why you have set the goals that you have set, both for your team and for yourself.

This post is from February’s topic on Being a Likeable Boss, which is also a course on our Executive Mini-MBA program online from Harvard Square.

Whether you prefer an authoritative leadership style, a lenient one, or something in between, one factor that can truly enhance your effectiveness in leadership is to see yourself as serving the needs of your employees even as you serve the needs of your company or organization. Often these two sets of needs will coincide. The needs of your employees are the needs of a well-run organization as well. When they do contradict, seeing yourself as a kind of servant to your employees can help you to better weigh your priorities in both the long and short terms.

Top-down Hierarchies
The traditional form of hierarchy in business organizations is known as a top-down or vertical structure. This means that you have a clear ranking from CEO to mail-room clerk, and everyone understands their place. This structure has both advantages and disadvantages. If you are a leader in this type of organization, it is helpful to understand what those advantages and disadvantages are in order to better serve the needs of your employees.

A Lateral Perspective
An alternative to the tradition vertical organizational structure is known as a lateral or horizontal structure. In this structure, the different departments are administered by project managers who report to an upper management and serve as a conduit between the team and the administrators.

Know Your Employees
Regardless of which organizational structure you employ, to lead effectively it helps to know your employees on a personal and professional level. Obviously, with larger corporations, the former is more difficult than the latter, but taking the time to get to know your employees as people can help inform your decision making in ways that not only affect employee morale but also help in crafting more effective approaches. If you understand what it is like to work on the front lines, you can better address problems in such a way that does not create additional problems. Keeping abreast of what goes on in your employees’ lives can also help you in addressing each person as an individual.

Genuine Empathy and the Power to Lead
Brian Browne Walker’s commentary on the I Ching offers some excellent advice about leadership: “Gentleness and understanding create in others an unconscious willingness to be led.” When you can genuinely understand where your employees are coming from, you are able to know exactly what to do or say to get the best results from them. This requires developing your own capacity for empathy.

This post is from February’s topic on Being a Likeable Boss, which is also a course on our Executive Mini-MBA program online from Harvard Square.

When the day is done and the employees have gone home, where does that leave you – the servant leader? While it is important to take care of your employees and help them grow to succeed, you cannot forget to help yourself grow and pay attention to what you want to gain or achieve. A servant leader has to have a desire to serve not only others, but themselves.

Keep a Journal
It may sound elementary, but keeping a journal of your goals, desires, progress and even current projects can not only be therapeutic, but can help you keep track of where you’ve been, where you are at now, and what you want to reach in the future. It can be a great tool for tracking different ideas, opinions or general feelings during training or working with employees. Don’t be afraid to record any problems or frustrations you may be facing because the goal is to obtain honest self-reflection. Make notes of areas you are doing well in and identify areas in which you think need more work. While you may be training and teaching others, don’t forget to take the time to note your own challenges and achievements.

Identify Your Strengths and Weaknesses
You spend all day evaluating your employees and future leaders to determine their strengths and skills and what areas they need more help with. But have you ever stopped to evaluate yourself? As a servant leader, it is important for you to identify your own strengths and weaknesses. Of course you have common leadership traits, but what other strengths do you bring to the table? On the other hand, what are your weaknesses that you need to address? What areas do you need to request help with? A good tool for this exercise is a simple written evaluation of yourself, but you can also use formal job assessments that identify job strengths and weaknesses, and of course a one-on-one conversation with a colleague can be a real eye opener.

The goal of this exercise is to be honest with ourselves. We cannot gain knowledge or seek help if we do not identify that there is a problem. If there is an area we excel in and identify as a strength, don’t be afraid to ‘hone’ those skills and share them with others.

Identify Your Needs
A servant leader has the desire to serve their employees and help them in their areas of need. But a leader cannot forget to identify their own needs as well. Sometimes we have to admit when we are in need of something and not be afraid to seek help. You may be a leader, but you are not invincible. Maybe you need more help developing training courses? Maybe you need more help learning computer programs? Or maybe you just need help getting the office organized or in order. Some needs may be more personal, such as a need for personal growth or a need for some time to yourself. Whatever your need turns out to be, it is important to not bury them inside and try to solve them all yourself. Don’t be afraid to reach out to others and request help with meeting your own needs.

Creating Your Own Goals
As a leader, one of the first exercises you stress to employees is to establish goals for them to work toward. This practice is the same for you. When you begin a new segment at work, whether it is training a group of leaders or creating a new team to work with, you should take the time to create goals of your own to work on. Periodically check in on these goals to see if you are moving on the right path or identify areas you still need to work toward. Don’t be afraid to create long term goals as well that may take more time to accomplish. When you finish, determine if you can achieve these goals on your own or if you will need help from an outside source to do so. Don’t be afraid to reach out to others for help achieving your own goals and desires.

Motivation is an important tool to use in the workplace because it keeps employees uplifted and inspired to keep moving forward. But every employee responds to different methods of motivations, so the leader must be able to know what makes their employees tick and what works for them. Employees work best in an environment where their feel their leader is behind them and gives them a good reason to do great work.

Make it Challenging
It can be difficult for a leader to make the workplace a challenge because they may not be aware of what their employees can handle at one time. But a servant leader should be aware of the term ‘grow or go’ that is often used in the workplace. ‘Grow and go’ is a concept that means if a team leader or other management does not challenge the employee or make a stimulating workplace (i.e. ‘grow’), the employee may ‘go’ elsewhere. This could mean they leave the company entirely, or it can refer to their sense of confidence and willingness to work. A servant leader can help keep the workplace interesting by helping the employee grow in their own area, as well as others, by allowing them to expand their job duties or take on additional projects. Never feel threatened by those that want to take on more, but welcome the challenge they seek in new opportunities.

Provide Resources
Sometimes the simplest form of motivation is ensuring the employee has everything they need to succeed. This can refer to physical resources, such as supplies, team members or training materials. Resources can also include personal support, such as encouragement and feedback. After all, employees cannot do their job right if they do not have all the resources that they need. As a leader, let your team know that you are a valuable resource they can use, especially if they need something they cannot acquire on their own.

Ask for Employee Input
Sometimes a leader can struggle with finding ways to motivate their employees, but the simple solution is to just ask the employees what they want. Seek out the employee’s input on various topics, such as how they like to be rewarded, what drives them to do better, or simply ask what their leader can do to make their job easier. Most employees are eager to share what make them happy and will feel valued while giving their thoughts and opinions. Now that the leader knows what makes their employees happy and productive, they can use the information to find better ways of keeping them motivated.

Offer Incentives
Bonus and incentive programs are a popular motivation tool for many employees. Incentives can come in many forms, such as monetary bonuses, gifts, special titles or even manager recognition. Some employees may not respond to certain types of incentives, so a leader should recognize different forms of incentives and know which ones are best for their team. It is important to know the difference between an incentive and a bribe for good work. Employees want to feel rewarded for the work they have not – not like they are being coerced with a small gift to work harder.

This post is from January’s topic on Servant Leadership, which is also a course on our Mini-MBA program online from Harvard Square.

There are many qualities and characteristics that define a servant leader, including good listening skills, empathy, power of persuasion and great communication skills. Although a servant leader may develop or follow different leadership styles, they must all possess some of these main qualities and characteristics in order to become a great servant leader to their employees.

Listening Skills
Great listening skills can be an important tool in any position. Leaders must be able to listen to their employees and actually hear what they are saying and what they are needing. Active listening is a common tool used in improving listening skills because it involves listening without distractions and then periodically repeating back what is heard for clarification. Good listening skills also include being able to remove distractions, never interrupting while someone is speaking, and paying attention to non-verbal communication, such as body language, tone and gestures. A servant leader knows that improving their listening skills can improve communication with employees, which in turn can lead to better professional relationships.

Persuasive Powers
Some leaders confuse power and authority with the ability of persuasion. But persuasion is a powerful tool that can be used without, well, power. Persuasion is the art of using your knowledge and expertise in order to enlighten and encourage others. It does not use force or backhanded coercion. A servant leader can use persuasion to build unity among the team and conformity when making big decisions. Of course persuasion should always be back by facts and research, so a servant leader should never use persuasion that is based on false information or personal choices. Persuasion builds trust, so leaders must learn to use it effectively.

Recognizes Opportunities
Sometimes when a leader recognizes an opportunity for growth and expansion, it is often referred to as foresight. Generally, a servant leader can recognize an employee’s potential or certain skill set and can see an opportunity for them to set a goal or complete a task. Sometimes the leader can simply observe how an employee works and find a good fit for them. Communicating with each employee allows the leader to get to know each employee and build a personal relationship with them. Other times, simple work evaluations can be done in which the leader takes notes about the employee and creates an outcome from their findings. Whatever tools the leader uses, it is always important to listen to their intuition as well and always keep their eyes open.

Relates to Employees
Being able to relate to an employee is similar to being able to be empathetic, but requires a little more emotional involvement. A leader should be able to relate to an employee by remembering how they got to the position they are in and what leader helped them along the way. Leaders can relate to their employees because they used to be one. When employees need help, or struggle with a task, their leader should be able to relate to their sense of need, rather than criticize or judge them for it. When it’s time to delegate tasks, ensure that you are assigning duties and not barking orders or demands. Allow the employee to work on their own as much as possible and let them work on their own confidence level. In the end, employees will feel closer to your equal and less like just another one of your employees.

Goals can be inspiring, but that inspiration can fade in the reality of everyday life. In order to achieve your goals, it is important that you find ways to motivate yourself. You cannot constantly rely on external motivation. Implementing different methods of motivation such as remembering peak moments, writing down goals and gamification will help keep you stay focused and positive as you work towards your goals.

Remember Peak Moments
Positive memories are powerful motivators. Remembering peak moments creates the sense of achievement and encourages us to seek out that same feeling again. Peak moments are not relegated to work accomplishments. They are any strong memories that create positive feelings. For example, completing a marathon may be a peak moment. Getting married or having a child can also be peak moments. Looking back over your peak moments will show you how much you already have, and how far you have already come. They will encourage and motivate you to keep moving forward and reach your goals.

Write Down Your Goals
Knowing your goals is not enough to keep you motivated; you have to write them down. Writing down goals creates a visual reminder of where you are going. When you are writing down your goals, remember to:

Use the present tense or the present perfect tense: This will help you visualize reaching your goals.

Use “I” statements: An “I” statement reinforces that they are personal goals. They are your responsibility.

Use Gamification
Gamification uses the process of game dynamics to blend intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Unlike online games that can become obstacles to productivity, gamification will actually help you achieve your goals. This system allows you to earn points towards rewards by accomplishing tasks. The points you earn provide incentives to complete more tasks and earn more rewards. You can create your own life game by taking a few steps.

Create Your Own Game:

Identify tasks: List the tasks/chores that you need to accomplish.

Assign points: Assign a number of points to each task. Tasks that you typically avoid should be given more points to provide greater incentive.

Assign rewards: Determine how many points are necessary to earn each reward. Higher point counts should be given to rewards that are more valuable. For example, an outing to a coffee shop could be 20 points, while purchasing game, book, etc., could be 120 points. The rewards will depend on what motivates you.

Keep score: Find a method to keep track of your points that works for you. You could use a spreadsheet or list them in an app on your phone.

You will probably have to adjust your game to find the most motivating rewards system. Once you have made the necessary adjustments, you will have fun reaching your goals.

Track Your Progress
Tracking your progress will help you see your accomplishments and which areas require more effort. Additionally, seeing the improvements that you make will motivate you to continue your hard work. Over time, you should see yourself consistently reaching more of your daily goals. There are different ways to track progress. You may choose to do it by hand, use a spreadsheet, or use an online tool such as Joe’s Charts. No matter the format you use, charting requires you to complete a list of daily goals. At the end of each day, you check off the goals that you accomplished. Do not expect to always reach all of your goals. The purpose of tracking progress is to show you the areas need more of your focus.

You need goals to get things done. However, not every goal is effective. The way that you word your goals will determine whether or not you reach them. When establishing goals, it is important to remember the Four P’s of goal setting. They need to be positive, personal, possible, and prioritized.

They Need to Be Positive
When you are creating goals, remember to make sure that they are positive. This means that you focus on what you want to achieve rather than what you want to avoid. For example, you would write, “I will achieve a promotion.” rather than “I will no longer work at this horrible job.” Staying focused on the positive will help improve your outlook and remove any negativity. This, in turn, will improve your chances for success. Reaching your goals will automatically help you avoid your present circumstances. When creating positive goals, remember to be as specific as possible.

They Need to Be Personal
When creating goals, they need to reflect your dreams and desires. Goals that are not personal are ineffective. Your goals should be about you and only you. For example, “My boss will appreciate me.” is an ineffective goal because it is not about you. It is possible to be a wonderful employee and still be unappreciated. A better goal would be, “I will find a supervisory position where I am appreciated for my talent.” If your goals are not personal, you will never achieve them. Making goals personal places the burden of responsibility on you, but it also means that other people do not determine when you reach your goals.

They Need to Be Possible
When creating goals, you need to make sure that they are possible. When you set impossible goals, you set yourself up for failure and disappointment. Creating possible goals demands that you be honest with yourself. Some goals may require continued education or experience to achieve while others will remain out of reach. For example, it is not possible for someone to become a famous singer without any talent whatsoever. You need to assess your talents and determine what you can achieve with hard work and what will be impossible for you to accomplish. Once you have determined which goals are possible for you to achieve, success will be within reach.

They Need to Be Prioritized
Brainstorming goals can become overwhelming. You will probably have more goals than you can handle. This is the time to prioritize your goals. Begin by numerically ranking your goals and choosing the five goals that are the most important to you. Choose these goals based on your passions, and make sure that they cover all areas of your life: professional, health, personal growth, finances, etc. All of your time and energy should be spent working towards these goals.

You should place your other goals on the back burner. It is not possible to focus on 20 goals at the same time. In fact, you should avoid the other goals at all cost. You risk becoming side tracked with less important goals if you continue to entertain them. You will need to reprioritize your goals periodically. For example, you can reprioritize after you achieve one of your top five goals.

This post on the Four P’s of Goal Setting only begins to uncover the depth of insights available on this topic. Our membership offers access to this topic and a wealth of other leadership development resources, tools, and exclusive content to help you grow as a professional and empower your team. Don’t miss out! Become a member today and take your leadership journey to the next level.