Working in a team online?
If you are working in an online or remote team or if you are heading that type of team, you know about the challenges that come along.
Hardly any person working in a remote team has learned how to cooperate with people they have never met personally, online. In the past, managers were surprised that people cooperating in a workplace environment did not have the means to communicate effectively. But neither did they have these, in many cases, themselves.
Communication in a remote team is special
The good news is: Just like we all have the ability to communicate, we can adapt it to a certain context, to special requirements. If you don’t want to rely on learning by doing, a method prone to costly mistakes, you better get yourself support.
You want to make your remotely working team get more productive? You want to reduce conflicts and misunderstandings? You want to improve your team-leadership skills or just get to know new ways to improve your cooperation? All this can be done online. But before we come to the solution to the challenges you are facing, let’s have a look at what really good teamwork online is about.
Top 5 success factors of online teamwork
No 1 The goal
Are you aware of the main goal your team strives for? If you are, is everyone else in the team? Do you all agree on the team’s goal and its meaning?
People in teams tend to forget what they are heading for. Or they interpret a sentence that is totally clear in your eyes in a different way. Clear team goals are the no one success factor. Make clear again and again, what your teamwork is all about. Never take for granted that the goal is clear to everyone else.
No 2 The processes
Once the goal is clear, have a look at the processes that (are supposed to) support your team’s work. Do they fit your team environment? Are they supportive or do you follow them because that’s the way you did it in the last project? If not, adapt, find better ways. To do so, speak to the people involved. Have a close look at your processes regularly.
Communication processes are included in this issue. Have a look at which information is shared in which way with whom. Is your meeting culture suitable? Are your meetings facilitated well and are they productive? Does the team lead communicate with the team regularly in suitable intervals? Clarify all of this, find more useful alternatives and foremost: Take time to do so!
No 3 Trust
The one factor of team success that has earned a lot of attention recently is trust. According to a Google study “the most important precondition for successful teams is psychological safety”. Meant is an atmosphere, in which all team members can be themselves without taking the risk of negative consequences.
In an atmosphere characterized by psychological safety, people develop trusting relationships. These affect teamwork itself, leading to a better team performance, higher creativity, higher engagement and last but not least, higher contentment. Team leads can promote psychological safety by means of acting as a role model, by making sure everyone is included as well as by supporting open communication and appreciation.
No 4 Team spirit
The team’s spirit and culture also have an impact on trust. Strong team cohesion supports psychological safety. Feedback as part of the team’s culture supports team cohesion. Work on transparency concerning motivators and needs of the team’s members to improve understanding within the group.
No 5 The competences
Though it may seem as obvious as keeping the team’s goal in mind: Without the necessary competences, teamwork can be really tedious. This concerns so-called hard skills like mastering a certain software as well as soft skills such as listening skills or being able to give and receive feedback in a constructive manner. Often hard skills are considered whereas soft skills are taken for granted. This effects teamwork to a greater degree than assumed.
If you are a team lead, ask your team, whether they feel at ease with e.g. giving and receiving feedback. Listen to them closely as far as their troubles are concerned and give them support. If you are a team member, let your team lead know, if you wish for support as far as skills training is concerned. Maybe you have the job because you are good at your profession but still lack some skills for working in a team online. Chances are you’re not the only one.
So this is what teamwork online is mostly about. Though it is obviously no magic, teambuilding online is a skill consisting of a number of abilities. If you are a team lead having trouble with your team’ s results, if there are conflicts in your team that hinder cooperation or maybe this simply is your first project in the role of team lead: Get support.
Remote Teambuilding online
Remote teambuilding online serves to get your team in contact, to build up trust and a team spirit. Processes can be developed, rules for cooperation be agreed upon.
If you want some support for a team meeting you don’t hold every day: Team facilitation makes clarifying things easier, documents results and can be an example for team meetings without a facilitator.
Leadership coaching or counseling can give useful information on how to develop your team and help you feel at ease in your role.
You are not alone.