Virtual Leadership: 3 Considerations to Adopt When Shifting Virtual Team Culture

The past year has truly been a rollercoaster, with professionals across the country working from home amidst the pandemic. While this has truly been a learning curve for all of us, we must still be effective in our roles. Not working in the office has obvious barriers to team building. Therefore it takes the initiative and creativity to transform team building for the virtual space. Read below for ways to continue building your culture and relationships with team members, even if you are not a manager.

The Water Cooler

The Water Cooler is traditionally symbolic as it serves as a place where co-workers mingle and talk. The water cooler has transformed into the work kitchen, copy room, or other variation depending on your field in modern times. Regardless of where the ultimate purpose is to allow team members on all levels to engage with one another on more personal levels. In theory, it will enable the shy and introverted team member to get to know a member of management without a formal sit-down meeting. These moments contribute to stronger team cultures and lessen the barriers between ranking members of teams. Thus, making room for a more inclusive work community where members are comfortable speaking up and asking questions. 

While the working location might vary, the objective remains the same, finding ways to build connections and working relationships with team members. Studies show that 60% of professionals perform at peak performance when they have a good relationship with someone at work. So, in a COVID world, how does one re-create the water cooler virtually? 

Virtual Communities

Don't be the person to plan and mandate an after-work Happy Hour on Zoom. In case you did not know, mandated fun…sucks. Instead, find engaging ways to encourage team members to want to participate in non-mandated events to affect staff culture truly positively. Planning optional virtual meditation or yoga events allow team members to engage in non-work activities and get to know each other. While some avid yogi might join, it might be an opportunity for someone to try something new and meet a few like-minded people at the same time. For those team members that are often hard to engage, consider checking-in with them via phone or text. Reaching out to them less formally shows that you are meeting them at their comfort level of engagement but are still genuinely interested in their well-being. Other ideas include starting a company cookbook that you can create and share to encourage people to share cultural dishes and step up their cooking game. If you need help brainstorming additional virtual engagement events, you should consider asking some of the sociable team members to gauge the team's interests and go from there!

Virtual Meetings

Before setting a meeting, you need to ask yourself 3 questions: 1) What is the purpose of this meeting, 2) Are the people invited to the meeting required to participate, and 3) What tasks or action items are coming out of this meeting? If you find that you cannot answer one or more of these questions, you should consider canceling the meeting and sending an email.

Far too often, we are required to attend meetings where we aren't mandated or even encouraged to speak or respond to what is presented. In those instances, we always think, "I could be doing so many other tasks instead of being here.” To avoid these feelings amongst our team members, we should always set an intention and purpose for the scheduled meeting. Often, an agenda will help preview what is to be discussed during the meeting and allow the meeting to flow efficiently. Once you understand your reason for having the meeting, you will quickly identify the stakeholders needed in the room versus those that can be updated via email or briefly at another time. Lastly, everyone who comes to the meeting should be clear on their role and responsibilities moving forward. Adopting this meeting format shows that you value your team’s time, ultimately building trust and respect between all parties.

Virtual Support

Support looks different for each person, but to determine how to best support your team members, you should start simply with “How can I help you?” This simple question can go a long way in identifying initial strategies to foster relationships and offer support. This question also opens the way for subsequent conversations about their concerns while working remotely and ultimately what you can do to alleviate or reduce work stressors. When team members feel that you are invested in their wellness and success, they are more likely to improve their work performance and quality. 

Virtual leadership requires individuals to think outside of the box to achieve personal connections. Do you have what it takes?

Diana Williams, Resume Tailor