This rise of virtual work was in response to the pandemic has changed the idea of leadership. Employees now expect more autonomy and flexibility in their work. They want to be managed based on the outcomes they produce rather than the amount of time they spend in meetings. Effective virtual leadership must adapt and work on strategies for successfully guiding hybrid and remote teams.
Here’s why effective leadership of virtual teams is essential and how to foster virtual leadership development in your organization. Remote working allows companies to reduce overhead costs and provide employees with flexible working arrangements. Operating a remote workforce requires management to adopt a new leadership style to engage remote teams and maintain a productive work environment. Learning what virtual leadership means and how to exemplify it ensures you can manage and support diverse teams in an online environment.
What is virtual leadership?
Virtual leadership is the practice of managing teams via a remote working environment. It refers to overseeing team members working in different locations or time zones. Virtual leaders usually rely on technology to communicate with remote employees and delegate tasks or responsibilities. Virtual leadership is a management approach that facilitates online communications, differing from other leadership styles that focus on face-to-face interactions. Although their leadership responsibilities remain the same, virtual leaders administer them through different means. It allows them to show their commitment to the company’s vision.
Importance of virtual leaders
Virtual leaders focus on establishing mutual trust with employees that usually occurs from in-person interactions. It helps leaders trust in their employees’ capabilities while employees learn to trust their leader’s commitment to their professional development.
Virtual leaders set clear expectations and goals, which is useful for an organization to grow and succeed. This type of leadership also fosters a culture of accountability. A successful virtual business allows a company to read a larger talent pool and create a more diverse team.
Skills and strategies for virtual leadership
Virtual leaders require a different skill set and they have to use various strategies to be a efficient virtual leader. From leaders that operate in an office setting so that they can accentuate team collaboration and interaction remotely. Some skills and competencies useful for managing remote teams include:
Transparency
Transparency means operating in a way that’s easy for others to see and understand. Achieve this by making data accessible to employees so they can better interpret company goals and desired outcomes. This helps build trust amongst team members and ensures they have all the information necessary to succeed.
Operating with transparency also prevents employees from feeling isolated by giving them greater visibility of the company and team output. Encourage candid communication from employees and communicate any issues to them openly. Where change management occurs, keep teams updated on plans and explain how they affect them. Allow them to ask questions before asking whether they agree with the changes.
Expectation setting
Set clear and measurable expectations for employees working from home to ensure they continue to meet company standards and deadlines. Since it can be a challenge to monitor teams without being in the same location, focus performance expectations on goal and task completion. Track performance frequently to spot issues before they cause problems. Ensure goals are realistic to avoid employee stress and burnout.
Active listening
Active listening involves listening intently to what others say and interpreting verbal or non-verbal messages to form an appropriate response. This skill ensures virtual leaders pick up on cues from team members that could indicate problems or dissatisfaction. Employees are more likely to perform well when they know managers value their needs and input.
Consistent communication
Establish consistent communication with team members to foster an open and collaborative environment. Achieve this through weekly team meetings or one-on-one catch-up calls. Be proactive about staying in contact with teams and keeping updated on their projects, challenges and needs. Consistent communication also allows you to discuss company goals and objectives in-depth and ensure employees remain on track. Schedule catch-up sessions in advance to ensure employees are available especially if they each work in a different time zone.
Inclusivity
Being inclusive means allowing employees to participate in project planning phases and allowing them to express their opinions or concerns. Remember that team members also have the technical knowledge and practical skills necessary to carry out a project even if you don’t see it in practice. Have trust that their qualifications permit them to comment on plans and make suggestions. Inclusivity ensures team members feel valued and respected by management.
Positivity
Virtual leaders remain positive and reward employees for their hard work and contributions, no matter how big or small. Schedule frequent performance appraisals where you can recognize employee achievements and frame negatives as things they can improve. Having a positive attitude to work motivates employees and increases productivity.
Resource planning
Resource planning means ensuring employees have the right tools and resources to perform their duties remotely. They may require certain equipment or software to operate company systems from their home set-up. Consider providing employees with stipends to purchase any tools or resources they require to work from home.
Motivational
Having personal motivation encourages others to take the same positive approach to their workload. Show teams that you believe in the company and have a commitment to its goals. When faced with problems, brainstorm solutions with team members and consider it a learning curve. Demonstrate motivation by having a positive and enthusiastic attitude while conversing with employees and responding to their emails promptly and thoroughly.
Being empathetic
Empathy allows virtual leaders to connect with team members on an emotional level, thereby increasing transparency and openness. Check in with team members individually to determine how they’re doing and whether they’re adjusting to remote working. Where employees are struggling to adapt, consider creating a mentoring programme where they can talk with more tenured employees.
Delegating work
Delegation skills ensure you assign the number of tasks to team members in a timely and organizational manner to complete projects on time. Task delegation shows teams you trust in their abilities and can assign them responsibility. It also prevents bottlenecks from occurring.
Adjustment
For virtual leadership, adaptability allows them to remain accessible and available to team members as and when necessary. Adaptability also allows one to adjust to management approach according to unique situations that arise
Presentation skills
Improving your presentation skills to enhance understanding. Keep communications clear and concise to avoid ambiguity. Ensure you provide enough details and direction regarding a task or project. Be straightforward in asking team members whether they understand what you said rather than relying on social cues. Planning discussions in advance is a good way to ensure employees know what to expect from correspondences.
Managing information
This is a virtual leadership strategy that involves collecting, storing and disseminating information in an efficient way. Managing information properly creates an organized virtual environment where team members have access to the right documents.
For an efficient, systematic and organized work culture, invest in new, innovative tactics that can improve day-to-day operations for your people. And implement the tips and strategies I’ve outlined to help foster an empathetic and efficient remote team.
