Working Virtually: Avoid the Pitfalls of the Communication Blackhole

The advantages of working with a virtual team and having virtual clients are many. Among those advantages are less idle chatter, no annoying co-worker popping by just when you are in a zone, and in general the quiet. That is also a disadvantage.

It is much harder to build a relationship with a team member and pick up on each other's silent cues and non-verbal communication. The only solution is to use virtual tools and to probably in your mind over communicate.

Here's some tools to avoid things being missed and to get everyone on the same page.

In the beginning- Setup and communicate with your team and with clients your best means of communication. Do you like email? Do you prefer the phone? Can you be reached only at certain hours? Make sure everyone knows how they are expected to communicate, how often, and when.

Email- While not perfect email is still the best method of communicating and documenting the work process. Make sure everyone "whitelists" you and adds you to their contact list. Make sure you add them to your contact list. Sometimes file size for attachments is an issue. Make sure you know if their service will block large files and find ways of dealing with it.

Telephone-Sometimes it is just easier to pick up the phone. I find it much easier to work out a complex question or if you feel you are not getting it. Frustration comes from not having all the information or not getting the emotions behind the written communication. Schedule periodic phone check-ins, preferrably weekly, so you can get that personal interaction and just clear the air.

Instant Messenger, Chat, Texts- These are great resources to talk out situations as well if one or more of you can't be on the phone for whatever reason. It is still hard to get a handle on true feelings if it is a sticky situation but the communication is real time and may be better than a disconnected email conversation. There are several programs out there. Make sure you know which ones everyone uses and try to get a concensus on what everyone uses.

Snail mail and fax- While very "old school" it still is necessary at times. Check into online faxing tools like efax and it will save you a ton of time and resources, but will give you a professional look with a real fax number.

Now that you have the tools in place, communicate with clients whenever you work on their projects. In the email include:

• What tasks you worked on
• If needed the hours spent
• What you still need to do
• Any questions you have
• Any suggestions you have

When dealing with your team virtually consider these communication tips:

• Consider a weekly team meeting, via conference call or skype.
• Get a project planning software that everyone can update and have access to Basecamp, Microsoft Project, or another program will do the trick. This will foster greater communication and anyone can look at the project and know where it is at.
• Treat your team like clients. Make sure you are communicating with them regularly to make sure they know your piece of the puzzle is being worked on and moving forward.
• Let them know when you will be available, unreachable, and in general what your working hours will be.

Communicating virtually provides freedom and flexibility. It can cause problems if not done consistently, effectively and in a manner that really speaks to your team and your clients. Without the advantage of the spoken word and being present to pick up on non-verbal cues, you really have to make an effort to over communicate. What feels to you like over the top may be just right for the person you are keeping in the loop.

Susan Snyder
Founder/CEO buildyourvaskills.com

http://www.pcstraining.net

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