How can you communicate with virtual teams?

it should be from the beginning on cleary communicated in a F2F meeting, which channels and programms are used in which cases. Example: 1.) MS Teams for video call and short chatting 2.) MS Outlook for e-mails and ToDo 3.) Salesforce for technical descriptions. in that kind of communication it you asure a well working communication

An organization will need to choose the tool that works for them. Or sometimes tools that people are already very good at using. For us it was Skype. I have team overseas and for many years, we have used Skype to see who has become available online, exchange messages, do group calls etc. Worked great. But there was no way to save / find documents that we shared and discussed. So, then we moved to Google Workspace - now we have everything in one place docs, messages, calls, collaborative documentation etc. But one thing is not as good. Real time pinging is not as good as Skype. Also real time online status is not as good. But between Skype and Google Workspace, both free tools with mobile app, one can communicate well with virtual teams.

I would swap the order of "choose the right tools" with "establish norms and expectations." The former is configuration-based. That tends to be harder to change and harder to get right. The latter is convention-based. Conventions are easier to change and easier to get right. One artifact that helps with norms and expectations is a teaming agreement (TA). TAs are pacts created and enforced by the team. TAs define norms and expectations for communication, collaboration, behavior, and more. The best part is a TA can be created in a short amount of time. It can be treated as a living document. All members of a virtual team can easily access the document on a shared folder or document store.

Leading virtual teams has unique communication challenges. For one, the lack of face-to-face interactions makes it hard to read body language or tone, which can sometimes lead to misunderstandings. To overcome this, I use video conferencing tools as much as possible, so we can get as close to in-person interactions as we can. Also, clarity is key. I make it a point to summarize important points at the end of any meeting or written communication. We also have established norms like regular check-ins and updates to keep everyone in the loop. Communication has to be consistent. That means regular 1-on-1s and team meetings. Working remotely can be isolating, so showing understanding and acknowledging team members' efforts is important.

I get it, but to keep communication smooth with remote teams you also want to prioritize tools that integrate well with each other.

I don’t have empirical research yet on the adoption of Threads but I have found it difficult to navigate and organize, er, threads there versus other placed. In the sane way, I found the introduction of Slack much more difficult to navigate and organize than other often synchronous short(er) spontaneous messaging systems. I an curious what others, particularly users of large enterprise collaboration tools, think.

We try to keep it simple here. Coz that's the key to effective communication. We've completely eliminated the email part from our productivity suite. We use WhatsApp for all forms of communication and specific groups for specific conversations. It all comes under a community that makes it easier to manage. For video conferencing we use around.co, but most of the times we send video or audio messages on WhatsApp to make things easier. Finally to manage everything we use Notion and it has be an absolute game changer for us. By keeping things simple we are able to do more rather than taking orientation classes on how to report and manage task at the company.

One key aspect is to establish a remote team leader who is proficient in your native language. This greatly reduces the effort in explaining work to different team members with differing skills in language proficiency.

For effective communication with virtual teams, establish regular check-ins using video conferencing to foster a sense of connection. Utilize clear and concise messaging, ensuring that tools and platforms are consistent across the team. Promote open feedback channels, and be mindful of time zones when scheduling meetings. Prioritize clarity in instructions, set expectations early, and cultivate a culture of trust and transparency to bridge any virtual distance.

When working with remote teams it's also important to agree asynchronous communication standards. Otherwise everyone thinks they need to instantly respond to every instant message, which is horrible for focus.

Be flexible here, basis the teams' needs and wants - as each has their own unique situation (e.g. new team in new site) - but ensure that it is explicitly defined and aligned with the team. Once defined holding everyone (including self) accountable is important for this to be effective.

Guidelines and rules, this is how I call it. As already explained it is super important to define those guidelines, otherwise there will be miss-communicating and also maybe bad mood inside the team because eveyone is communicating differently.

One thing I’ve found helpful is to utilize the delay send function in emails when I am catching up in off hours. This allows my team to enjoy their personal time without feeling like they need to respond or even read my message.

1. Improve your summarize skills, by making a long story short. 2. ask for feedback, if everyone is on board and understands. 3. make sure everyone edit or tells you add things that are missing. Open and friendly communication in a streight way.

As simple as it sounds, it's also important to assume "good intent" when communicating virtually. Without the benefit of non-verbal cues and body language it can be very easy to misinterpret.

Remember to use clear and unambiguous, simple English (or any other language) when communicating with remote teams to minimise the risk of misunderstanding. Where possible, tasks should be broken down into clear and concise bullet points.

You also need to take cultural considerations into account. When we were building Skype in the early days the communication styles and standards were noticeably different between Estonia (where most of the engineers were based) and the UK (where most of the business functions were based).

Virtual environments really drive up the importance of empathetic communication. A good method is to not only playback what you think the person is saying but also how you think they feel about the situation.

One thing that I have found useful while being empathetic and respectful in communication is to remember the nuance—this isn't a one-size-fits-all approach. From my own journey, I've noticed that while active listening and paraphrasing are vital, there's also room for "calibrated questions." These are open-ended queries that don't just show you're listening but also reveal the other person's thought process. Also, empathy and respect don't just come from avoiding judgments; they spring from shared experiences. I would recommend virtual Coffee breaks. They create informal spaces where teams share more than just project updates. So ticking boxes for communication protocol is not enough. We must connect with our virtual team members.

This is true of behaviour towards colleagues of all levels whether remote or not. It can get frustrating explaining something to a python developer who cannot understand your requirements but may be highly skilled at his job. That is where the need for a team leader with sufficient language proficiency comes in.

Empathetic communications are vital while working remotely. Another practice that can help is uncovering our own assumptions and biases about the other that might hinder our empathy and communications with them. Checking how true our beliefs are about the team and having open conversations can help build trust and collaboration.

In a study from Yale's School of Management they found that the #1 predictor of leadership success was the degree to which you positively energized those around you. Communicating enthusiastically with a healthy dose of humor here and there can help the cause!

While you communicate effectively, remember that communication is 2-way so don't just communicate 'to the team'; communicate "with them". Encourage dialogue. Encourage response. Allow more airtime for the team to speak up and express themselves. The more you listen, more you will understand if there are any gaps in the communication. Also, have some trusted team members share the real on-the-ground sentiment and conversations with you, without pin pointing specific members. Don't ask them to be a snitch. Be interested in the conversations, not the specific person saying it.

Do they create energy and clarity. That’s the number one traits @satyanadella (CEO Microsoft) is looking for in a leader. I could not agree more.