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Leading Virtual Teams: Challenges and Best Practices |
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 Guest Blogger: Drew Daly, Sr. Sales Director, World Travel Holdings, and ACCE 2008 Speaker
Without a doubt, the fastest growing trend within the business world is creating a virtual work at home solution. This is one area that I am personally very excited about. Throughout my career I have had the opportunity to test some techniques relative to managing and motivating remote employees. Over the years there was a lot of trial and error and the end result for my team and I are some pretty concrete Best Practices for leading Virtual teams.
Businesses are definitely embracing the realm of a Virtual World and the endless possibilities of transacting business in one. Living in a Virtual World has never been easier! With the aid of some enhanced, yet basic technology employers can manage, motivate, engage and stay connected to their remote employees.
Having the right tools and talent are essential components for conducting business today, whether in a brick and mortar facility or in a building without walls. Being creative and open-minded is key as well. Trial and error is something one should not be afraid of. Some of the most creative inventions came out of having an open mind, thinking out of the box and testing out theories/practices that may or may not have always worked.
I want to echo the sentiments outlined by Lori Bocklund in a previous blog entry. Lori suggested that we open ourselves up to the technology that exists today and befriend the tools available. In doing so, we will as leaders in business, be able to dive into the deep water of a virtual world and stay afloat. The tools absolutely helped my organization to not only function in a virtual platform but also become leaders at transforming our organization. The sacred cows that were once a staple in our company now look very different. As a result, we have had a shift in every aspect of our business not just our sales centers.
We all know there are innate challenges with managing and motivating an in house employee. These challenges are magnified when the employee is out of sight and touch. The old saying can be true “Out of Sight Out of Mind” unless you are sure it is part of the organizational culture to stay connected to all employees.
If you already have a virtual team–kudos to you and your organization. If you do not, what are you waiting for??? - Are you afraid of the ability to effectively operate in a call center without walls?
- Does the concept of managing people remotely scare you?
- Do you have technology limitations that prevent you from being virtual?
Granted there are absolute challenges and risks with running a remote team of employees; however, I have personally seen tremendous benefits from an organizational perspective.
These benefits include: - Long term employee retention
- Improved overall productivity
- Flexible staffing and schedule
- Exceptional Disaster Recovery solution
- 24 x 7 hours of operation coverage
We will explore these benefits and challenges during my session NO PIZZA PARTIES. Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. I am looking forward to participating and speaking at ACCE next month. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me directly. Good Luck on your quest in living and conducting a business in a Virtual World!
Hope to see you Next Month! |
