The global pandemic has thrown open a series of opportunities to employees who are now in the midst of ‘remote working’ and still grappling with the virtual teams vs. traditional teams debate. Had it not been for COVID 19, the existence and immense possibilities of the virtual world would have stayed unexplored, for the most part.

Leading virtual teams is an art

Working with a face-to-face team is no doubt easier, but the challenges of a virtual team have caused most people to take the changing work culture in stride. Even a year back, lawyers, financial analysts, consultants, teachers, IT practitioners and several such professionals had a tough time meeting deadlines, managing teams, conducting meetings for clients and even winning businesses. Now that ‘remote’ organizational setups are growing by the day and people have also accepted the virtual teams key differences from their traditional counterparts, professionals are also maintaining a steep learning curve. This is because they wish to lead their respective teams towards accomplishing the duties right too. Large projects are gradually increasing. Practically, days of having everyone in the office physically to finish tasks timely are fast disappearing.

Virtual teams vs. traditional teams – the battle

Virtual teams key differences, against that of traditional teams exist. Take a look at them and you will understand how crucial they are, in terms of leading companies and employees towards success.

Organizational support and structure

When it is a traditional team, authority and clear hierarchies are obvious. Contrary to this, remote working is all about adhering to a set organizational structure. Basically, the management structure must be changed in a way that renders total support to remote work. Team members, regardless of the hierarchy, should create a ‘virtual culture’ that works towards collaboration and creativity, in addition to delivering quality results.

Selection of team members

The correct team is when the right people come on board. Traditionally, it never mattered if members were working in the same office setup or lay scattered anywhere in the world. These teams usually selected members based on their functional abilities. But in virtual teams, members are chosen on the basis of their “core competencies” and not merely skills. Also, there are more challenges, especially like lacking face-to-face interaction, managing ambiguousness, importance of time management and self-disciplinary acts, and so on.

Communication issues and problem-solving

Communication gaps while working virtually are common. In fact, a lot of managers fail to realize that a lot of information gets exchanged at ‘informal discussions’ in the office, against that of virtual meets. In order to cope with the struggles of working remotely, it is a good idea to create a somewhat informal group thread that offers enough scope to team members, where they can chat and engage in casual conversation more frequently. Also, there are problems like delays in reaching a decision or resolving an issue. Getting a consensus timely can actually prove a serious detriment. To manage these, get the right practice management software that would help you stay updated with the status or create a shared database that everyone can access quickly. You can hire dedicated employee in India for the work too.

Relationships

In traditional setups, team members met at workplaces almost every day, so there was no difficulty to develop close bonds and share rapport with each other. On the other hand, virtual team interactions are known for being task-focused. Since there’s a typical dearth of verbal cues and gestures while being in a virtual setting, limits in personalization aggravates the issue of maintaining proper relationships among team members. Also, let’s not forget the distance.

Shared understanding and values

It is not merely with documentation that a shared understanding can develop. Companies might enlist a set of team values in a well-drafted document and mail the same to the respective employees. But that doesn’t guarantee everything will become better in a virtual set up. While discussing about common issues and coming to a basic understanding was easier in traditional settings; good conversations can also be fostered in the ‘new normal’ phase.

As stressed earlier, challenges in virtual working will almost always be present. But there are ways of counteracting this battle called virtual teams vs. traditional teams, and most importantly, using one’s will-power.

Conclusion

Hire dedicated employee in India who can help achieve these goals and you will notice obvious signs of growth and progress in your company. But, there must be strong leadership at the forefront. Also, using communication, and blended with proper tools and technology; the differences between virtual and traditional will gradually dissipate.