Team Building in a Virtual Environment

by Karen Schenk

TruthMedia has over 30 staff and close to 500 volunteers who literally span the globe. Even if I did work from the main office building I still wouldn’t have face-to-face contact with a large portion of the team. Working online means that our staff can live anywhere, but it also means that I had to learn to communicate with my team in a whole new way. I needed to become part of their day even though I would not see them for weeks at a time. I needed them to know that I was totally available even though they couldn’t see me.

Develop a team

It takes effort and skill to build any team. Team building becomes particularly challenging in a virtual environment.

Clearly define each position with a job description and expectations.
If you are recruiting volunteers, handle them in the same way as you would any paid staff by having them complete an application process complete with references.

Equip your team

If your team members have resources and know how to get assistance when they need it they will operate much more efficiently. Make sure that staff and volunteers never feel like they have to “go it alone”.

These resources may be training, definition of expectations, or equipment and software as necessary.

• Provide a reporting structure with a supervisor or coach.
• Supply ongoing training to develop the team. Communicate new information and maintain vision.
• Take time to listen to your team. It is vital that they know they are valued for who they are and not just what they do.
• Provide opportunity for your team members to give feedback regarding their role and their experience on the team. Make sure that everyone knows it is okay to ask questions and when it is appropriate to do so.
• Ask team members for their input on how to better equip others.
• Establish expectations for issues like office hours.

Encourage your team

A team that receives regular encouragement will be mobilized and feel motivated. They will have the ability to manage the difficulties and stresses that occur in regular everyday work. Remember that as a leader, your team has been entrusted into your care. Care for them well.

• Provide regular affirmation and encourage your team leaders to encourage their team members as well. Encouragement may be the only payment a volunteer receives from you.
• Respect their opinions and ask for personal feedback.
• Share stories of what God is doing through the ministry.

Provide community

A community is developed when a group of individuals make an effort to relate to one another. In an online ministry, the goal is to evangelize and disciple. You will find that team members and volunteers will be much more engaged in their role and ministry if they build relationships with one another.

• Incorporate regular times for the teams to connect. Use of chat rooms, discussion boards, voice over IP (Skype), immediate messaging (MSN, ICQ, Yahoo) as well as email.
• Encourage team members to develop relationships and communicate with one another.
• Provide opportunities to pray together.
• Make a commitment to acknowledge special days (it makes the team members feel more real and relational).
• Send thank you gifts and/or cards when appropriate (even e-cards are meaningful).
• Have fun! A virtual world can give a lot of opportunity for humour and fun – especially when you make the commitment to have team times together.

Communicate, communicate, communicate!

A virtual team needs to place heavy emphasis on communication. Be quick to ask someone what they mean or to clarify what you believe they have said. Things can easily be misunderstood because you can’t hear tone of voice or see facial expression for large portions of your communication. Communicate in terms that can be easily understood and clarify issues over the phone when necessary. Communication over the phone should be followed up with written text to clarify/reiterate.

Regular communication systems need to be in place. This varies according to levels of involvement.

• Minister to your team through volunteer newsletters. Make sure that volunteers hear from you regularly. Share new tips, techniques, resources and ministry stories. Minister to them by providing applicable devotionals.
• Don’t let anyone on your team ever wonder if they have been forgotten. This takes tremendous focus and effort to keep the communication flowing especially for those with minimal time commitment.
• Regardless of the level of involvement, you want every team member and volunteer to understand that they make a difference and that if they were not doing their part, something wouldn’t get done. You also want them to understand that should the circumstances in their life change, you are in a position where you can modify the role and the commitment to allow for them to stay involved.
• Communicate office protocol for the virtual team. Even in an online environment there are appropriate and non-appropriate methods of communication. Seek to clearly establish leadership and authority lines. The online environment sometimes invites more interaction and access than an office environment might, it still needs to be communicated who makes the final decision and where boundaries are. Clearly establish how emergency issues should be handled and by whom.

Virtual teams have a unique look and feel to them. The more you pour into your team, the more you will benefit. Enjoy the opportunity to partner people across the span of the globe to a common goal of sharing Christ.