TOP TEN CHALLENGES OF MANAGING A VIRTUAL TEAM

Advancing technology and the growing importance of work-life balance have led to an unprecedented number of virtual teams working in differing locations. 
4.2 million people in the U.K. work primarily from home (13.9 percent of the workforce).
1.3 million increase in home workers since records began in 1998.
Most common role for home-working employees: Sales and Business Development. [1]

Studies have shown that remote workers are likely to:
* be more productive
* take fewer sick days
* be more engaged
* have greater job satisfaction
* be less likely to resign [2] [3]

However, managing virtual teams brings some specific challenges. Here are the top ten:
1. Finding the right people
Not everyone is suited to remote working. You need self-motivated people with strong time-management skills. They'll also have to handle minimal social contact and supervision.
2. Lack of trust
You have to trust your remote workers to do the job. Set clear goals and expectations, but don't micromanage.
3. Letting go of the clock
If there are hours people have to be available, make these clear. Otherwise, judge performance by results, not timesheets. 
4. Not knowing what anyone else is doing
Sharing calendars and work plans online lets everyone know what others are doing and makes you available to the whole team. It also helps with differing time zones.
5. Lack of communication
At least once a week, have a team meeting with everyone - preferably by video to minimize the potential for miscommunication. This allows for team bonding as well as keeping everyone in the loop with the big picture.
6. Ineffective meetings
Time is just as precious in virtual meetings, so don't waste it by being disorganized and unfocused. Have a plan and stick to it. But once business is covered, don't be afraid to chat, as you would in person.
7. Logistical difficulties 
Make use of collaborative tools like Google Drive, Trello, Skype etc. to allow people to work together easily, without worrying about multiple versions of files or people working at cross purposes.
8. Lack of casual contact
Regular conference calls with your team are vital, but also encourage them to use instant messaging programmes like Google Hangouts or Skype to keep in touch with each other as they work. 
9. Weak inter-team relationships
Try to arrange periodic 'in person' social events, if possible, to build good working relationships among people who don't often get to meet up.
10.  Long-distance conflict
Conflict in remote teams can be complex and difficult to handle. Put a conflict resolution mechanism in place and address any conflicts quickly, before they become a larger problem.

1. Office for National Statistics, 'Characteristics of Home Workers, 2014' (4 June 2014).
2. Nicholas Bloom, James Liang, John Roberts and Zhichun Jenny Ying, 'Does Working from Home Work? Evidence from a Chinese Experiment'.  Available at: https://web.stanford.edu/~nbloom/WFH.pdf  (6 November 2014).
3. Nicholas Bloom, 'To Raise Productivity, Let More Employees Work From Home'. Available at: https://hbr.org/2014/01/to-raise-productivity-let-more-employees-work-from-home (January 2014).


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