As businesses of all sizes continue to expand globally, instant electronic communication has become increasingly critical to daily operations. Most companies now have “virtual teams” which comprise of employees of one or multiple companies, often in different locations around the globe, and frequently whom never meet face-to-face. Instead, these virtual teams only communicate by phone, email, video conference and other forms of electronic communication.

The alternative to working in virtual teams, requires constant travel expenses and loss of time and productivity. Virtual teams allow talents in different geographic locations to work together, while still having time to work on other local teams and tasks. However, one of the biggest drawbacks to working virtually is the lack of human interaction.

Michael Beyerlein, a professor and head of the Department of Organizational Leadership and Supervision characterizes the problem:

Nonverbal signals, such as eye contact, are huge. Researchers have estimated that about 90 percent of our communication is nonverbal, so obviously working electronically can create obstacles within a team. However, many of the basic meeting management guidelines can help workers get the most out of their virtual team experience.

• If possible, conduct the first team meeting in person and then the rest as virtual meetings. This gives the group a chance to get to know who they will be working with and establish goals and norms for the project.
• Use meeting facilitators. Have a leader who makes sure everyone on the team has a chance to be heard, this helps the group stay on topic and makes sure any technical problems are solved immediately.
• Celebrate the successes virtually. In-person teams celebrate the completion of a project, so should virtual teams. Send congratulatory e-mails, glue pictures of your team to your computer, or if you can, get together and go out to a restaurant. If you’re working with people from Thailand, for instance, choose a Thai restaurant to recognize and celebrate part of your team’s culture. These are little things, but they can go a long way.