Based on your experiences and the topics discussed throughout this lesson, what skills and competencies do team facilitators need to enhance when working with virtual team environments? Define the competency required and explain.

When we went remote in March 2020, I had to figure out how to keep my part-time student employees who are project-driven engaged. I manage a group of eight students and one full-time employee. Together they complete short-term projects for members of our team and respond to the everyday questions of our customers. They update contact forms, do data analysis, write blogs, and transcribe webinars. Their tasks are as varied and numerous as the people who give them the work.

In the office, the team sits closely together, almost bumping elbows. The conversation flows, and tips and tricks to survive school is passed around. In the sudden shift to a virtual environment, all of that disappeared.

I conducted a poll to find out what aspect of their job they find the most enjoyable. They all told me that they love the community we had built. To ensure that we continued with the feeling of community, I scheduled weekly zoom calls, where there was no agenda, just the chance to talk to each other. When George Floyd was killed, and anti-racist protests occurred across the country, I had calls where students could discuss what they were feeling and doing.

I worried that the team would feel isolated and bored, so I looked for more work for them to do. I was successful. Our team took on more projects and began to support more people across our division. We successfully managed an increased workload during an unprecedented time. The quality of work improved.

Last month, I was nominated for “Supervisor of the Year.” The nomination was one of the greatest achievements of my professional career. While receiving it anytime would have been wonderful, being nominated in such a difficult year means so much more to me.

As I think of what I did over the past year to be recognized, I think of the competencies mentioned in our lesson and how I applied them. Below are the competencies mentioned in the lesson, followed by the actions I took to apply them.

Trust – I built it through weekly zoom meetings, where we did nothing but talk and provided a safe space where my team could talk about and react to worldwide and national events.

Diversity – I matched the students’ goals (their areas of focus in school) with the types of projects I assigned.

Manage work cycles and meetings – We implemented a system to report and track work progress.

Enhanced visibility of team – I reached out to new departments to offer support for their work. Pre-pandemic, my team supported only one department, but we have been supporting four during the pandemic.

Ensure individuals benefit – I found out what my team needed, what type of projects they preferred, what they were learning in school, and worked hard to align their interests with the type of projects assigned.

Reference

Bergstrom, E. (n.d.) Tips for virtual teams. Accessed from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2096836/modules/items/31419815

Studies show that one of the most neglected steps of the problem-solving process is Step 6: Evaluate and Follow Up. Briefly discuss how your organization evaluates the implementation of new ideas and, as you read your colleagues’ posts, add new ideas to your toolbox.

I manage a team of nine people who manage a number of projects for both internal customers and external customers. We have a number of systems in place for helping our external clients and have employed a number of metrics and reports to ensure that the service we are providing to them is not only done in a timely manner but also done correctly.

We are struggling a bit with our internal customers. Because of the large size of the team, there is a lot of overlap between projects. The team is comprised of all part-time employees, except for one. With staff coming and going through the day, it is difficult to know exactly where they are when they sign off. Just as it’s difficult for them to know where to pick up when they sign back in.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve delegated my full-time staff member to ensure that all projects are worked through her, that way if there are any questions, she knows exactly where things are. She created a checklist and sign-in/ out sheet on which staff is required to provide an update on their project. In addition, I have marked out time on my calendar to check in with her daily so that she gets in the habit of reporting out on each project.

We have made our project completion rate one of our monthly metrics so that we can better gauge the activity and productivity of the team.

In addition, I’ve created a focus group with whom I can check in quarterly to get a sense of the customer experience as well as to uncover any issues or suggestions that they have for improved service, as well as new projects.