Managing a virtual team is not the same as overseeing a more traditional, centrally located group of employees.

Communicating with remote team members demands a higher level of quality. Precision of language and intent are crucial. Working on virtual teams calls for a higher degree of communication frequency.

Distance, lack of personal familiarity, and cultural impacts can all be neutralized as communication threats if team members make it a point to engage in frequent communication.

The key: Assuring that communication occurs as often as it should and in the best possible manner will produce a self-managed virtual team.

How is managing a virtual team different from managing a centrally located group of employees?

• Communicating with remote team members requires using language that's more precise

• Managers must take greater precaution to ensure that their intentions are clear to their virtual team members

• Virtual teams require managers to communicate with them more frequently than centrally located teams

How can a leader of a virtual team improve team communication?

• Harness technology to establish a virtual presence with team members and promote self management

• Stress quality and frequency of all communications

• Communicate team goals and role clarity among team members

• Draft a team charter to document all communication aspects