If you manage a virtual team the chances are that it is also an international team with members located across cultures and time zones.

This means you will need to navigate values, communication styles and working preferences that may be at odds with your own or with other team members’.

Virtual team leaders need to manage multiple perspectives and decode different cross-cultural styles so that they can get the best from their individual team members and maximise the diversity of the team as a whole.

Be prepared to listen and learn about other cultural norms and move beyond nationality stereotypes. If colleagues in one location never seem to deliver on time, don’t jump to conclusions but consider how milestones and deadlines are managed, how much support they are getting and if instructions are clear and accessible.

If another colleague rarely contributes during online meetings, think about how the meeting is managed, if more materials could be circulated ahead of the meeting, and whether they need additional language support – and make sure you make time to speak to them one-to-one.