Excellent communication skills are essential for virtual team leaders who don’t have the luxury of face-to-face communication but instead must rely much more on text or voice only communication.

Without the benefits of non-verbal signals, it can be much harder to interpret the real intention of what is being said and know what the speaker is really thinking. As a virtual team manager, you must ensure that your communication is clear and unambiguous and that you make sure not only that you fully understand your team but that you are understood yourself.

Tips for virtual communication:

• Communicate regularly and frequently but don’t overload your team with information.  Very long emails or online meetings should be avoided
• Make time for regular one-to-one communication with individual team members as well as group emails and meetings.  Picking up the phone to see how someone is doing is usually appreciated and is certainly the best method if you have something sensitive to discuss
• Paraphrase and summarise when you are giving complicated instructions and check back that you have been understood
• Particularly with new team members be wary of using jargon or acronyms that they may not understand
• Listen attentively and be ready to read between the lines.  Ask the right questions to check that you have understood