Not every situation is the same, but these general tips, taken from Global Integration’s Training guide to remote and virtual teams may make working within a remote or global team, where you may not see either your manager or your fellow team members, may help:

1. Recognise that not everything will come from ‘above’. You’re on the team because of your expertise, so rise to the challenge and take responsibility for more.

2. Don’t give your leader surprises – help them to keep their finger on the pulse of what’s happening, and life will be more comfortable for everyone – including in other parts of the organisation.

3. Team leader’s absence does mean team leader’s lack of interest. Take the lead – develop clear expectations of how, and how often, you will communicate. Team leaders generally like to hear how you’re doing.

4. Your frustrations and any unhappiness may not be visible in the same way as physically working together. Find positive ways to express them in order to address them.

5. Doing a good job may not be enough – make sure your team leader is aware of how well you’re doing.

To diagnose your top issues and show how you benchmark against hundreds of other teams, take our remote and virtual teams questionnaire.

Nov 10 2010