Description

Understanding remote/virtual working environment

At first glance, remote work and virtual work appear to be one in the same; however, there are some subtle distinctions between these employment structures. A remote team's members all generally have their own workspaces that they can access, and can complete work on their own time while reporting back to a designated manager or supervisor. Conversely, the management aspect of a virtual team differs slightly in that it requires employees to report weekly to a designated space, such as an online conference room or Slack channel - regardless of where they've physically worked from during that week. Ultimately though, in both arrangements the physical location of individual employees is irrelevant.
A remote team is a group of employees who collaborate together on a specific goal or project that are all managed by one leader. This individual has full control over the operational processes of the team, despite members potentially having backgrounds from anywhere in the world. It is then possible to hold face-to-face meetings as well, depending on their locality; some team members may also reside near to where the business is located.

An alternative version of this is a virtual team – comprised of individuals who likewise take part in shared projects but report to varied managers and leaders. These persons may be dispersed across the globe, and in cases have several virtual leaders that give reports directly to the head manager. Nevertheless, geographic co-location may be present too, thus allowing for real-time communication when desired.

Are employees who work remotely or virtually always based at home? Not necessarily.

With distributed teams becoming increasingly popular, it's easy to assume that remote and virtual workers stay indoors when on the job. But just because a team works in different locations doesn't mean they're all located in the same place.

Both remote and virtual positions can be completed from anywhere – all that matters is having a designated area for work. For example, an employee working remotely could simply head to their local cafe with a laptop and get started on their tasks, while those filling out part-time assistant roles may not even need to leave home to finish the job.

About this course

•  Training Provider: OHS.com.au
•  Location: Online
•  Course length: Varies average 20 minutes
•  Time: Self-paced
•  Certification / Accreditation: Certificate of Completion

Background – How to maintain and create strong remote and virtual teams?
Remote work is becoming increasingly common, and the need for clearly defined policies is growing. When it comes to creating or updating your remote work policy, you should take into account the specific needs of your position and company:

Working Agreements

Properly set expectations with your in-office workers who opt for remote work, specifying any expected annual remote work flexibility available to them. For full-time remote workers, documentation should include items such as an address from which they plan on working from, if anticipated visits to the office are required, etc.

Work Recommendations

Companies creating a system of guidelines should focus on providing transparent information regarding team communication standards, time tracking systems, cybersecurity protocols - all while fostering employee trust and accountability through fixed deadlines/deliverables and regular performance feedback sessions whether via slack or emails etc..

Maintaining standard company policy

Maintaining standard company policies is critical for any remote workers. It's important to ensure that all team members abide by their organisation’s policies, especially when they are not working together in person. Additionally, if you are engaging full-time remote employees, you should take steps to provide them with adequate equipment, as well as compensate and offer benefits in keeping with other onsite personnel. All of these efforts can help create a sense of cohesion among
your virtual teams.

Working remotely/virtually often presents new challenges for those getting used to the lifestyle. For successful remote/virtual work, it's important to create a focused workspace, find a companion with whom to work alongside and set goals/deadlines. Furthermore, communication habits should be established between all team members early on so that each person knows how and when to communicate. With these tips in place, efficient working from home is possible.

Course Outline

OHS’s Support Remote or Virtual Teams training course is designed to help you gain concrete techniques and strategies for successful remote team collaboration. With an understanding of leadership, influencing and team principles in hand, you will be equipped to recognise and embrace varied styles, skills and differences - whether as a manager, team leader or project member.

Themes of trust building, psychological safety, individual/team accountability and communication as well as creative conflict resolution are covered to encourage inclusive team dynamics for better productivity. In the end, participants should be empowered to apply the learned approaches when managing their own teams remotely with greater success.

Learning Outcomes

•  Identify strengths and areas for improvement.
•  Utilise strategies and tools to ensure successful remote/virtual team   communication   and collaboration.

•  Foster a positive and inclusive team atmosphere through proactive influencing.
•  Acknowledge the characteristics of successful remote/virtual teams, and be   conscious   of individual differences.

•  Strengthen remote/virtual team processes, meetings and celebrations to ensure   team   members feel appreciated.

•  Equip yourself with the ability to build trust, facilitate communication and   energise   team members via regular individual and team conversations.