Today I’m off to the beach. I started to think, “How is going to the beach like working with a virtual team or any team for that matter?”
It comes down to roles and in very unsexy, academic language team backup support.
Having Clear Roles
At the beach, it may be informal, but we all have pretty clear roles. If we’re bringing food to the beach there are one or two people who bring the mains like burgers and chicken. A few people bring the sides and an activity or two. Two, three, or four people may be responsible for drinks depending on if you’re drinking wine and beer, or pop (soda for some of you) and sparkling water.
Once you get to the beach some people do the set-up. They spread out the blankets, start the barbecue, and start serving the food. There are some who get the volleyball nets going or start throwing the football around. Some of you might be thinking, “Oh, the ones who don’t do any work!” They have a role too. They make the picnic fun. They add energy and enjoyment and keep everyone participating.
When you go to a picnic there are roles. They may be subtle or informal but everyone has a role. I challenge you to find the roles each person takes on the next time you go to a picnic? How does each person contribute? Is it by getting things done? Do they make things more fun? Or, do they make sure everyone is included?
On your virtual team it’s important for everyone to know his or her role as well. How do they add to the big picture? Why is their presence on your team important? How can they help in an even bigger way? This last one doesn’t necessarily mean doing more work. It can be about sharing more great ideas, improving business processes or a host of other things. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know.
Team Backup Support
No to the super sexy piece called team backup support. Okay the words aren’t that sexy but the feeling is awesome. When you’re at a picnic the person who provides backup is the one who always jumps in to help. They’re looking for who’s getting overwhelmed or working on their own and they’re always there to help.
Sometimes the backup person wanders around and doesn’t have a specific role. They just look for what needs to be done. At other times this person might help to get the barbeque going, but once that’s done they might jump in to help with serving, or they might jump in to get the fun factor up.
The backup person is always looking for places to help. Who on your team does this naturally? Do you have someone who can help in a number of different areas? Do they have a number of different talents? Sometimes we make this person a point person and give them everything first. At other times this person is great backup support. It’s up to you to assess this person’s capability and your business to determine what works best. If you don’t know experiment with different approaches and see what works for you.
I’m off to my picnic and a day of sun and fireworks!
In love, excitement and freedom.
Priya
