5 Ways to Make Virtual Collaboration Easier for Distributed Startup Teams

Distributed teams have become essential for many businesses for several reasons, such as access to a wider talent pool, increased knowledge of local markets, and increased diversity. However, when you’re a startup business, it can be difficult to know what collaboration systems will be the most cost-effective and successful in meeting your needs. 

There are other concerns with virtual collaboration too. Operating across different time zones, communication issues, and cultural differences can all pose problems for distributed teams. With careful planning and the right tools, you can enjoy the benefits of having a distributed team without the associated problems. 

Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can make virtual collaboration easier for your startup teams.

5 ways to make virtual collaboration easier for distributed teams

To be a successful startup, you can implement a virtual collaboration strategy from the outset. This way, you can modify and expand as you grow your enterprise. 

1. Set rules and boundaries around timezones and communication

With team members around the world, there’s a good chance that those 9 am meetings will fall in the middle of the night for some people. If you’re a small business, it may be that you can manage by shifting meeting times around, but if you have a large team, you may need something more formal in place. 

First of all, you need to know what time zones your team members are in. Secondly, you need to be respectful, mindful, and empathetic to your team members’ needs.  From here, you can look to work out a schedule based on people’s needs and preferences. 

Some people won’t mind late nights or early mornings, but for others, enforcing meetings at unsociable times could lead to burnout. The trick is to take agency and come up with a plan that takes into account the needs of the people on the team as well as those of the business.

It’s important that these boundaries are communicated to all team members and measures are taken to protect their non-working time, such as using autoresponders and shared calendars. If a team member can’t attend a meeting, AI audio transcription means they can catch up on the meeting word-for-word when they’re back on the clock.

2. Have a system for knowledge-sharing

Effective team collaboration and knowledge sharing are essential for success, but it can be a challenge for distributed teams. Everyone needs access to information and company knowledge if they’re going to make informed, insightful decisions. 

Having clear communication channels and a policy for sharing information can help ensure everyone has access to what they need.

Team members need access to a designated single source of truth, such as a cloud-based storage system. Otherwise, they can spend valuable time searching for information that may be out of date or not the same as what other people in the team are using. 

A great example is sharing budget information so teams, such as the marketing department, have an understanding of resources. A tool like OneStream corporate budget planning can help when it comes to allocating resources to support growth and cover daily operations. 

3. Establish clear communication channels

Clear communication channels are crucial for promoting successful team collaboration. As a startup, you’re in a good position to implement tools and apps for teams to use to get them into good interaction habits. 

Streamlining communication channels can help keep all communication in one place so messages aren’t lost or hard to find.

When planning communication channels, consider the following things:

• Public communication, such as anything shared on social media or through digital marketing, should fit with the company brand. So having a style sheet that sets out the type of language and tone that should be used is vital.

• When it’s appropriate to use DMs or instant messages

• How emails should be set out, what SEO should be used, and when the emails should be sent

• When collaboration should be via a virtual meeting

• If 1:1 communication should be on a phone call or virtual meeting

If there are language barriers in your team, a conversational AI tool can help. But, what is conversational AI? It’s an AI tool that simulates natural-sounding language. As it uses NLP and machine learning, it doesn’t rely on a rigid set of answers.

4. Run team-bonding activities

Helping remote workers feel part of the team can be tricky. Remote working can lead to feelings of isolation and low morale. Team-bonding activities can help create bonds between staff, which can, in turn, build trust and help staff feel comfortable asking questions and collaborating.

Some team-bonding exercises you could try are:

• Online warmups before virtual meetings. This could include checking in and asking people how they are, sketching each other on whiteboards, guessing the workspace, or even team trivia.

• Icebreaker questions, such as ‘What’s your favourite movie?’

• Games, such as scavenger hunts or quizzes

• Virtual book clubs

5. Use third-party risk management platforms

Third-party risk management platforms can help virtual teams identify third-party risks. They can:

• Centralize information on third parties, such as their security position and regulatory compliance

• Automate approval processes

• Prioritize risks

• Assess KPIs

Since these platforms bring all the data together in a centralized location, all team members can access the same data in real time when needed. Because many processes are streamlined and automated, it reduces the risk of human error and critical risks being missed.

To sum up

Communication is key, especially in a startup business with distributed teams. In the early phase of entrepreneurship, systems and processes are evolving and need refining, so communication is vital. 

Having a plan in place to streamline communication can help team members understand how and when they should be talking to other people in the business.

Team members should also be able to access shared documents, such as company information and policies, to ensure consistency across the board. 

By taking these measures and boosting team morale, you’ll have a winning formula for success.