Rethinking Virtual Teams: Principles & Actionable Best Practices

We’ll wrap up by highlighting how AnAr Solutions applies these principles to shape our own culture and productivity.

1. Get the Team Together Physically Early-On

It might sound contradictory in a post about virtual teams, but meeting in person—especially early in a project—remains one of the best ways to build strong relationships and trust. When team members come face-to-face, even briefly, they gain a deeper sense of each other’s personalities, work styles, and cultural backgrounds. These connections often help reduce misunderstandings once the team returns to remote collaboration.

If an in-person meetup is not possible, replicate face-to-face benefits through video-based “coffee chats,” virtual team-building exercises, or online social gatherings. Getting to know each other beyond job titles helps build goodwill, which pays off when challenges inevitably arise.

2. Clarify Tasks and Processes, Not Just Goals and Roles

While clarity around overarching goals is vital, it’s equally important to articulate how those goals will be pursued. In a remote environment, people cannot simply lean over a cubicle wall to confirm details. Without clearly defined workflows, confusion can escalate.

Leaders should break large objectives into smaller, traceable tasks with designated owners and deadlines. Provide specific guidance on which communication modes are best for certain updates—email for non-urgent queries, chat for quick clarifications, and so forth. Periodic after-action reviews (even quick 10-minute retrospectives) allow the team to refine processes and address issues before they snowball.

3. Commit to a Communication Charter

A communication charter sets ground rules for how people interact, cutting down on misinterpretations that often occur in virtual environments. It could outline how quickly emails should be answered, guidelines for virtual meeting etiquette (like muting your mic unless speaking), and appropriate use of communication platforms.

Defining these norms clarifies expectations, especially when the team spans varying time zones. Some members may prefer direct messages, while others rely on email threads. Ultimately, the aim is to ensure everyone is heard, no one is drowned out, and tasks don’t get lost in a chaotic flow of messages.

4. Leverage the Best Communication Technologies

From simple video conferencing tools to robust team collaboration suites, technology is what turns a far-flung group into a functioning remote team. But “best” is subjective: what works well for one team may prove frustrating for another. The priority is reliability and consistency.

Leaders should consider the user-friendliness of any chosen tools. If a platform frequently crashes or feels too complex, team members will avoid it or fail to use it effectively. Also, ensure everyone has the same version of the software or at least the necessary updates to maintain compatibility. Providing basic training at the outset can forestall countless headaches down the road.

5. Build a Team with Rhythm

While flexibility is a hallmark of remote work, teams still need a predictable rhythm of interactions—regular meetings, consistent deadlines, and clear cycles of work and review. When people are scattered across continents, these shared rhythms ensure no one drifts off on a separate track.

Establish weekly or biweekly virtual team meetings at a set time, distributing agendas in advance so participants arrive prepared. If you have multiple time zones, rotate the meeting slots so the same group isn’t always disadvantaged by very early or late hours. It may require compromise and creativity, but striking the right balance keeps the team on a collective pulse.

6. Agree on a Shared Language

Virtual teams often include people from different countries, each bringing unique cultural norms and language nuances. Even when everyone speaks a “common” language, nuances in terminology can lead to misunderstanding. In English, for instance, “yes” can mean “I hear you” in some cultures, whereas in others it implies definite agreement.

Leaders should encourage the team to clarify what words or phrases mean in the context of the project. If someone isn’t sure, they should feel comfortable asking for restatements. Being explicit about expectations and clarifying meaning is far preferable to leaving language ambiguities unaddressed.

7. Create a “Virtual Water Cooler”

In a physical office, the water cooler or break room is where casual conversations happen—personal updates, spontaneous brainstorming, or even tension diffusion. Remote employees can miss out on these unplanned touchpoints, leading to isolation and weaker social ties.

To recreate that environment, dedicate a portion of each virtual meeting to informal conversation. Encourage team members to share personal milestones, weekend stories, or challenges they’re facing. Alternatively, set up a casual, off-topic chat channel. These small gestures help remote employees form deeper bonds, which in turn fosters cooperation and team spirit.

8. Clarify and Track Commitments

Without a mechanism for tracking who is responsible for what, you risk creating confusion that delays progress. In traditional offices, a simple face-to-face reminder can spur action. In remote teams, absent a shared system, deliverables might slip through the cracks.

Project management tools—like Trello, Asana, or Jira—offer transparent ways to assign tasks, set deadlines, and monitor status. If a deadline slips, it’s visible to all, prompting timely support or interventions. Leaders should maintain a balance between oversight and autonomy. The goal is to keep the group aligned and accountable without micromanaging anyone’s daily routine.

9. Promote Shared Leadership

Remote teams thrive when leadership is distributed rather than concentrated in one person. By giving different team members a chance to take the lead—whether organizing meetings, managing sub-projects, or mentoring new hires—you create a sense of collective responsibility.

Shared leadership also helps people develop new skills and feel more invested in the team’s success. If one person is always at the helm, the rest might become passive observers, which undercuts creativity. In contrast, a rotating or collaborative leadership model empowers every individual to contribute their best, whether in technical troubleshooting, cultural liaison work, or facilitating brainstorming sessions.

10. Don’t Forget the 1:1s

Many leaders of remote teams focus on group calls and forget individual connections. But private, one-on-one discussions remain indispensable for coaching, performance reviews, and understanding personal challenges. These sessions offer a space where team members can share candid feedback or seek guidance in a more confidential setting than a group call allows.

Leaders should schedule recurring 1:1 sessions, even if it’s just 20 minutes every two weeks. Ask open-ended questions to see what’s going well and what could be improved. You may discover issues—like feeling socially isolated or difficulties working across time zones—that wouldn’t surface in a larger forum.