Virtually there

The workplace has become a lot more virtual. More people are telecommuting. Travellers have more tools to accomplish tasks in airports and hotel rooms. And it's simpler than ever for colleagues or collaborators in faraway countries to contribute their skills. By far the most important aspect of managing a virtual team is keeping in touch. Claire Sookman, owner of Virtual Team Builders, training and consulting company in Toronto, says virtual teams need to create a team operating agreement that sets out the terms of how and when they'll connect. Flexibility, ease with technology and working efficiently without close supervision are key attributes of virtual team members. There's been a lot of debate in the media over whether remote teams are innovative or merely more productive. The people doing this work think great ideas can come from great teams no matter how they work.