Received this question from Wayne Lindholm just yesterday:
I’ve recently led a Not-for-Profit from physical office space in on state to virtual, on-line space. My biggest question revolves around keeping a ‘high touch’ to relationships in a virtual model?
In my experience the key to high-touch in a virtual world is simply to keep the lines of communication open. Have regular calls with the team (at least once a week) – could even use something like skype or oovoo to do video calls where the team can see each other. Keep the flow of email going so people see “conversation” happening in their inbox. Maybe even connect with each other via instant message throughout the day (if that’s not too distracting for the team.)
I’ve worked virtually for over 10 years now and people have always asked me “don’t you get lonely being at home by yourself?” The answer is no, I’ve never felt lonely because I’m always in communication with the people that I work with, even if it’s just for fun. Not seeing people doesn’t mean you have to lose the connection.
I’m curious, what makes you feel connected to your virtual colleagues/clients?