by nDemand Consulting Services | Nov 16, 2020

Virtual meetings are an integral part of today’s business world, including the area of government project management. However, remote teaming brings about increased complexity caused by different personalities, cultural diversity, and time-zone differences, among other issues.
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A well-run kickoff meeting is essential to building a high-performing team as it ensures that everyone is on the same page and moving in the same direction. Here’s a look at the best ways to virtually launch a team project.Create Excitement and Motivation
To get started, you need to ensure that the team members are excited about the project and understand its purpose and their role in its success. This increases intrinsic motivation by igniting your team members’ desire to achieve both organizational and individual goals.

Enable Social Time
During the initial kickoff meeting, team members should get to know each other so that they can begin to build strong working relationships. Of course, teams working virtually will need to meet via video conferencing software such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Each person should have the opportunity to introduce themselves and hear from everyone else in the group.During this time, management should take the lead and be sure that they participate in the introductions as well. A team leader should not be afraid to express humility and vulnerability as doing so encourages employees to freely share their assumptions, doubts, fears, and uncertainties about the project. Also, leaders should take time to understand and appreciate diversity within the group to foster a thriving virtual working environment.

Develop a Set of Working Agreements
Well-run projects begin with clearly defining the project’s goals, purpose, and mission. The team members’ roles and responsibilities should also be clearly defined. This enables virtual teams to clarify how they will interact, share jobs, and work together effectively. Working agreements also help team members make decisions on how to provide feedback and resolve interpersonal issues to reduce conflicts.

Discuss Appropriate Communication Tools and Methods
When working virtually in the public sector, team members may be spread far and wide geographically. Distance between team members can make it difficult to manage day-to-day activities. To enhance effectiveness, be sure to use your virtual kickoff meeting to collaborate with the team and determine which technologies will be used to communicate. It’s also important to identify the appropriate use of these communication tools and come up with a schedule for meetings.Additionally, focus on modeling behaviors you expect from other team members. This may include putting away your phone, closing all other unnecessary applications, and being mindful and present during meetings.Building a new virtual project team is not entirely different from building a new in-person team, but you will need to focus more intently on the activities mentioned above. A successful virtual kickoff has the potential to motivate team members to give their best throughout the project.