We’re all continually adjusting to this new world of remote work and virtual meetings. 

As we learn new tech tools, develop new protocols, and find new work/life rhythms, supervising a team can get pushed to the bottom of the priority pile. 

But if you’re anything like me, you believe that people are the most important part of any organization. So, learning how to effectively supervise your team in a virtual environment should be a top priority. 

Whether you are supervising student employees or professional staff, here are five virtual supervision strategies. 

1. Projects and progress

My teammates and I have spent most of the last four months working from home. And with a nine-month-old baby and a spouse who has also been working from home, it quickly became apparent to me that my usual 9-to-5 business-as-usual schedule was not sustainable. 

My morning routine was disrupted by crying — usually the baby’s and sometimes my own. And trying to be the all-star parent, I was eager to come to the rescue. But not only was this routine not sustainable for me; it also wasn’t sustainable for my staff. 

This is how the project model came to the rescue. Here’s how you can implement it, too: At the beginning of the week, name one to five projects the team needs to complete. Assign teams and tasks, and create a deadline. Then, trust that the team is moving forward on those projects. At the end of the week, you can have a check-in meeting to see what has been completed, what needs additional assistance, and what needs to carry over to the next week. 

By creating a project-based culture, you’ll be able to free people up from feeling strictly held to the clock while still ensuring that work is moving forward. Plus, it forces you, as the supervisor, to be crystal clear in communicating team priorities. 

2. Trust is your new currency

When you know that a coworker or supervisee is working from home, have you ever wondered “Are they actually working or are they just watching Netflix?” 

That worry may feel natural, but you also need to trust your team. Trust is the key commodity in the virtual world. So instead of spending fruitless time worrying about what your staff is doing, find ways to strengthen the trust by creating an empowering virtual atmosphere. Here are two quick tricks to increase your trust currency in the virtual world:

• Weekly Talk-It-Out Reports: End each week with a team meeting during which everyone shares the top three things they worked on and completed that week. This does two things. First, it creates a peer accountability structure wherein everyone hears what everyone else is working on. Secondly, it reassures you that the individual and the team are doing the work to move the team’s mission forward.
• Own your work: The best way to create virtual workplace engagement is through ownership. To do this, start each week by sharing a list of projects up for grabs. Then, have individuals select projects that they are excited about tackling. This strategy allows people to own their work, which will lead to increased engagement.

3. The reimagined book club

Book clubs are not a new thing. As you move to virtual learning, it can be a great way to sustain learning. 

Don’t fall victim to the notion that everyone must read the same book. Yes, I get the value of group discussions and a common language. But do you know what’s key to motivating people to read? Picking something they actually want to read! 

So, let each member of the team pick their own book. Set a presentation date, and have people give a book report on what they read. And the reports don’t need to be boring. They can be fun storytelling, picture-filled virtual presentations. Maybe have everyone pick their top five quotes from the book or find three pictures that best describe what they learned.

This strategy allows for individuals to learn more about something they are interested in while also giving other people a glimpse into that topic. I’ve found that this fosters amazing dialogue between team members!

4. The Monday morning text

It is easy to feel disconnected from your supervisees when working virtually. You miss out on conversations like “How was your weekend?”, “Did you watch the game last night?”, and “Did you hear the new project Eddie is having us work on?”.

So, in order to get a weekly quick pulse of the team, send out a morning text each Monday. In it, you could ask a simple question and have each member of the team text back individually. Or you can do it as a group text. The question you pick can be the same each Monday or you can switch it up each week.

Here are some example questions:

• On a scale of 1 (struggling) to 10 (thriving), how are you feeling and why? Note: This is a great way to also identify where students are at, and then create systems to help those who might be struggling with mental wellness and help the high-scorers retain such great energy and positivity. 
• What is one thing motivating you right now?
• What can I do to best support you this week?
• What is most consuming your energy right now?
• What is adding to your stress right now?

The questions are intentionally open-ended so that each individual can talk about whatever they’d like — including work or their personal life. And these might seem like typical throw-away meeting questions, in a world of virtual work, gaining insights on how each employee is doing allows you to individualize your support. 

4). Block out unproductive times: As I mentioned before, a major downside of a virtual work environment is that you miss out on the in-between moments: The moments when you catch up on someone’s day or chat about an idea that came to mind. 

To help bring this to your virtual life, I suggest setting up 30 minutes that are intentionally unproductive — meaning that you aren’t feeling the pressure to complete something. Here are some ideas of how to use your unproductive meetings:

• Life updates: Everyone gives a short 5-minute update on their life. 
• Experts: Each week, have a different team member lead a lighthearted session on a topic of their choice. Topics could include Secret hobbies, weird food combinations, Bachelor conspiracy theories, and favorite conversations with neighbors. You will be surprised to learn who knows what on your team!
• Keep it organic: If you prep something more organic, keep the unproductive meeting unplanned. Leave this space wide open and let the conversation dictate what happens. 

All of this might sound like a waste of time. But from my experience, creating a team that feels comfortable (with you and with each other) will create an environment wherein trust and productivity flourish. Finding small ways to keep building team culture is equally, if not more important, in a virtual world. 

5. The 10-minute meeting: 

To make sure everyone on your team is feeling good at the end of the week, set up 10-minute meetings. These can take place every week or every other week, depending on your schedule and how many people you supervise. 

These meetings are designed to be short check-ins. To help keep the familiarity and the effectiveness of these meetings, I recommend covering two or three of the same questions every time. Here are some examples:

• How are you stuck, and how can I help you get unstuck?
• What are you proud of accomplishing this week?
• What are the top three things on your plate this week?
• What area of our office’s goals, mission, or values do you think we are neglecting and need to focus more on?

Ten minutes is not a lot of time. But, if the time is organized well, you will be surprised by what a short connection point in your week will do for you and your supervisees. Also, once everyone gets in the rhythm of these meetings, you really can limit meeting fatigue while creating space for input, feedback, and connection. 

Supervision in a virtual world doesn’t need to be daunting. Yes, it might look different, but different doesn’t have to mean ineffective. 

By incorporating two or three of the above practices, you can create new rhythms and routines — allowing your team’s productivity and cohesion to continue to flourish.

Share your insights with us @themoderncampus. What are you doing to supervise your team?