Management HQ was founded on the principle that every association deserves a highly customized team of experts dedicated to serving the unique needs of their group. Because no two associations are alike, we saw an opportunity to meet those needs in a highly customized and cost effective way: through virtual teams.
What is a virtual team? While many definitions exist, at its core, a virtual team offers flexibility combined with expertise. The benefits range from recognizing efficiencies of scale to quick adaptability to being able to customize a customer experience in a way that competitors can’t.
Think about any company where you do business, whether it’s the auto body shop or a consulting firm. When you work with a traditional company or agency, they typically have a finite number of staff members and you will be served by whomever the company decides will serve you (or by the “next available” professional). But as you likely know from experience, every professional has different skills and experience—not to mention varying rapport with customers.
With a virtual agency, you are matched with the right expert whose skill set and expertise matches your specific needs.
Here are some tips for associations looking to build virtual teams:
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- Build your team deliberately. Do your due diligence before bringing virtual team members on board, have systems in place for tracking and contacting these team members, and have a solid on-boarding process.
- Select the best. In the eyes of your members, your virtual team is your association. Invest the up-front time to develop selection criteria and processes, similar to how you would select a full-time employee.
- Structure a template agreement. Seek solid legal counsel in developing a template to use for the contractors who will become part of your virtual team. This will clarify expectations and parameters to all parties up front and ensure all parties are protected.
- Select a project management system and create expectations for how it will be used. This will clearly identify duties, timelines, and responsibilities, and keep the project manager informed at all times. We use Teambox (www.teambox.com) to manage internal and client projects, events, and work plans.
- Build redundancy into your team. This is another great advantage of virtual teams: If one graphic designer is unable to take on a last-minute project, have three more lined up to step in as needed.
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Build your virtual team right, and your association can create a unique experience for each stakeholder group. You can tap into the wisdom of highly talented and experienced professionals, often at a fraction of the cost of hiring a big agency or a full-time employee. And you can serve members in more effective and creative ways than you – and they – ever dreamed possible.
