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Company Culture in the Virtual Age

The art of getting people ‘together’ in a digital world

By Steve Garber

“Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him,
and to let him know that you trust him.”
– Booker T. Washington

What’s your company’s “culture”? You know it when you see it, feel it, work in it. However, ask your staff to define yours, and you would likely get vague, if not totally disparate, answers.

This can occur when staff members sit in the same office, congregate in the same cafeteria or meet by the same water coolers, let alone when they work remotely or virtually – even when working in small local companies. It’s much more of a challenge when we’re working regionally, nationally or internationally.

I don’t have a single person working full time in my office. I work from home, yet, I “manage” at least five employees’ performances. Our clients are even more virtual. Of all the people in the large U.K. bank we coach, only the senior-most executive sits at the same desk regularly. They go from desk to desk, building to building, and city to city. The consulting companies we coach work around the globe. How do they “manage” their people? How do they create a culture?

Forbes has defined culture as: “The set of behaviors, values, artifacts, reward systems and rituals that make up your organization.” So, how do you create and sustain the best possible culture in the virtual world?

Communicate differently

The primary key to virtual team leading is communication. Avoid making all your meetings just about reporting data. Do your best to make your communication regular, consistent and as energized and engaging as possible. Managers of global virtual teams who sit rigidly at their desks, glued to Skype or videoconference screens, tend to lose their interpersonal or persuasive edge. Get people to literally stand and deliver. Tell local stories, both personal and business.

Lead differently and clarify expectations

We are often told to encourage ambiguity – to set targets and let people achieve them in their own way. That can be counterproductive in the virtual world, at least until the relationship and reliability have been demonstrated. While co-located teams often benefit most from a leader who acts as a facilitator, virtual teams need a manager who provides clearly defined direction and removes as much ambiguity as possible from the process.

Build trust differently

On remote teams, trust is measured almost exclusively in terms of reliability – not body language or watching your team interact and decide. Therefore, it is much more important that you manage reliable delivery more than any other aspect of your relationship.

Be really clear on what you want done, how it is to be measured, and manage it closely until that trust and understanding is built. It may take more time in the beginning to know, understand and trust each other’s delivery and performance.

Culture is hard to understand and create – and even more so when it is virtual and remote. These three guidelines will help.

Steve Garber is director of Third Level Ltd. Contact him at 561.752.5505 or sgarber@thirdlevel.com.

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Drew Limsky

Drew Limsky

Editor-in-Chief

BIOGRAPHY

Drew Limsky joined Lifestyle Media Group in August 2020 as Editor-in-Chief of South Florida Business & Wealth. His first issue of SFBW, October 2020, heralded a reimagined structure, with new content categories and a slew of fresh visual themes. “As sort of a cross between Forbes and Robb Report, with a dash of GQ and Vogue,” Limsky says, “SFBW reflects South Florida’s increasingly sophisticated and dynamic business and cultural landscape.”

Limsky, an avid traveler, swimmer and film buff who holds a law degree and Ph.D. from New York University, likes to say, “I’m a doctor, but I can’t operate—except on your brand.” He wrote his dissertation on the nonfiction work of Joan Didion. Prior to that, Limsky received his B.A. in English, summa cum laude, from Emory University and earned his M.A. in literature at American University in connection with a Masters Scholar Award fellowship.

Limsky came to SFBW at the apex of a storied career in journalism and publishing that includes six previous lead editorial roles, including for some of the world’s best-known brands. He served as global editor-in-chief of Lexus magazine, founding editor-in-chief of custom lifestyle magazines for Cadillac and Holland America Line, and was the founding editor-in-chief of Modern Luxury Interiors South Florida. He also was the executive editor for B2B magazines for Acura and Honda Financial Services, and he served as travel editor for Conde Nast. Magazines under Limsky’s editorship have garnered more than 75 industry awards.

He has also written for many of the country’s top newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Boston Globe, USA Today, Worth, Robb Report, Afar, Time Out New York, National Geographic Traveler, Men’s Journal, Ritz-Carlton, Elite Traveler, Florida Design, Metropolis and Architectural Digest Mexico. His other clients have included Four Seasons, Acqualina Resort & Residences, Yahoo!, American Airlines, Wynn, Douglas Elliman and Corcoran. As an adjunct assistant professor, Limsky has taught journalism, film and creative writing at the City University of New York, Pace University, American University and other colleges.