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. 2020 Oct 31;50(1):100802. doi: 10.1016/j.orgdyn.2020.100802

Table 1.

Team Alignment Audit: activities to ensure the leader has sustained the culture and aligned the virtual work environment to the organization. Leaders may decide to add or delete items based on their organizations goals and objectives

Communicate New Reality Hold weekly team meeting early in week at a set time that accommodates team
Hold individual weekly meetings with each team member
Schedule weekly team meetings with the purpose of the team talking and engaging
Start each meeting with two questions; “How are you and your family doing?” and “Are you having any problems I can help you with?”
Remind team members of their importance to overall organization and other stakeholders in their work output.
Define and enforce communication norms and etiquette
Trust Find ways to remind team of cultural values, beliefs, and norms in what is said, done and written in both team and individual communications
Use rituals, celebrations of professional and personal milestones, and symbols to keep culture top of mind for team members
Remind team members of communication and data sharing protocols that build trusting relationships
Include those who remain at home during partial reopening of offices in team events
Advocate for those unable to return to offices because of family responsibilities, preexisting health conditions, or fear when and if offices reopen
Engage with technology unit to ensure team members ready access to tech support and best available collaboration equipment and platforms
Ensure team members have access to professional development training, educational programs, career counseling, pay and benefits, mental health support, and corporate recognitions and communications.
Engage with other organizational units and customers to ensure team ready access to needed resources, information, and cooperative collaborations
Ensure team members are encouraged to share ideas, take risks, and provide feedback
Communication Communicate in a timely way to show respect for team members and responsiveness to their needs (responding quickly sends a message so check all modes frequently for messages)
Communicate frequently with team members to show they aren’t being forgotten
Communicate in predictable patterns to avoid feeling of uncertainty
Communicate clearly by checking to ensure that what was communicated was understood
Carefully select the communication mode that best fits the message and the receiver
Double-check the technology to ensure communications are smooth
Shared Leadership Prepare team members to take on leadership roles
Identify the leadership skills of each member to ensure proper assignment of roles that each is good at and which has development potential
Encourage team collaborations and information sharing to allow members to see each other’s contributions to the work product
Celebrate accomplishments of team and spotlight contributors
Ensure the infrastructure for work collaboration, providing updates, and sharing feedback is accessible, understood, and working
Monitor the team collaboration in routine meetings (Step 1) to ensure conflicts are identified and resolved