Call Us 303.960.5290 ☰ ˟
  • Home
  • Personal Insurance
    • Car Insurance | Denver West Insurance Brokers | Golden, CO
    • Classic Car Insurance | Denver West Insurance | Golden, CO
    • Home Insurance | Denver West Insurance Brokers | Golden, CO
    • High Value Home Insurance | Denver West Insurance Brokers | Golden, CO
    • Condo/Townhome Insurance | Denver West Insurance Brokers | Golden, CO
    • Renters Insurance | Denver West Insurance Brokers | Golden, CO
    • Rental Property Insurance | Denver West Insurance Brokers | Golden, CO
    • Flood Insurance | Denver West Insurance Brokers | Golden, CO
    • Liability Umbrella Insurance | Denver West Insurance Brokers | Golden, Colorado
    • Builders Risk - For a Home Under Construction | Denver West Insurance Brokers | Golden, CO
    • Life Insurance | Denver West Insurance Brokers | Golden, CO
    • Motorcycle Insurance | Denver West Insurance Brokers | Golden,CO
    • Recreational Vehicle Insurance | Denver West Ins Brokers | Golden CO
    • Boat and Watercraft Insurance | Denver West Insurance Brokers | Golden CO
  • Commercial Insurance
    • Business Owners Package (BOP) Insurance
    • General Liability - The Insurance Coverage Every Business Should Have
    • Commercial Property Insurance | Denver West Insurance Brokers | Golden, CO
    • Commercial Auto Insurance | Denver West Insurance Brokers | Golden, CO
    • Commercial Umbrella Insurance | Denver West Insurance Brokers | Golden, CO
    • HOA Insurance | Denver West Insurance Brokers | Golden, CO
    • Cyber Liability Insurance
    • Errors & Omissions
    • D & O Insurance
    • Professional Liability Insurance
    • Apartment Owners Insurance
    • Daycare
    • Flood
    • Liquor Based Business
    • Farm
    • Special Events Insurance
    • Real Estate Insurance
    • Restaurant, Bar, & Tavern Insurance
    • School
    • Workers Compensation | Denver West Insurance Brokers | Golden, CO
    • Surety Bond
  • Make A Payment
  • Blog
  • Resources
    • How Insurance works
    • 10 Steps to Starting a Small Business in Colorado
    • Insurance Glossary
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Why Choose a Broker
    • Privacy Policy
    • Calculators
  • About Us
    • Employee Directory
    • Service You Can Expect | Denver West Insurance Brokers | Golden, CO
    • Location(s)
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
Logo
Home > Blog > No Office? No Problem! Helpful Strategies for Managing Virtual Business Teams
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015

No Office? No Problem! Helpful Strategies for Managing Virtual Business Teams


More and more frequently people are working from home, and plenty of managers work with people in different offices. But what if no one is in the office? What if your entire company consists of people working wherever they want to work? This is a reality for a growing number of companies that find central real estate unnecessary. Managing an entirely virtual team can be challenging, but a few strategies make it quite possible, so you can reap the benefits of this new model.

“It is a big recruiting draw for the right type of person,” says Lisa Breytspraak Jasper, managing partner of the IT strategy consulting firm Thought Ensemble, whose 13 employees all work virtually. “It allows us to lead our lives very flexibly” but still be very productive. Here are some suggestions on how to make it work!

Hire in hubs:  One upside of a virtual company is that you can hire people outside of commuting range. But, with that said, just because you can draw talent from anywhere doesn’t necessarily mean you should. Felicia Rubinstein, founder of marketing and design firm 341 Studios, works with 16 people virtually. But they’re all relatively close to her Connecticut home base. “I like being in the same time zone,” she explains, and a one- to two-hour range makes in-person collaboration possible. Jasper casts a slightly broader geographical net, but still prefers to hire in clusters, including ones in Denver and Dallas. She’ll hire superstars elsewhere–she recently pulled in someone in Ann Arbor, Michigan–but “we take a much harder look at someone in a city where we don’t have other people.” This makes travel more efficient.

Go for experienced hires:  Not everyone works well on his or her own. Jasper reports that “I interviewed some MBA interns recently, and they were flabbergasted: ‘Where would I work?’ So I gave up on that idea.” Instead, she prefers “relatively senior people who don’t need to be micromanaged.”

On a side note, as people get older, they may have family situations that make remote work appealing. “They’re appreciative of the flexibility and will go overboard to really work well for you,” says Rubinstein.

Build bonds creatively:  Getting people together for social events is great, but bonds arise from work structures too. “We move around between projects pretty fluidly,” Jasper says, and her employees spend roughly 20% to 30% of their time at client sites. That means they’re getting to know different colleagues in person as they’re working. Rubinstein likewise reports that, “We have client meetings. Just because we’re virtual doesn’t mean we don’t see each other.”

Communicate frequently:  Thought Ensemble has company-wide meetings for 90 minutes every Tuesday. While recurring meetings may be overkill when everyone’s already in the office, they do help virtual companies stay connected. Just don’t assume you need to use fancy videoconferencing to mimic the in-person vibe.

Rubinstein reports that 341 Studios favors basic audio conferencing in part because people don’t want to get dressed up. “We tend to talk with each other when we’re walking our dogs,” she says. Since physical activity boosts creativity, that may be a better approach than forcing people to sit in front of a camera.

Measure on results:  Managing a virtual team requires letting go of the idea that being at a desk for a certain number of hours each day equals steady productivity. Jasper has no limit on vacation or sick days, but partners are responsible for a certain volume of sales, and more junior people are responsible for specific deliverables. If you get a job done, the way you accomplished the success doesn’t really matter. “We do actually track hours for client type work because we want to see how long it’s taking us,” Jasper says, but it’s an internal metric to make sure projects are profitable. “We don’t manage our company based on that.”

Rest assured, however, that the crew here at Denver West Insurance Brokers is just about always here to provide support for your insurance needs. If we’re not at our desks to answer your call personally, we’ll get back to you right away!

Happy Holidays!

Posted 5:37 PM

Tags: just good information
Share |


No Comments


Post a Comment
Required
Required (Not Displayed)
Required


All comments are moderated and stripped of HTML.

NOTICE: This blog and website are made available by the publisher for educational and informational purposes only. It is not be used as a substitute for competent insurance, legal, or tax advice from a licensed professional in your state. By using this blog site you understand that there is no broker client relationship between you and the blog and website publisher.
Blog Archive
  • 2021
  • 2020
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015

  • just good information(49)
  • home insurance(37)
  • auto insurance(27)
  • commercial insurance(21)
  • business insurance(21)
  • small business insurance(20)
  • renters insurance(10)
  • homeowners insurance(9)
  • investment property insurance(6)
  • landlord insurance(5)
  • commercial auto insurance(5)
  • liability umbrella insurance(4)
  • car insurance(4)
  • vehicle insurance(4)
  • automobile insurance(3)
  • liability insurance(3)
  • property and casualty insurance(3)
  • life insurance(2)
  • landlord home insurance(2)
  • professional liability insurance(2)
  • commercial liability insurance(1)
  • londlord homeowners insurance(1)
  • homeowner insurance(1)
  • commercial general liability insurance(1)
  • general liability(1)
  • home owners insurance(1)
  • commercial automodile insurance(1)
  • special event insurance(1)
  • landlord homeowners insurance(1)
  • commercial automobile insurance(1)
  • investnment property insurance(1)

View Mobile Version
Why Independent Agent?:

Because independent insurance agencies, like Denver West Insurance Brokers, represent a number of different insurance companies, and can compare coverage and prices to find the best possible value for your individual circumstances. As independent agents, we are members of the Denver and surrounding metro community, and we’re committed to doing business face-to-face and being your advocate in times of need.
Continue Reading


Logo
A Member of Alliance Ins Group
722 Washington Ave #C205
Golden, CO 80401

Ph: 303.960.5290
Fx: 303.988.8390
Logo
A Member of Alliance Ins Group
620 E. Main St.
Frisco, CO 80443

Ph: 970-930-2200
Fx: 303-988-8390


Social Social Social
Home Blog About Us Meet Us Contact Us

Powered by Insurance Website Builder