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Communication in Virtual Management

© Terrie Lynn Bittner

One of the challenges of being a senior managing editor for Suite101.com is that the people I manage live all over the world-and I've never met any of them. Over my years of managing here and at another site, I have met only a handful of the people I have worked with. Managing those you have never met requires skills not normally called for in the business world, but as more people begin telecommuting, and as businesses continue to spread throughout the world, managers will increasingly find themselves managing people they do not personally know.

Virtual management has a few advantages over real-world management. First, you are freed from the stereotypes that might be formed by the employee's appearance, clothing, mannerisms or age. You will find yourself forming a mental image of this person based on conversations held by telephone, email and other forms of communications. Interestingly, when I have had opportunities to meet those I have worked with online, my perceptions invariably turn out to be inaccurate. It has shown me how dependent we are on artificial clues in determining character and ability.

Secondly, it is easier to maintain a professional relationship when your communication is limited and controlled. If your communications are entirely conducted by email, you can rework your wording until it is free of unnecessary emotion or damaging anger. If done by telephone, conversation will normally be limited to professional issues, since you know little of the person's personal life. You are not aware of the pictures of children in the other person's office or the fuzzy behavior he exhibits each morning.

Finally, virtual management is a more comfortable medium for those who are shy or introverted. We are able to think about what we are going to say and we can take the time to review another person's problems or questions before answering if we are using email. Quiet, thoughtful people usually make the best virtual managers, whereas outgoing people are usually best at face-to-face management.

On the other hand, virtual management has strong limitations. The very ability to avoid any personal knowledge of a person also limits your ability to understand what motivates, challenges or frustrates the person. You are less able to assess a person's understanding of assignments and to be aware of his frustration levels. You must trust the employee to tell you if he does not understand and needs additional assistance or tools to learn the job. This means that in spite of limitations in building relationships, you must still create a relationship of trust and support. He

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