Here's how you can foster accountability and productivity in a virtual team as a servant leader.

In a virtual scenario, it is necessary to build some pillars for relationships with your team, such as building trust through transparent actions, maintaining integrity and showing empathy, setting clear and achievable goals helps guide the team and keeps everyone focused on common objectives, providing adequate tools, allowing open communication and trying to balance support and autonomy.

To foster accountability and productivity in a virtual team as a servant leader, implement strategies like setting clear expectations, promoting open communication, encouraging transparency, supporting autonomy, providing necessary tools, cultivating a supportive culture, implementing accountability mechanisms, recognizing and rewarding performance, fostering team collaboration, leading by example, providing constructive feedback, and building trust. These steps help create an environment that supports team members in achieving their goals and embodies the principles of servant leadership.

I have been working virtually for over three years now. I have come to realize that working virtually can impose unique challenges, and dealing with them as a servant leader requires utmost care and transparency. As an instructional designer, I always hold virtual meetings with Subject matter experts to discuss their expectations and preferences for the projects. Two weeks ago, I was confronted by an SME over wrong color grading in an instructor-led course I had created. I had failed to use an RBG format given by the SME, and overlooking that detail placed me on the wrong side with my SME. This experience taught me the importance of being keen to detail, respecting SMEs' suggestions and proofreading my work before sharing it with the SME.

As a servant leader in a virtual team, fostering accountability and productivity requires a focus on removing impediments and creating an environment where team members feel comfortable voicing their concerns. Create a safe and open environment where team members feel comfortable voicing their concerns. Encourage open dialogue through various channels, such as virtual meetings, team chat platforms, or one-on-one discussions. Actively listen to their concerns and provide timely feedback or solutions.

It is critical for distributed teams to have clear and SMART goals. When the leader sets clear expectations, goals, and guidelines, the team is set up for success. In a distributed environment, the team does not have daily reminders of communication, which makes the leader's communication more important.

Clearly define roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations for each team member. Provide them with a clear understanding of what is expected from them individually and as a team. Set realistic goals and deadlines to ensure everyone understands their priorities and can align their efforts accordingly. By establishing clear expectations, you create a foundation for accountability and enable team members to take ownership of their work.

Each team member can have ownership of the vision, especially if they were in part contributors to the vision. It is easier for team members to embrace the success of a team which they helped craft by giving ideas.

Ownership is essential for a high-performing team. As a leader, we cannot be a bottleneck on day-to-day decisions, and the autonomy team members will feel when given ownership has a huge positive impact on morale. But, delegating effectively requires very clear alignment upfront: 1. Assign roles. I recommend using a system like DACI. 2. Provide context for the "What", "When" and "Why". 3. Be sure to set a "value metric" — what should be optimized for / how success will be measured. This helps ensure work is focused on the right things. 4. Set a schedule and method for updates up front. I have found this to be incredibly helpful to prevent my curiosity and anxiety from turning me into a micromanager — especially earlier on in my career.

Foster the appropriate communication. Gain an understanding of Ken Blanchard's SLII (Situational Leadership) or a similar concept to assure you and the individual contributors are having the correct conversations.

É crucial manter uma comunicação clara e constante, especialmente em um ambiente de trabalho remoto. Estabelecer check-ins regulares e encorajar um diálogo aberto são práticas que adotamos para garantir que todos na equipe se sintam ouvidos e valorizados. Utilizamos videoconferências não apenas para discutir projetos, mas também para captar as nuances da comunicação não verbal, o que é vital para compreender plenamente as necessidades e sentimentos da equipe. Promover um ambiente onde o feedback é bem-vindo e construtivo ajuda-nos a resolver desafios rapidamente e manter todos alinhados com os objetivos da empresa.

Be an Impediment Slayer. Serve your team by actively identifying and eliminating obstacles that hinder their productivity. This can be done by regularly communicating with team members, identifying any roadblocks they are encountering, and promptly addressing those issues. By taking proactive steps to remove impediments, you empower your team to work efficiently and effectively.