You're working with a virtual team member who has a flexible deadline. How can you ensure they're performing?

To ensure that a virtual team member with a flexible deadline is performing effectively, you can establish clear expectations and milestones, regularly communicate progress updates, provide support and resources as needed, and set up periodic check-ins to review progress and address any issues or concerns. Additionally, utilizing project management tools to track tasks and deadlines can help keep everyone accountable and on track.

When a member of the team has flexible deadline, I try to be sure that we establish together a well defined timeline which suits well the entire project and team, so info are delivered when requested, action are taken when needed. It’s a must when there is interdependancy of the other member’s work so doesn’t periclitate the well advancement of the project. In my experience when each team member has a list of priorities usual the flexible deadline makes the member working on the last moment and in rush. So results sometimes weren’t as expected..Since, I do periodic meetings to see the advancement of its work by delivering feedback on it and inform the team.

Even in flexible deadlines teams, it's helpful to set clear goals that ties to tentative timelines. It should be done with the collaboration with the team members. They should feel comfortable with committing to the goal and timeline but should still feel the stretch to be challenged in a positive way. Use SMART format and continue to review it periodically to identify what needs to be done to support those goals and team members.

Tracking progress and results, especially for virtual teams, is more difficult but possible, so the tip is to first understand what the team prefers to use as a tool (an Excel, a more sophisticated tool like Jira, a planner, or a Kanban board). After that compromise, people need to give visibility to the progress and share the obstacles as well. This will increase transparency among the team, not only on the objectives and deadlines but also in building trust among each other. Each team will work and have different approaches, so discover the best format that the majority decides and keep improving until everyone gets on board. Good luck!

Setting a clear baseline and the improvement goals is essential. Team should periodically check how they are doing with respect to the set goals. If possible, make the metrics very transparent so that anyone interested in it can access it anytime. It also helps with the accountability of achieving the goals. Use the OKR, KPI or outcome-based goal settings. That's focuses on impact to the process, end customer etc more than the metrics that promotes internal unwanted competition.

Constructive feedback and ongoing support are very important to achieve a goal. Include diverse perspectives and ideas. Come up with specific action items that accelerates meeting the goals. Reach out to people who could influence and increase the impact of the final outcome.

We are still social animals, no matter how much we changed since the caves. And this means we need to connect with people, to bond with them in order to become a team, a pack, or even a family. And at the base of being a ‘togetherness’ there is trust in having a single goal, trust that my boss will be supporting me if I will feel threatened, trust that my collaborator will not let me down in the hour of unexpected need. When trust is earned, then setting expectations, resolving conflicts and all that becomes easier and possible.