I am a firm believer in the value of face-to-face communication. However, over the past few weeks, I have been impressed by a story of hope and support that’s resulted from an online relationship.

Johan is a handsome, 24-year-old client of mine who was a landscape gardener. He was referred to me by his doctor after a serious car accident that left him unable to walk and only able to move about in a wheelchair. The challenges ahead of him were great. He had to give up his work, which had always been the love of his life.

For some years now, Johan has been an avid blogger media and now has thousands of followers. His blog provided a creative outlet for him after a day of being out in the open. He has also written about his accident, how it changed his life and how he can never go back to his much loved profession.

But he blogged about his experiences in a positive way and how he was determined to overcome his disability, knowing that there were others far worse off. Despite having the occasional frustrating days, Johan understands that he faces the same issues as others who have been permanently injured and this sense of shared identity has been crucial in promoting strong online relationships.

His many readers have developed strong empathy with Johan, and when his mother recently wanted to raise funds for an electric wheelchair, she made contact, via his blog, to his existing followers. Within days, not only was the money raised for the wheelchair but also offers of job opportunities.

He arrived at my consultancy in tears of disbelief and joy. The depth of the relationship with his followers on social media made a great impression on me.

The support he received not only helped him to deal with his changed life, but has done much more than that. He has developed a strong bond with hundreds of people whom he didn’t even know just a few short months ago.

His story has resonated with me and made me think more about the relative importance of virtual relationships and social networks.

Leading virtually

So what is the relevance of this story for those leading virtual work-teams using remote facilities? Johan certainly shows us that it is possible to build strong relationships via electronic media without face-to-face contact. Relationships are critical to successful team functioning because they foster mutual support and cohesion within the group, both of which are essential for essential teamwork.

Johan’s story provides us with the knowledge of the factors that can help create successful relationships through social media and electronic communication, that is, shared identity, positivity in communications and the maintenance of continuity in personal connections.

How do we translate this learning to a corporate environment when there is sometimes the necessity to manage 100 or more people through efficient and effective interpersonal communication?

Virtual team leaders should:

• Ensure that all members feel they are an integral part of the team.

• Regularly share details of company and departmental progress in a positive way.

• Build team morale and productivity by praising team members, individually and with the knowledge of the rest of the team for a job well done.

• Always keep lines of communication short and where possible go direct.

Individual identification with the group by all team members is strengthened by positive feedback and personal appreciation being shown for individual contributions.

So what is my opinion on the question of being able to build competitive advantage within the team, even though members may be hundreds of kilometres apart? Simply put, I am converted!

I think that Johan has shown us another perspective of how the modern workplace has changed and how it has become a wired world in which we can all be connected. This doesn’t detract from the fact that we all like to feel a part of a community. Whether that community is together in one building or scattered around the country — it is still possible to build effective teams.

Key Points

* Online relationships can be solid and real.

* Always keep lines of communication short.

* Today we are all part of one or more networks.

Credit: The writer is a BBC Guest-Broadcaster and CEO of a business management consultancy based in London. (www.carolespiersgroup.co.uk)