Communication is key when you are a distributed team

If you are working from different places and you have a task or project at hand - communication is the key for success of that project.

Everything has to be communicated across to everyone to have everyone in the team to be in the same page.

First of all, Requirements of the project has to shared. Everyone has to understand. Project plan has to be deviced and everyone has to agree to the plan and everyone should feel comfortable about accomplishing in this timeframe.

Secondly, Assignment of the tasks from the project. Timely and periodical status of the project has to be shared top to bottom and left to right in the hierarchy.
Every day, or atleast every week or every month.

Thirdly, if any issues, based up on the priority and severity of the issues, it has to be escalated and discussed, talked, brainstormed to kill that issue/bug.

Either by instant messenger or email or postal mail or phone or web/video conference - whatever it may be - the information has to be shared and communicated, if we have to collectively achieve something together as a team.

Overall, COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY!!