🥳 GOSKILLS TURNS 10: Get 10 days of free access with code 10YEARS

GoSkills
Help Sign up Share
Back to course

Virtual Team

Compact player layout Large player layout

Locked lesson.

Upgrade

  • Lesson resourcesResources
  • Quick referenceReference
  • Transcript
  • Notes

About this lesson

It is common in today’s business environment to be a member of or leading a virtual team. There are several unique challenges with these teams that the team leader must be prepared to address.

Exercise files

Download this lesson’s related exercise files.

Virtual Team .docx
61.9 KB
Virtual Team - Solution.docx
60.6 KB

Quick reference

Virtual Team

It is common in today’s business environment to be a member of or leading a virtual team.  There are several unique challenges with these teams that the team leader must be prepared to address.

When to use

Use these principles when leading a virtual team.

Instructions

The problems with virtual teams are the same as with other teams, but the fact that the team members cannot quickly get together to work things out has a tendency to delay resolution which amplifies the problem once it finally comes to light.  Expect confusion and misunderstanding.  And expect even more if there are multiple languages and cultures involved.  These problems are not insurmountable; they just require work by the team leader to address them.

Challenges with Virtual Teams

·       Motivation – team members often feel isolated so the team leader should ensure their effort is recognized and they are included in team activities.

·       Collaborative Leadership – some team member’s personal characteristics limit collaboration so the team leader must proactively include them.

·       Communication – reliance on technology instead of interactions leads to confusion or misunderstandings especially with multiple languages and cultures.

·       Commitment – unclear description of roles and responsibilities that often drifts over time.  Use the responsibility matrix to clarify what the virtual team member is leading and what they are supporting.

·       Conflict Resolution – virtual aspect complicates conflict resolution because it often delays the recognition of conflict so the team leader should quickly react whenever conflict rises to the surface.  

Influencing Competencies

When a virtual team member is not performing as needed, the team leader should first try to influence a change in behaviour before more serious actions is taken.  These competencies work well with virtual team members:

  • Establish a communication plan – use normal team data collected through the communication process to address the issue.
  • Leave personal agenda out of the interactions –seek for team success.
  • Rise above politics, but don’t ignore them – relationships with stakeholders are important but should undermine the team member.
  • Engage with emotional intelligence recognize the emotions on both sides.
  • Be tenacious – ensure decisions become actions and show support for the change.
Login to download
  • 00:01 Hello, I'm Ray Sheen.
  • 00:05 Virtual teams create an additional set of communication issues and challenges.
  • 00:10 Let's take a look at how we can address those.
  • 00:13 Before I get started, let me explain what I mean by virtual team.
  • 00:16 This is a team where individuals are working together on a common goal, but
  • 00:20 they are not co-located.
  • 00:22 They could be in a different nearby facility, or
  • 00:24 they could be located on a totally different continent.
  • 00:27 They must function as a team, but
  • 00:29 they do not have the ability to regularly interact face to face.
  • 00:32 So let's talk about some of the challenges.
  • 00:35 One challenge is to keep everyone motivated.
  • 00:37 Team members often feel isolated and forgotten.
  • 00:40 They wonder if anyone knows what they are doing.
  • 00:43 To meet this challenge, the team leader needs to provide regular recognition of
  • 00:46 achievements and ensure the virtual team members are included in team activities.
  • 00:51 Another challenge is collaborative leadership.
  • 00:54 Teams often rely on close collaboration between team member to achieve
  • 00:58 the team goals.
  • 00:59 However, some people have difficulty collaborating from a remote location.
  • 01:03 They need to be with others and where the action is located.
  • 01:06 A friend of mine, who's like this, took a job where she worked from home.
  • 01:09 She said that she felt like she was in the time out chair.
  • 01:13 To meet this challenge the team leader must proactively include the virtual team
  • 01:17 member in the collaborative sessions.
  • 01:19 Another challenge is that the interactions become technology-based
  • 01:23 rather than interpersonal.
  • 01:24 This is especially true if there are very different time zones involved.
  • 01:28 The strong reliance on technology can mask or amplify misunderstandings,
  • 01:33 especially when different cultures and languages are involved.
  • 01:36 Try to create times of actual personal interactions, either face-to-face or
  • 01:40 on the phone.
  • 01:42 The next challenge is commitment.
  • 01:44 The virtual team members often become unsure of their role
  • 01:48 where the team progress towards the goals.
  • 01:51 Clarify with them using the responsibility matrix, not only the task that they lead,
  • 01:55 but also where their support is needed.
  • 01:58 Finally, conflict resolution is a challenge with virtual team members.
  • 02:02 A small problem can stew and fester until it becomes large.
  • 02:05 In face-to-face meetings, you might detect through body language or
  • 02:08 other actions that a conflict is building.
  • 02:11 With the virtual team,
  • 02:12 the team leader often is not aware of the problem until it blows up into a crisis.
  • 02:17 To meet this challenge a team leader needs to be prepared to quickly address any
  • 02:21 conflict that arises, recognizing that if it has made it to them,
  • 02:25 it probably is already a big deal.
  • 02:29 Due to the geographical dispersion of virtual team members,
  • 02:32 there are some team activities that are more challenging.
  • 02:36 Two big ones are communication and integrating activities.
  • 02:40 These are activities where the team members and their actions must intersect.
  • 02:44 If there's going to be a problem, it will show up here.
  • 02:47 So expect that there will be some confusion and misunderstanding.
  • 02:51 A key email was missed, a communication on a teleconference was garbled.
  • 02:55 Or the various team members' interpretation of a requirement
  • 02:58 is different.
  • 03:00 It's absolutely vital to create and follow a communication plan with virtual teams.
  • 03:04 The team leader must proactively manage the communication process and
  • 03:08 keep track of both status and issues.
  • 03:11 If possible get some face-to-face time with team members
  • 03:14 by bringing the entire team together for selected activities.
  • 03:17 And when there are language and
  • 03:18 culture differences, there will be misunderstandings.
  • 03:22 So expect it and manage it.
  • 03:25 I will often put the detail plan in writing and document any action items.
  • 03:29 This essentially creates a contract of expectations between everyone.
  • 03:33 Now I don't use it as a hammer to beat people up or create legal problems.
  • 03:37 I just use it to ensure clarity of expectations.
  • 03:41 Another challenge with virtual teams is to keep those virtual team members on track
  • 03:45 and performing.
  • 03:47 Here are a few influencing competencies that work well with virtual team members
  • 03:51 who are not performing as needed on the team.
  • 03:54 Establish a communication plan.
  • 03:56 I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record on this point, but
  • 03:59 it's absolutely fundamental.
  • 04:01 Have clear communication channels for setting expectations and
  • 04:04 tracking performance,
  • 04:05 then discussions about performance are just normal data collection actions.
  • 04:11 When dealing with an issue, leave your personal agendas out of the discussion.
  • 04:15 Focus on the goals of the team and the role of the individual.
  • 04:19 It's not about individuals winning or losing, it's about the team winning.
  • 04:23 Another competency is to rise above politics but be aware of them.
  • 04:28 The virtual team members may have to deal with power struggles and
  • 04:31 politics at their location that don't impact other locations.
  • 04:35 As a team leader, strive to establish relationships with stakeholders and
  • 04:38 power brokers at the virtual location, so
  • 04:41 you can assist the virtual team member in their team activities.
  • 04:45 But be careful,
  • 04:46 don't use those relationships to undermine your team member.
  • 04:50 Next is to engage with emotional intelligence.
  • 04:53 This means recognizing both your emotions and
  • 04:56 the virtual team member's emotions when dealing with an issue.
  • 04:59 Try to stay focused on facts, which are less emotional and
  • 05:03 work at truly listening to your team members.
  • 05:06 You may have to work at trying to understand what is behind the words
  • 05:10 that they are using.
  • 05:11 Finally, be tenacious, ensure decisions to improve or change become actions.
  • 05:17 A trust me isn't enough.
  • 05:19 You want to work on the principle of show me so
  • 05:22 that there is a foundation for trust.
  • 05:24 You may also need to provide obvious support and encouragement for
  • 05:27 the actions and changes so your virtual team member knows that you are serious.
  • 05:32 The challenges of communicating with virtual teams are the same as though
  • 05:37 with other teams, but the virtual nature will amplify them.
  • 05:41 Team leaders must be prepared for
  • 05:43 the extra work associated with leading a virtual team.

Lesson notes are only available for subscribers.

Team Meetings
05m:15s
Team Decision Making
06m:04s
Share this lesson and earn rewards

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Email

Gift this course
Give feedback

How is your GoSkills experience?

I need help

Your feedback has been sent

Thank you

Back to the top

© 2023 GoSkills Ltd. Skills for career advancement