Any global company worth it's salt knows they have to leverage resources and information from around the world to stay competitive. One of the tools in the corporate toolbox is the virtual business team. A group of individuals from different geographic locations, time zones and cultures who have been assigned some sort of goal or project such as a task to complete, a problem to solve or a decision to be made. Bottom line the virtual business team is here to stay in the global economies of today and the better we all become as team members the more success it brings to us and our organizations.
Twenty years in corporate America has afforded me the opportunity to work on many virtual teams. As technology continues to improve, in most cases, the experience of working on a virtual team improves. Technological improvements lead to better availability and lower costs for virtual meeting capabilities, allowing more and more small businesses and individuals to take advantage of this new meeting platform. With all this growth, comes growing pains and lessons to be learned. Today's blog discusses some best practices and tips for a successful virtual business team based on my experience and what I know to be true.
In the very beginning, as the team is being formed and before the project kicks off, I highly recommend that the leader of the team (oh yes, you need one!) develop a contract or agreement which outlines how the team will function. Identify what days of the week the team meets, the time of day, how often, mode of meetings, type of meetings, and communication expectations among team members. Outlining all these parameters levels the field for everyone and no one is caught by surprise or off-guard. Managers or team leads should be aware of the potential to show favoritism in this space. For example, always having a meeting that is late at night for a portion of the team. Rotate times so the same individuals are not put out week after week.
Regarding a leader, I've not participated a team that often is referred to as "self-directed". Every team I've ever been on, with exception of some academic teams, has had a leader of some sort. Whether its a project lead, team lead, manager, coach or sponsor, there needs to be someone who can break the tie, referee the argument, make the decision or just plan give guidance. I can't imagine any team working well and being successful without one of these roles in place. And that takes me to one more thought, clear roles and responsibilities for all team members identified and clearly communicated. The dreaded note/minute taker role should be rotated, for example, so no one feels slighted or less important as a team member.
Remember time is an important resource for everyone in today's business world, members should be expected to show up on time and the meetings should end on time. High participation by all team members will create a much more engaged team. Attendance is crucial to the participation aspect and creating the social cohesion the team will need to be successful, so demand it from the team.
As the team begins to work their project, set deadlines or gates and hold to them. Important on many levels, but progress has to be tracked in some fashion. Most teams have many types of report outs and dates in project plans that project leads hold them to (I'm on one now). Communication among team members should always be very overt and explicit due to the lack of non-verbal communication cues in the virtual environment. All messaging should be clear and confirming of the team's work and progress, or lack there of (let's hope not). Probably best if teams include within their contract or agreement some type of guideline for using email as communication among the team.
I mentioned earlier the element of social cohesion, everything I've read and experienced has clearly indicated how important trust is among the team members. Building trust starts with social cohesion and having a commonality, a history and/or shared experiences. Obviously, shared experiences and social interactions are challenging virtually but a good project leader who keeps the team focused on the goal and who communicates clearly can build the trust required for a high performing team. Another key skill set for building trust is cultural diversity or international experience. Understanding other cultures well enough to avoid a faux pas or possibly hurt feelings or worse yet, an argument, is very important to being a good global team player. If you feel you may fall short in this dimension ask your employer if they offer any cultural diversity training, most global companies do and should if they don't.
These are the key elements I've discovered in my research as I've pursued my degree in business at Bellevue University in beautiful Bellevue, Nebraska. I hope they help your next virtual team become the high flying team we all want and hope to be part of.
Julie
Turbett Farm
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