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<\/p>\nMany remote workers have not returned to the office, and may never do so. As remote work becomes more common, the importance of building and maintaining effective virtual teams is more important than ever. On the positive side, virtual teams reduce meeting costs, provide greater flexibility in scheduling, combat climate change, allow us to leverage the best talent regardless of location, and more easily access new and different points of view.<\/p>\n
At the same time, virtual teams introduce unique challenges.\u00a0 It\u2019s difficult enough getting a team to work well together face-to-face (just go back and watch a Group Night episode of American Idol).\u00a0 When team members are in different time zones, separated by distance, and accustomed to different cultural norms, it\u2019s even harder.\u00a0 Research by Professor Hayward Andres at Portland State University indicates that virtual team productivity and satisfaction is significantly lower than that of face-to-face teams.\u00a0 Figure 1 uses a model of team performance to highlight why virtual teams often struggle.<\/p>\n
Virtual Team Challenges
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In our experience, the best virtual teams overcome these challenges using three specific practices.<\/p>\n
1. Assume Nothing and Spell Out Everything<\/strong><\/p>\n Too often virtual team members are focused on different agendas.\u00a0 This isn\u2019t because they don\u2019t want to be a good team member; it\u2019s because the lack of interaction makes it harder to know what other team members want to accomplish.\u00a0 In the absence of a common understanding, virtual team members revert back to what\u2019s important to them individually and make the false assumption that this is also what\u2019s important to their teammates.\u00a0 Alternatively, the best virtual teams assume nothing and spell everything out.\u00a0 They establish a team charter from the start that articulates the team\u2019s goals, clearly defines who will do what, defines success metrics, and identifies team norms. According to Andy Czuchry, a Senior Faculty Member at the Institute for Contemporary Leadership, virtual teams can make objectives and measures explicit using the following template<\/p>\n Team Objectives & Progressive Value Measures Template<\/p>\n Documenting the team\u2019s measures in this way drives alignment and provides the team with a framework for evaluating progress on an ongoing basis and knowing when they need to change course to achieve their goals.<\/p>\n 2. Build Trust by Increasing Social Interaction<\/strong><\/p>\n Virtual teams establish trust the same way any team does; by consistently engaging in trust-building behaviors. The difference is that the best virtual teams are intentional about checking in with team members to better understand how the team is doing and what can be improved.<\/p>\n Team Trust-Building Checklist<\/p>\n 3. Establish Formal Communication Protocols and then Over-Communicate<\/strong><\/p>\n High-performing virtual teams conquer time and distance by establishing formal communication protocols and over communicating.\u00a0 The best virtual teams publish agendas in advance, share pre-reads prior to the meeting, and send out meeting minutes with key decisions and follow up actions. They also don\u2019t let team members disappear.\u00a0 They create \u201cvirtual water coolers\u201d and chat rooms to encourage communication and maintain a calendar for each team member to aid in scheduling across time and distance.<\/p>\n In addition, the best virtual teams leverage visual communication mediums, such as screen sharing and video conferencing.\u00a0 Interestingly, though, they use these tools in a slightly different way.\u00a0 In our experience, the best virtual teams require that team members video conference into the meeting on their own vs. from a conference room with other team members. Insisting that everyone participates individually breaks down silos and increases inclusion.\u00a0 The impact of this simple shift can be quite powerful on the team\u2019s cohesion and productivity.<\/p>\n Finally, we\u2019re increasingly seeing virtual teams modify meeting times.\u00a0 Instead of starting on the hour, they start meeting 5 minutes later but ask team members to use the 5 minutes to individually prepare for the discussion. On the flip side, they end the meeting 10 minutes early and participants use the extra time to consolidate their thinking and capture notes.\u00a0 These virtual teams maintain that when individuals put in a little extra time before and after the meeting, it streamlines group discussions and dramatically improves outcomes.<\/p>\n Covid-19s disruption on our personal and business lives is significant and painful.\u00a0 Perhaps one small but powerful silver lining will be an improvement in how we work together virtually.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"\"](\"https:\/\/contemporaryleadership.com\/staging\/1870\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Team-Objectives-Template-1536x649-1-1024x433.png\")
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\nA key challenge for virtual teams, however, is limited social interaction.\u00a0 It\u2019s hard to play laser tag when you are hundreds of miles apart.\u00a0 That said, virtual teams can bake non work-related \u201cchit chat,\u201d or social discussions into their agendas.\u00a0 This might entail celebrating a recent milestone or asking team members to share a recent personal event. Additionally, while virtual teams may not be able to go bowling together, they can engage in a host of virtual games such as Minecraft or World of Warcraft.<\/p>\n