Virtual Teams

We live in an age where people from thousands of miles away from each other must trust each other to accomplish significant amounts of work. Maintaining effectiveness in a virtual team requires dedication from each member. There are also procedures and rules each member of the group can follow to develop effective team work habits.

Clarifying Objectives and Expectations:

In exploration of virtual team effectiveness, clarifying objectives, roles and responsibilities is the main contributing factor to team success. Having mutually agreed to and understood expectations are very hard when you don’t see each other regularly. Very clear expectations make everyone more productive and the virtual team more successful.

Intercultural competence:

Intercultural competence is the body of knowledge and skills to successfully interact with people from other ethnic, religious, cultural, national, and geographic groups. When someone has a high degree of intercultural competence, they are able to have successful interactions with people from different groups. People must be curious about other cultures, sensitive to cultural differences, and also willing to modify their behavior as a sign of respect for other cultures.

Building relationship and trust:

Relationships among members are the bonds that enable virtual teams to do their work across boundaries. Relationships are harder at a distance, so make time to build relationships. Virtual team members must trust each other to be more productive.

Communicating effectively:

Communicating effectively is the key with virtual project teams. In distance situations, effective communication requires careful attention to listening, presenting one's own thoughts and ideas as clearly as possible, focusing on conveying positive and constructive intent, choosing the right technology to quickly and sensitively express a clear message, and taking extra care to respectfully ensure understanding and expectations for action...