Foundations of Team Leadership 1 Challenge of Virtual Teams Technological challenges over and above geographical & human ones

Foundations of Team Leadership COMPLEXITYCOMPLEXITY S T A B I L I T Y SIMPLESIMPLE S T A B L E D Y N A M I C COMPLEXCOMPLEX Stable and predictable environment Minimal need for sophisticated knowledge due to environmental factors Dynamic and unpredictable environment Minimal need for sophisticated knowledge due to environmental factors COMPLEXCOMPLEX D Y N A M I C S T A B L E Stable and predictable environment High need for sophisticated knowledge due to environmental factors Dynamic and unpredictable environment High need for sophisticated knowledge due to environmental factors Source: Robbins Management Concepts and Practices SIMPLESIMPLE WHY? Fast Paced Changing Environments Demand Organizational Flex - Complex Teams Working in Virtual Time Answer to that Challenge

Foundations of Team Leadership 8e-3 What Challenges Do Complex Teams Face? Location Within an organization From one Division/Region to another From one city/country/continent to another Time Number of time Zones Time differences Communication Languages Tools Cultures Life in Matrix Are you part of one or many teams? One or multiple bosses to answer to?

Foundations of Team Leadership 8e-4 Complex Issues Facing Teams Global cross organizational teams Global cross- functional teams Global functional teams Cross functional dispersed (same language/culture) Same function dispersed (same language/culture) Cross functional co- located Same function co- located complexity

Foundations of Team Leadership 8e-5 Teams are complex Teams vary in effectiveness Effective teams depend on effective individuals, and vice versa However, Virtual Teams are challenged by the additional factors of geographics and the nature of virtual reality The Truth About Teams…. Globally Dispersed and/or Virtual

Foundations of Team Leadership 8e-6 Challenge of Virtual Teams The ability to read body language (70% of all communications), is key in forming bonds and in trusting colleagues A virtual team requires an individual to accept in close collaboration someone rarely seen face-to-face Virtual teams go against human nature in many respects: Face-to-face time is rare T Elyasshiv; VP Capital One, 2000

Foundations of Team Leadership 8e-7 Keys to Virtual Effectiveness: Trustworthiness Transparency + Consistency = Predictability Trust Predictability + Trust = Psychological Safety

Foundations of Team Leadership 8e-8 The Importance of Trust & Transparency :J Gundy PhD, 2000 GIVEN That :Research Indicates: Teams function by collaboration Collaboration is based on trust If people do not trust, they will not collaborate If there have been no face-to-face, it will take longer for trust to develop Building periodic face-to-face time is Crucial to a team

Foundations of Team Leadership 8e-9 Team Meetings (whether virtual or face-to-face) are the vehicles for the Teams Effectiveness: They embody the trust and performance abilities of the team They need to be periodically reinforced with face-to-face contact (Trust is developed by close contact, or by repeated experience of predictable performance) FACE VIRTUAL Meet TEAM CONTEXT Virtual Teams and Meetings

Foundations of Team Leadership 8e-10. Interspaced VIRTUAL & FACE-TO-FACE Meetings Are a MUST FACE VIRTUAL Virtual Teams Need to Meet Occasionally to Sustain Meaningful Trust for Interactions & Work Together Meet TEAM CONTEXT

Foundations of Team Leadership 8e-11 Virtual Teams have all the same requirements as face- to-face teams EXCEPT That they need more and better teaming best practices Teaming Best Practices Are Most Critical

Foundations of Team Leadership 8e-12 Virtual Teams Need OVERT Communication & Effective Team Processes MORE Than Other Teams Virtuality Requires : Communications Teaming mechanisms Consistent norms Remote sites that feel included Team members that feel connected to others Flexible & thoughtful interactions OVERT Just to get connected Let alone work together Or sustain a team Virtuality: Difficult & Distorted Medium

13 Source:D Gould:Article2000 Meetings are NOT interruptions They ARE the Essence of the teams WORK Source:D Gould:Article2000 Enable Meetings Enable Meetings

Foundations of Team Leadership 8e-14 Team Meeting: Microcosm of the Teams Effectiveness The way a team works together in a meeting Is a good indicator of how effectively its gets its works done in general Especially, Virtual Teams!

TEAM SYNERGY FORMULA Transforming the Way We Work and Learn Together HRSLOFoundation of Team Leadership Tasks People * Results Goals

Foundations of Team Leadership 16 Transforming the Way We Work and Learn Together HRSLOFoundation of Team Leadership Tasks People Results TEAM SYNERGY FORMULA Managing * Goals Tasks & People Simultaneously

Foundations of Team Leadership 8e-17 See Virtual Technology CD and/or Hand Out Virtual Teams Must Manage Available Technology to Their Advantage

18 Communication & Collaboration- Virtual Space Synchronous (Same Time) Asynchronous (Different Time) Different place, different time Distribution list Activity Room / Shared Database Team website Same time, different place Video-conference Audio-conference Lotus SameTime Chat Lotus SameTime web meeting Same place &different time Project Rooms (during Missions) Notice Boards Same time & same place Missions Team Retreats

Foundations of Team Leadership 8e-19 Sample Electronic Tools for Virtual Teams Synchronous Audio/Tele-conference Video Conference SameTime Instant messaging Online meetings Asynchronous and distribution lists Activity Room database Document Library Discussion Space Group Calendar Team Web page

Foundations of Team Leadership 8e-20 Adapting Appropriate Tools to Work Requirements Audio onlyVideo onlyText/Data only Generate ideas and plans MarginalPoorGood Solve routine problems Good Marginal Solve ambiguous or complex problems Good Poor Negotiate interpersonal or technical conflicts PoorMarginalPoor Adapted from Duarte and Snyder Mastering Virtual Teams

Foundations of Team Leadership 8e-21 Summary of Virtual Team Best Practices Prepare Design for potential of virtual space Consider impact on work/life balance for meeting times across time zones Manage Exaggerate good meeting practices Find new ways to encourage collaboration and counter apathy Capture and Continue Record decisions reached and lessons learnt Circulate electronic notes of all meetings as means to stay on the same page- so to speak Make teaming skills and best-practices learning an ongoing part of the teams work