foundations of team leadership 1 challenge of virtual teams technological challenges over and above...

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Foundations of Team Leadership


Challenge of Virtual Teams

Technological challenges over and above

geographical & human ones


COMPLEXITY

S T A B I L I T Y

SIMPLE

S T A B L E

D Y N A M I C

COMP L EX

•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

COMP L EX

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

SIMPLE

WHY?Fast Paced Changing Environments Demand Organizational Flex - Complex Teams Working in Virtual Time Answer to that Challenge

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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?

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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

com

plex

ity

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• 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

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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

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Keys to Virtual Effectiveness: Trustworthiness

Transparency + Consistency =

Predictability

Trust

Predictability+ Trust =

Psychological Safety

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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

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Team Meetings (whether virtual or face-to-face) are the vehicles for the Team’s 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)

FACEVIRTUAL VIRTUAL

MeetMeetMeetMeet

TEAM CONTEXTTEAM CONTEXTTEAM CONTEXTTEAM CONTEXTTEAM CONTEXTTEAM CONTEXT

Virtual Teams and Meetings

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.

Interspaced VIRTUAL & FACE-TO-FACE Meetings Are a MUST

FACEVIRTUAL VIRTUAL

Virtual Teams Need to Meet Occasionally to Sustain Meaningful Trust for Interactions & Work Together

MeetMeetMeetMeet

TEAM CONTEXTTEAM CONTEXTTEAM CONTEXTTEAM CONTEXTTEAM CONTEXTTEAM CONTEXT

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• 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

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Virtual Teams Need OVERT Communication & Effective Team Processes MORE Than Other

TeamsVirtuality 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 team’s

WORK

Source:D Gould:Article2000

Enable

Meetings

Enable

Meetings

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Team Meeting:

Microcosm of the

Team’s Effectivene

ss

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

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Transforming the Way We Work and Learn Together HRSLOFoundation of Team Leadership

Tasks

People

Results

TEAM SYNERGY FORMULA

Managing

*

Goals

Tasks & People

Simultaneously

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See ‘Virtual Technology” CD and/or Hand Out

Virtual Teams Must Manage Available Technology to Their Advantage

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Communication & Collaboration- Virtual Space

Synchronous

(Same Time)

Asynchronous

(Different Time)

Different place, different time

Email 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

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Sample Electronic Tools for Virtual Teams

Synchronous

• Audio/Tele-conference

• Video Conference

• SameTime• Instant messaging• Online meetings

Asynchronous

• E-mail and distribution lists

• Activity Room database • Document Library• Discussion Space• Group Calendar

• Team Web page

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Adapting Appropriate Tools to Work Requirements

Audio only Video only Text/Data only

Generate ideas and plans Marginal Poor Good

Solve routine problems Good Good Marginal

Solve ambiguous or complex problems

Good Good Poor

Negotiate interpersonal or technical conflicts

Poor Marginal Poor

Adapted from Duarte and Snyder Mastering Virtual Teams

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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 team’s work

foundations of team leadership 1 challenge of virtual teams technological challenges over and above...

Documents

team slide

team meetings

face virtual virtual

team context slide

team virtuality

face teams

teams effectiveness

teams function