Managing a virtual team requires both task and culture management. Most managers know how to manage tasks, but not how to manage a culture. Virtual teams use email, teleconferencing, videoconferencing, and are also called global teams or distance teams. Problems with virtual teams arise from the limitations of technology and distance, such as not feeling quite human or recognized. These technology issues can also interrupt communications and information sharing. It is possible to overcome these issues and manage a virtual team to be more productive.
Here are 5 research-based tools that may be helpful in creating your own management program.
1. Lay foundations for task-related trust
2. Lay foundations for relationship-based trust
3. Create a culture that everyone feels a part of
4. Grant ample time for an introductory period
5. Model and support continuous appreciation
To create a successful virtual team, first lay foundations for task-related trust by defining and communicating tasks clearly. Then review resumes and background experiences by assigning tasks to competent people. This is where you are assembling your team and assigning roles. In addition to skills and knowledge, find out about their previous experience in virtual teams. It doesn’t matter what their answers are, but these will help you to anticipate and prepare for their needs. Ask if these people have had good or bad previous experiences on virtual teams. Ask what they have found works best for them. Avoid judgment. Employ curiosity. A mature team will need very little management. Be prepared to guide a less seasoned group.
Second, lay foundations for relationship-based trust. To do this, model a culture of openness; model a culture of appropriate disclosure; model a culture of open self-reflection.
To model a culture of openness means to encourage openness. For example, if someone says, “Hey. This solution we are working on isn’t going to work!” welcome that input! Consider that this person could be highly concerned about the success of the team and is prepared to stick their neck out to help the team! For example, “John, your criticism of the way we were thinking about the project has been very useful and I hope to hear more from you as we try new solutions.” Be sure to cc everyone on the team so that they understand the team culture attitude toward openness.
Appropriate disclosure is not harmful or offensive to others and can include self-reflection, such as, “I enjoy being in challenging situations. Even though I’m not always sure how things will turn out, I find that, if I stay with it, they usually do.”
Third, each virtual team is a unique human system. The most successful and resilient virtual teams establish and learn about their unique culture.
You will begin to manage not only task completion—setting deadlines and minigoals—but you can lead as though creating a culture that houses that unique human system. The best way to do this is to allow a rich introductory period.
Just as you wanted to learn about their task competence, allow each member of the team to see how you have assigned roles based careful consideration on the resumes and reputations of the team members. Allowing each member to have team insights will not only build credibility among teammates, but will earn you respect points as a manager for making strong, well-considered choices. Once the team is assured that each one is competent to complete his or her assigned tasks, the task-related trust begins to be established. Establishing competency is a part of establishing foundations for the team culture and shared purpose.
Next, to create a culture that everyone understands and feels a part of, define expectancies and protocols for team development. Then model those protocols: timeliness and quality of content. For example, one protocol can be turnaround time: Every email will be answered within 24 or 48 hours. Another protocol may be: Every email will be answered with respectful tone. When an email sender can see in a timely response that their email was read and of interest, this enriches the team culture.
Fourth, grant ample time for meaningful introductions that demonstrate openness and receptivity. Give time for each member to write and respond to others in a personal way. To do this, you may wish to encourage teammates to share personal experiences, such as bathing the dog or a going on a recent vacation. It can be helpful to the team for the manager to model an appropriate introduction and a response to each member. The team will take your cues.
This will pay off later in more effective use of time, clarity, and comprehension. You can either create a socializing protocol or enlist a coach who has prepared protocols to move the individual members from I to We awareness. (A research-based meet-and-greet structure is available from the author.)
Fifth, model and support continuous appreciation, with statements and observations of what is going well. Encourage them all to send a note to John. For example in a cc state, “I invite everyone on the team to say a word about how the project is going since John suggested the following changes….”
Above all, be specific about contributions and how they seem to be helping. These frequent written gestures are like handshakes and smiles in the virtual environment. Make your presence known with comments as is appropriate for you and your team! You are the manager. It’s up to you to sense your team culture and what it needs!
These five points will help your team to create its own personality and culture and identify each other as valued team members. Remember that a culture arises organically from regular engagement: actively shared purpose, actively knowing each other’s traits and skills, and actively encouraged protocols (real actions and real attitudes) for quality communication. Providing a structure with interaction guidelines will assist your team to thrive in a unique culture.
Renita C. Wellman, Ph.D. organizational psychology, virtual team consultant, has researched methods for increasing cohesion and mutual support within virtual teams (Renita@theWellmanMethod.com).