From offices spread across the globe to homes to libraries to coffee shops, the 21st century workforce is increasingly far-flung -and results are equally all over the map. Virtual teams have the potential to dramatically improve productivity. Or to stymie progress! To work, teams need to feel that, while separated by geography and time, they are united by shared organizational culture, values, and goals. As a leader, how can you nurture teams whose commitment transcends time and place?
Sir Richard Branson once said, "In 30 years time, as technology moves forward even further, people are going to look back and wonder why offices ever existed." While he may well be right, we have a ways to go before we reach that point. Virtual teams have to overcome significant challenges, chiefly their ability to produce consistent results.
In their pioneering study of 70 virtual teams, Professors Vijay Govindarajan and Anil K. Gupta found that only 18 percent reported their performance was "highly successful." Eighty-two percent said they did not meet their intended goals.
In "The Untapped Potential of Virtual Teams" study, Siemens Enterprise Communications revealed that 79 percent of respondents always or frequently work in "distributed teams." However, less than half (44 percent) thought they were as productive as face-to-face teamwork.
At the same time, some organizations have managed to build virtual teams that not only work, but that work better than co-located teams.
An MIT Sloan study by Frank Siebdrat, Martin Hoegl, and Holger Ernst found that "with the appropriate processes in place,
dispersed teams can significantly outperform their co-located counterparts." And Chad Thompson, senior consultant with Aon Hewitt, says that virtual teams can improve productivity by up to 43 percent.
So, the question becomes, what makes the difference between virtual teams that tank and those that thrive?
Keith Ferrazzi, CEO of research institute and strategic consulting firm Ferrazzi Greenlight, argues that there are four "must-haves" for creating and leading effective virtual teams. Get these right - and you'll see the results you, and your organization, need.
Virtual teams can lead organizations to greater productivity, innovation, and profitability, but, as Ferrazzi says, "putting together a great team is tricky." Without carefully considering the composition, size, and structure of your team, you're throwing a diverse group of individuals together without any glue. A team that is "put together to slash costs is not only dysfunctional, it is a drain on your bottom line."
The following pieces need to come together to form a cohesive team:
People.
Teams that incorporate a diversity of skills, experiences, and backgrounds are typically more successful than homogenous groups. That being said, there are certain traits that make some folks ideal candidates for virtual teams:Before selecting team members, use diagnostic tools to assess their strengths and weaknesses. There are many choices (HBDI-Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument, MBTI-Myers-Briggs and BestWorkDATA are examples) and you can use behavioral interviews to unearth areas in which they excel and those on which they need to work.
Size. What happens if you have a group of 30 people? Maybe 15 do the work, while the other half "float." This is one reason why teams with 13 or more members are the worst performers. A smaller team allows for greater accountability, tighter communication, and more engagement. Keep it under 10, and if possible, limit team size to four or five.
These sub-teams can narrow their focus and apply their expertise to their portion of the project. Again, the small size facilitates greater responsibility and communication.
Whether you have led virtual teams in the past or this is your first experience, you can increase your chances of success by practicing these key behaviors:
Leaders make or break virtual teams; these steps are not negotiable. If you want an effective team, hone these behaviors.
Technology enables virtual teams to act as one - no matter where they are. But there's no denying the tremendous benefits to face-to-face meetings (or, if that's not feasible, at least video conferences). They build trust, establish rapport, and produce enhanced results. When should you have these meetings?
It's not always feasible to gather virtual teams in the same location; when it is, though, take full advantage.
There's no getting around it: if you want virtual teams to succeed, they must have the tools to do so. These include:
As Michael Watkin points out in "Making Virtual Teams Work: 10 Key Principles," "selecting the 'best' technologies does not necessarily mean going with the newest or most feature-laden." Members need to connect quickly, conveniently, and comfortably. (Which means don't discount good old email or one-on-one phone calls!)
By putting these "must-haves" into action, you can create a national or global team that works as - or more - effectively than a group who look at each other across their desks every day. And not only can you, you need to in order to survive and thrive in a global economy. Your most important role as a virtual team leader is to erase borders and boundaries. Get started.
