Virtual Teams, Real Relationships & Organizational Reality

The fact that you're reading this probably means that the idea of Virtual Teams doesn't affect your blood pressure too much.

People who read blogs are, for the most part, relaxed about the technology surrounding them and their related social networking platforms.

But how about the manager who sees the need for connecting a global workforce without physically bringing them together?

What happens when (s)he reads Business Week's "A Guide for Multinationals" and realizes that there are people doing deals internationally with 18 chat windows open simultaneously on a laptop outside of a convenience store?

Virtual Teams are a Real Change

Managers are running their operations every day and are concerned about profit and loss. They also care about tools that will help manage those. What they don't have is the time to research and figure out what's going on "out there" as far as technology and application.

This creates real change for the managers and lots of education for all involved.

I just had a conversation with a long-time client who knows it's time to put together a global virtual team. Since I'm at least familiar with a lot of the technology involved, I began talking with him about how easy it would be to do what he wanted to do.

I spoke when I should have kept listening. He knows that the technology is there and figures he can get what he needs with a few phone calls and demonstrations.

What really nags at him is:

1. His model for teams involves physically coming together, doing some familiar things to build a sense of small community, and then meeting regularly.

2. He won't be able to see everyone all the time in real-time. His question: "How do I facilitate the group?" This is a manager with very well-honed group skills.

3. His model for teams also involves relationships. Trying to imagine relationships without physical presence is a difficult mental task.

4. How does the whole thing work? He knows the answer conceptually. He needs to see it and touch it.

Involved in a "Virtual" Change? Read These

In Face to Virtual, Harold Jarche talks about how he recently found "face time" limiting compared with virtual space. Since All Things Workplace is about learning, I always enjoy Harold's insights.

He mentions a quote from Jay Deragon that underscores the real reason for virtual teams:

The number one reason that professionals want to participate in virtual teams more frequently is simple: increased productivity.   As the size of the virtual workforce in America today is growing, so is the likely impact on productivity and profitability for organizations. More than 90 percent of those surveyed agree (35%) or strongly agree (56%) that virtual meetings save time and money. “We used to think that meeting face-to-face was the only way to build trust and teamwork. Armed with new technology and new best practices, we’re learning new ways to connect on a human level with people anywhere, anytime,” said Dr. Jaclyn Kostner, author of Virtual Leadership.

And Lisa Haneberg has a podcast with authors of Managing Virtual Teams: Getting the Most from Wikis, Blogs, and Other Collaborative Tools.

There's a lot of organizational reality that needs to be impacted before Virtual Teams can come into being and operate productively.

What has your experience been with virtual teams and virtual work? What are the personal managerial, and organizational issues you wrestle with?

Take a moment to add to the community's knowledge; weigh in with a Comment below!

Related posts:

Initiating A Change? Think About This

Leaders: Do You Align Yourself Before You Try and Align Everyone Else?

Comments

[Karin H.]

Hi Steve

The only experience I have with 'virtual' teams is two recent 'projects' - both went well, but nonetheless I did learn that the most important issue with this is to set the expectations right from day one on.
Expectations as in: who does what, when and why. Expectations as in: does everyone react with the same urgency you want them to have - or do you have to adjust to their 'characteristics'.
If you don't set the 'basic' expectations right things can get pretty frustrating ;-)

(In this case I had to adjust my eagerness, urgency to the speed and good of the others, no harm done - no ego's bruised, just excellent results through a virtual team.)

Karin H. (Keep It Simple Sweetheart, specially in business)

[Jim Stroup]

Thanks, Steve, for opening a topic of growing importance.

I think your client has important points in mind regarding this. There may be a sort of fear of letting go of traditional methods, there, but there is some validity to the fear. We often forget that collaboration doesn't mean only communication - it is only effective when relationships can be created and maintained as a basis for mutual understanding and trust. This can be difficult to do - or perpetuate - in a strictly virtual environment.

Keeping expectations clear is vital - but maintaining a mutual interpretation of them can be difficult to do in a solely virtual world where we think we're talking to each other, and only find out too late that we're talking past each other - this is enough of a danger in the real world.

The requirements will vary by project and team, but there often must be a combination of real and virtual contact in our project teams. Modern teleconferencing techniques are helping to close this gap. But they still lack the informal confidence-building and mutual understanding that some collaborative projects require, and that can only be developed on a real, personal relationship.

Thanks for a great topic!

[Steve Roesler]

Thanks for the quick response, Karin.

Clear expectations certainly would seem to be an extra-sensitive issue in this case.

It sounds as if your enthusiasm played a role in the communication as well. That's an interesting factor, since our own commitment and energy feels very positive yet can impact other people negatively without the necessary "up-front" understanding.

I'd enjoy hearing even more if you get the chance...this is something that "simply" isn't going away.

[Steve Roesler]

Hello, Jim,

Your comment regarding the legitimacy of the fear of letting go is re-assuring. To me, it doesn't reflect a sign of weakness or aversion to the medium.

This manager is very experienced and understands the importance of trust in relationships, how it's developed, and how easy it is to lose in the blink of a binary eye.

I think you've hit at the core of the issue: the right combination of virtual and real contact. Perhaps Karin's comment comes into play here. The team needs to discuss at the outset what combination of the two is going to get the job done in a way that keeps the team members functioning at their peak.

As always, thanks for bumping it up a notch.

[Karin H.]

Hi Steve

Wish some things were indeed "simple" ;-)

Combining items would be a good way forward (linking into Jim's reply and ideas). Like using other semi virtual tools - Skype with webcam comes to mind.

Virtual teams IMHO should start as any project should start: schedule, tasks, tools, time limits etc.

It is getting used to the new 'project-tools' that'll give the most hiccup first, but we all love to learn, not? ;-)

Karin H.

[Steve Roesler]

Karin,

I won't be surprised if I see you doing a workshop on Keep It Virtually Simple, Sweetheart...(although the acronym isn't very appealing).

The idea of small steps and semi-familiar technology makes a lot of sense vs. jumping into a total change.

Thanks again, K...

[Jim Stroup]

I thought I'd jump back in here and note that I fully agree with Karin's emphasis on establishing expectations carefully up front - and monitoring their realization. This is especially important when collaborating in a virtual environment, but, of course, that's why Karin was emphasizing it, I think. In real-world contact, there are more cues and opportunities to note them, that might enable us to steer a project back onto the road before it winds up a total loss in the ditch. So, in a virtual world we need to pay conscious attention to this.

My only humble addition is that this is greatly eased when we use virtual project teams to expand the reach of our relationships, or use periodic real-world contact to ground the ambitions of our virtual teams.

As always, Steve, thanks for a great topic and great presentation of it. I look forward to Karin's workshop!

[Steve Roesler]

Jim,

The issue of virtual teams and relationships is probably one around which to have an ongoing conversation. In fact, I just made a to-do note to that effect.

The relational issue is bigger than that which is so far portrayed (my belief from observation, experience, and knowledge of the human condition and its related behavior).

It's easy to jump on the technological bandwagon and wave the "banner of productivity". Yet, based on conversations with real live managers facing real live situations, the effectiveness of the technology and its outcomes still link closely to the trust factor.

For these managers, trust still has a connection with face-to-face relationships.

Film at 11...

[working girl]

I like working with people virtually and face to face - the hardest is trying to work virtually with people who are used to working face to face. Virtual work requires a certain amount ability to work independently, which not everyone is comfortable with. It also requires a bit more autonomy, which not every manager wants to give. It's only natural that people cling to their old way of working but the benefits of virtual teams will ultimately trump the preferences of individuals. I predict we'll all go virtual over the next 10 years, then realize how strange it has made us. ;-)

[virtual office New York]

Unlike from traditional teams, virtual teams in business have Worker talent that are not limited to one location. They also Increase in productivity, can Extend market opportunity, can Greatly reduces costs and Increased job satisfaction. Obviously Virtual teams bring many benefits in today's economy.

[Tips and tools for virtual offices]

Thanks for this Steve. I think the key to successfully managing remote or virtual teams is TRUST.. If you don’t have trust among members of your virtual team, you need to learn how to develop it, and fast. Without trust, teams are less open in communication, less creative, and are less productive.