High Performance Management
Module 02
Maximizing Personal and Collective Performance
November 15, 2010
Presented by Team J2KL2
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Jocelyn McCoy
Joseph Marino
Kathleen McLean
Laura Taylor
Linda McCullough
The Benefits and Pitfalls of Virtual Teams
An examination and analysis of virtual teams, their strengths and
weaknesses, and viability in today’s business climate
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 Virtual teams are geographically dispersed work teams, whose members are
interdependent and share responsibilities for outcomes. The team members must
collectively manage their relationships across organizational and geographical
boundaries. They must also be able to expertly communicate through technological
means with little or no face-to-face interactions.
 Virtual team members must have a shared understanding of tasks, and be willing to
develop mutual skills for bridging the gap between varied disciplines and
backgrounds. Integrating various parts of organizational knowledge and establishing
trust in the group’s ability to deliver value and develop substantive results, the
virtual team must establish the level of risk each member is willing to take to obtain
the needed results.
 Virtual team members must be self-motivated and the team must regulate its
members, spanning possible diverse cultural differences.
 By creating a virtual meeting space and exploring each member’s competencies and
weaknesses, a virtual group can maximize the outcome of its work.
 The key ingredients for success are the members themselves, who must be adept
and comfortable with communication technology, self-directed, have good
interpersonal skills, be competent in the knowledge area each is expected to work
in, and be trustworthy.
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Communication Plan Cont’d
Deadlines
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Continued
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The Power of Virtuality
Continued
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The Power of Virtuality
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Virtual Teams ~ Drawbacks and Challenges
Add category of drawback or challenge
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Explanation of above – continue on next page
Continued
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Drawbacks challenges continued
Virtual Teams ~ Drawbacks and Challenges
Continued
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Drawbacks challenges continued
Virtual Teams ~ Drawbacks and Challenges
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Side by Side Evaluation of Virtual Teams
Value
Drawback
 Good thing
 Really good thing
 Best thing
 Bad thing
 Other bad thing
 Worse thing
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Solutions to Virtual Team Drawbacks
Continued
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Solutions to Virtual Team Drawbacks
Continued
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References
• Furst, S.A., Reeves, M., Rosen, B. and Blackburn, R.S. (2004).
Managing the Life Cycle of Virtual Teams, Academy of
Management Executive, Vol. 18, No. 2: 6-20.
• Ibarra, H. and Hunter, M. How Leaders Create and Use
Networks, Harvard Business Review, January 2007, Vol.
85,Issue 1, 40-47.
• Johnson, P. et. al. (2001) The Wonderland of Virtual Teams.
Journal of Workplace Learning. Vol. 13, Issue 1, 1-24.
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