Managing Virtual Work Teams
by Frankie S. Jones, Ph.D.
Employee and Labor Relations
©SHRM 2008
Managing Virtual Work Teams
This module is divided into three lessons:
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Lesson One: An Introduction to Virtual Teams
Lesson Two: Building a Virtual Team
Lesson Three: Managing Conflict Virtually
©SHRM 2008
Lesson One: An Introduction to Virtual Teams
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
• Define “virtual team”.
• Explain why virtual teams are becoming so common.
• Evaluate the challenges and opportunities of leading
virtual teams.
• Discuss the competencies and skills required of
virtual team members and their leaders.
©SHRM 2008
What is a Virtual Team?
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Scholars and practitioners differ on the definition of team and the
degree of virtuality.
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The common factor is the predominant use of technology.
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Definition: An interdependent group of individuals who
predominantly use technology to communicate, collaborate,
share information and coordinate their efforts in order to
accomplish a common work-related objective.
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Organizational Opportunities
Virtual teams:
• Enable organizations to adapt more quickly to the global
economy.
• Leverage talent.
• Increase the diversity of perspectives.
• Decrease travel and mandatory relocation.
• Improve work-life balance and job satisfaction.
• Decrease operating costs.
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Team Challenges
Manager
• Tracks and coordinates project
tasks.
• Measures performance.
• Gives formative and
motivational feedback.
• Distributes information evenly.
• Builds trust.
• Understands local issues.
• Senses team member conflicts.
• Spots talent.
• Communicates without the use
of nonverbal cues.
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Team Members
• Access their manager.
• Receive formative and
motivational feedback.
• Receive information.
• Feel trust for team members
and the manager.
• Field local challenges of which
the manager and other team
members are not aware.
• Have special talents.
• Communicate without the use
of nonverbal cues.
What is the role of the HR Professional?
• Be proactive by recognizing virtual team trends in
your organization.
• Be strategic by planning and implementing policies
and procedures that support and institutionalize the
virtual team.
• Ensure that virtual managers and team members
have the competencies, skills and technologies they
need to succeed.
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Competencies and Skills
Manager
• Coaches and monitors job
performance (performance
management).
• Ensures the appropriate use
of information technology.
• Manages across cultures.
• Aids team members’ career
development and transition.
• Builds and maintains trust.
• Networks.
• Develops and adapts
standard team processes.
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Team Members
• Effectively manage projects.
• Network.
• Use technology effectively.
• Can self-manage.
• Span boundaries.
• Have good interpersonal
awareness.
Case Study Part I
• Scenario
• Small Group Activity (15 minutes)
• Debrief
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Break for 10 minutes
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Lesson Two: Building a Virtual Team
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
• Understand the similarities and differences experienced by
virtual teams and collocated teams in the team life cycle.
• Explain the characteristics of effective teams and how
those characteristics are enhanced or put at risk when the
team is virtual.
• Create a kick-off meeting agenda that outlines the ground
rules that should be set for virtual teams.
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Team Life Cycle
Phase
What virtual managers should do…
Forming
Set clear expectations and ground rules, especially
about the appropriate use of technology.
Storming
Establish guidelines and model appropriate behavior
for resolving interpersonal conflicts.
Norming
Monitor virtual team processes and standards and
adapt them as needed.
Performing
Make sure the team has the tools they need to
perform their best.
Adjourning
Archive lessons learned and recognize team
accomplishments.
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Effective Virtual Teams Have:
> Shared team objectives.
> Knowledge of what to do.
> Equipment to do it.
> Ability to do it.
> Desire to do it.
Brown, Huettner, and James-Tanny (2007)
©SHRM 2008
Set Ground Rules
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Team goals and objectives
Roles and responsibilities
Formal and informal communication
Project and task coordination
Collaboration
Relationship and trust building
Performance management
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Case Study Part II
• Scenario
• Small Group Activity (15 minutes)
• Debrief
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Break for 10 minutes
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Lesson Three: Managing Conflict Virtually
During this session, you will learn how to:
• List and troubleshoot common conflicts experienced by
virtual teams.
• Evaluate the match between technological tools and
work tasks.
• Summarize the best practices of managing virtual teams.
©SHRM 2008
Common Conflicts
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Uneven knowledge dissemination.
Mistrust (e-mail lags).
Misinterpretation (no socio-emotional cues).
Relaxed inhibitions.
Reaching consensus is more difficult.
Longer to make decisions.
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The Wrong Tool for the Task
• Using IM to make complex decisions with several
group members.
• Trying to resolve conflict through e-mail.
• Using a videoconference to ask simple questions.
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Case Study Part III
• Scenario
• Lauren’s Agenda
• Conflicts
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Lauren’s Agenda
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Getting-to-Know-You Activity
Team Goals and Objectives
Technologies We Will Use (open discussion)
Virtual Community (pictures and bios)
Status Reporting
Team Meetings
One-on-One Meetings
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Conflict: Lags in E-mail
• Delays in e-mail responses generate mistrust
between two team members.
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Conflict: Tool Not Matched with the Task
• One team member complains that other team
members use instant messaging to solve complex
problems and a resolution is never reached.
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Conflict: Knowledge Distribution
• There is an uneven exchange of project knowledge.
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Module Recap Activity
• In pairs, list five things you’ve learned about
managing a virtual team.
• Share at least one of your ideas with the class.
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