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A virtual team is a team whose members interact primarily through electronic communications. Rather than using traditional face-to-face communication, members of these teams rely on email, phone calls, teleconferences, virtual meetings, and so forth. The team members could be close in distance or far away. As technology continues to advance, electronic communications become increasingly prominent in business settings.
Companies can benefit greatly from using virtual teams. Perhaps the greatest benefit is the huge cost savings that can come with virtual teams. Employees working from different parts of the world no longer have to travel long distances to collaborate on projects and attend meetings, thereby cutting travel expenses. Businesses also don't have to pay for relocation costs, and they can avoid operational costs that come with supplying an office, utilities, and other necessities for a physical work setting.
There are also challenges that come with virtual teams. Members generally must be self-motivated, be able to work independently, and have very strong communication skills. Another major demand among virtual teams is a strong foundation of trust. After all, these employees must work closely with people they may not have even met in person before. Though important to the success of the team, building and maintaining trust can be a challenge. Let's explore ways of building trust in the following section.
Overcoming the challenges associated with virtual teams can be difficult, but one of the most effective ways to encourage collaboration and productivity is by enhancing a sense of trust. Consider these tools for building trust among virtual team members:
A virtual team lacks the face-to-face conversations and nonverbal cues that come with traditional, in-person teams. One way to help put a face to the name is to have members fill out personal profiles for themselves. Each profile might include:
These profiles allow team members to learn more about each other, recognize their shared interests, and be more open to trusting the people on their team.
You might also build trust among virtual teams by hosting a spotlight that features a team member each month. Much like with the profile, this tool allows team members to share more about themselves. The spotlighted person might tell an interesting anecdote or reveal a fact about his or her life that might not come up during the normal course of a business day. This allows the person being highlighted to feel special, and others can see what they have in common with the spotlighted team member. After all, the more you have in common with someone, the more likely you will be to trust that person.
You can also build trust by having the team members share and exchange roles and responsibilities. A December 2009 study done by a Fortune 500 global IT company found that teams that rotated roles and jobs had a higher degree of trust. When you switch roles with someone else on your team, you learn what the other person has been doing to overcome obstacles and contribute to the team. Putting yourself in someone else's shoes can lead to greater appreciation for that person and their work.
Another way you can use to build trust is through regular meetings. Set a recurring meeting with the team that is convenient for everyone. This meeting allows team members to report progress or any issues that have been arising. This helps to avoid concerns and distrust among the team. For example, if you send a request to a team member and do not receive a response for days, you may begin to think that the person is not fully committed to the team. And if you feel that person is not a team player, you will be less inclined to trust that person. By communicating regularly and on a timely basis, you can avoid such concerns and help build trust within the group.
In this lesson, we learned about virtual teams, which are teams of employees that collaborate primarily through electronic communications. Virtual teams can be both rewarding and challenging. In order to build an effective team, you must build trust. This can be difficult in an online environment, but with the right tools, you can create a foundation of trust among team members. Such tools include team member profiles, a monthly team member spotlight, role exchange, and recurring meetings.
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