Specific issues in virtual teams

Specific issues in virtual teams

A virtual team is a group of people brought together to complete a specific project. However, unlike a traditional team, a virtual team is distributed over different geographical regions, and often over different organizations. This means that team members rarely get to meet face to face to discuss projects. This lack of personal interaction is the main challenge facing virtual teams.

Building trust

Personal interaction allows teams to build and maintain trust, and teams with a high level of trust are better able to deal with potentially obstructive issues. High-trust teams will be able to

• solve technical problems

• resolve issues around roles within the team

• detail and discuss project content

• respond to members' initiatives

• immerse themselves in their task

The project manager should open the lines of communication

In an ideal world, the virtual team would meet at least once face to face before the start of the project. Face-to-face meetings help team members to get to know each other and, more importantly, build team spirit. In most cases, a face-to-face meeting is not possible; therefore, the project manager of the team should open the lines of communication.

Communication

A communication structure, as well as a set of protocols and rules, is important when individuals are far apart. If rules and structures are not in place, the sense of being a team will be absent. The project manager is responsible for outlining roles and ensuring that all team members know who they need to contact and when.

Team members should understand that they are mutually accountable for the project's results

As with any other teams, virtual teams need to have a clearly defined objective and structure. It is important for the project manager to communicate these objectives to the team members in order to create a collaborative climate. Team members should understand that they are mutually accountable for the project's results. Individuals in virtual teams not only need to report to the project manager, they also need to inform other team members about project-related issues. Communication channels are a lot more complex than in a traditional team, but everyone needs to understand and use these channels in order to avoid conflict.
 

The right technology for communication

Today's virtual teams are highly dependent on technology for communication purposes

Communication technologies and groupware available in today's market make virtual meetings and conferences possible, and today's virtual teams are highly dependent on technology for communication purposes. In most cases, virtual teams communicate by e-mail, but they may also rely on phone, fax, videoconferencing, and computer conferencing.

Ideally, a virtual team's communication needs will be identified before the project begins. The communication media chosen for a project should be designed to meet the project's goals and time limits, rather than the project working around technology that is already in place. Virtual teams depend on their ability to use communication technology to complete project tasks, so the project leader must ensure that each team member has access to these technologies and that they can use them.

Security

Security can be an issue for virtual teams, as they use networks to exchange information. This information could be sensitive and subject to eavesdropping, so it is important to check that the team uses secure communication channels. Most e-mail packages and conferencing software support various encryption and security methods that allow individuals to protect data.