The way businesses are organized has changed as technology has grown. We regularly see companies reorganizing their teams into virtual teams, often known as geographically dispersed teams (GDT). This allows people in different countries to collaborate on a single project. Like most things in life, there are advantages and disadvantages to this style of team and it is not for every business. Is it right for yours?
In the past, it was thought that efficiency had a direct connection with proximity. The thought was held that the more face-time a manager was able to give their team the more productive they would be. Managers are realizing that this may not be true, and that building a team out of people that work well together and have very targeted skill sets can yield a much more significant result. Another strong factor impacting productivity can be the mentality of the individuals the group consists of. Many people are encouraged by their personal desire to learn more so as to further their careers; this self-motivation is a trait that works well in a virtual team environment. People who are motivated by social interactions or by the desire to avoid negative feedback may not be a good fit for a virtual team.
For some businesses, it is practical make use of virtual teams. Many companies, large and small, have embraced this innovative organizational technique. Obviously businesses that require people to physically interact to perform a task, such as construction, aren’t candidates for virtual teams. If you think implementing virtual teams as an enterprise wide strategy or smaller capacity is a good fit for your company, here are a few items to think about.
Advantages
- Recruitment based on competence not proximity
- Team members can work during the times when they perform most efficiently
- Teams consist of members who are self-motivated and self-driven
- More accommodation for team members’ personal and professional lives
- No commuting time or cost
- Reduced overhead, because there is no physical location
- IT expenses are lowered as most teams use web-based tools for collaboration
- Managers can better examine the team’s overall performance because there are less social pressures
Disadvantages
- Less social interaction, which can be a demotivator for many people
- Loss of trust among team members if there is not guarantee that everyone is pulling their own weight
- Creativity could be stifled, because the physical dynamics are lost
- Team members may overwork themselves as managers can not physically see the length of time each task takes
- Managers may lose track of the team’s progress, i.e. out of site out of mind
Online technology is the primary way that virtual teams interface with one another, including email, audio conferencing, and file sharing programs. Here is a list of a few websites and products that support teams that interact virtually.
- Go to meetings – an economical way to have remote meetings
- Yammer – a private social network for businesses that enables quick communication and interaction
- Drop Box – a free way to share files
- Second Life – allows for interactive meetings with the use of avatars
If you would like more information on virtual teams in action, look at the articles below:
https://www.theanywhereoffice.com/mobile-work/telework-viritual-teams-midmarket-companies.htm
https://www.forbes.com/2010/08/19/virtual-teams-meetings-leadership-managing-cooperation.html
https://www.openforum.com/articles/7-effective-tools-for-managing-a-virtual-team