Leadership of the Online Course Team Leadership

Leadership of the Online Course Team

Leadership of the effective and efficient online course team

Virtual team leaders have the same core responsibility of all team leaders, regardless of the context in which they lead: to keep channels of communication open. Communication is what makes a team a true 'team' that functions as a unit, rather than a group that merely exists as a conglomeration of disparate parts, with competing, personal agendas. Using email, chatting, text messaging, and face-to-face communication (whenever possible) is essential to ensure that contact is frequent, and ideas and concerns are discussed rather than fester and simmer. Consistent communication, even when it is only brief, also serves to uphold the second core function of a team leader -- to keep the team on-task, and focused upon its mission.

From the very beginning, the goal and purpose of the team must be defined, otherwise the group will drift or an unproductive member will set another, personal, competing agenda. Having a clear goal also helps the group from fragmenting into personal alliances. Ideally, there should be short-term goals and long-term goals, to ensure that the team gets a sense of success at regular intervals. There should also be a sense of vision and value behind the goals, to keep enthusiasm flagging when difficulties arise, as they inevitably will.

The group leader should communicate with other members of the team, and also encourage team members to engage with one another, as a way of generating new ideas. Just like personal relationships, team relationships must be 'worked on.' Ideally, meeting socially at some point is the best way to put a human face on what initially just seems like an email name. Having personal meetings, even rare ones, also lessens the chances there will be divisive fighting. It is always easier to attack someone you do not know personally. The team leader must be sensitive to differences in work habits and worldviews, because of cultural and personality differences.

The team leader must set a good example -- nothing is worse than a leader who chastises the group for not sending emails to one another frequently, while he or she is distant and does not respond to correspondence him or herself. As well as communicating frequently with team members, the leader should also keep the relevant organizational leaders abreast of the developments of the team, to ensure that all necessary benchmarks are being achieved.

Finally, the team leader should be vigilant in keeping up with his or her practical obligations, such as keeping track of the data recorded by the group, and creating a method through which discussions will take place and store data. Standardized procedures are important and can ensure that the group operates effectively and fairly.

These are all of the characteristics of an ideal leader. But of course, many leaders are less than ideal. When dealing with a group with a weak or retiring leader, proactive members of the team must frequently 'step up' and take on many of these obligations themselves. They must keep in communication with one another; stay focused on the task, rather than on their personal agendas; and operate in an efficient a manner as possible.

For a leader with team members who refuse to cooperate, the team leader must work particularly hard to stay on task and to keep members of the team communicating. Assigning highly specific tasks to members that the leader knows they can perform can help break down the work schedule in a manageable fashion. The leader may have to require virtual and face-to-face meetings on a frequent basis, to ensure that team leaders do not shirk their responsibilities.