Organizational Behavior Building an Effective

Organizational Behavior

Building An Effective Virtual Team

The objective of this work is to outline the practical steps for the manger in building an effective virtual team.

SELECTION INTERVIEW and PEER ASSESSMENT in TEAM-BUILDING

The work of Newman (2005) entitled: "Building Effective Teams: Using Selection Interview and Peer Assessment" states that there are specific processes required for effective group functioning which are inclusive of the following with the following accompanying descriptions for processes that build task accomplishment: (1) Initiating: Stating the goal or problem, making proposals about how to work on it, setting time limits; (2) Seeking information and opinions: Asking team members for specific factual information related to the task or problem or for their opinions about it; (3) Providing information and opinions: Sharing information or opinions related to the task or problems; (4) Clarifying: Helping one another understand ideas and suggestions that come up in the team; (5) Elaborating: Helping one another understand ideas and suggestions that come up in the team; (6) Summarizing: Reviewing the points covered by the group and the different ideas states so that decisions can be based on full information; (7) Consensus Testing: Periodic testing about whether the group is nearing a decision or needs to continue discussion. (Newman, 2005) Processes that build and maintain a group include the following: (1) Harmonizing: Mediating conflict between other members, reconciling disagreements, relieving tensions; (2) Compromising: Admitting error at times of group conflict; (3) Gatekeeping: Making sure all members have a chance to express their ideas and feelings and preventing members from being interrupted; (4) Encouraging: Help a group member make his or her point. Establish a climate of acceptance in the group. (Newman, 2005)

II. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITIES

Newman (2005) describes the specific 'knowledge', 'skills', and 'abilities' for effective virtual team members as follows:

Listens effectively;

Communicates often;

Shows initiative;

Trustworthy and dependable;

Willing to do their fair share;

Reads and understands the material;

Communicates effectively through writing;

Well-organized;

Provides feedback

Flexible;

Dedicated to doing a good job;

Open to the view of others;

Works well without supervision;

Objective;

Respects others;

Positive attitude;

Self-motivated;

Provides work in a timely fashion;

Able to compromise / reach consensus. (Newman, 2005)

The work entitled: "Building and Leading Virtual Teams" relates that due to increases in technology the way that people communicate at work and that has resulted in what is known as a 'Virtual Team'. This work states that a Virtual Team is: "...a collection of individuals who are geographically and/or organizationally or otherwise dispersed and who collaborate via communication and information technologies in order to accomplish a specific goal." (Contour Consulting, 2005) Characteristics of a Virtual Team include those as follows:

Technical expertise;

Telepresence;

Initial face-to-face contact;

Surfacing assumptions;

Training;

Vision;

Clarity;

Balanced goals;

Role flexibility and empowerment;

Trust;

Continuous performance monitoring;

Frequent communication;

Conflict is accepted. (Contour Consulting, 2005)

III. CHARACTERISTICS of the TEAM LEADER

All of these characteristics are critically important in creating successful virtual teams. Leaders must have the following characteristics:

Positive and encouraging:

Excellent communicators across a range of media including face-to-face, email, phone, conference calls, groupware and others;

Culturally sensitive and flexible;

Task focused and relationship oriented;

Comfortable and skilled at identifying and handling conflict;

Skilled facilitators who can engage all team members, even at distance. (Contour Consulting, 2005)

The team leader or manager, must work with the team in developing awareness and skills of the team in the following areas:

1) Taking a balanced view of Task, Process and Relationship issues;

2) Developing and sharing a compelling team mission;

3) Appreciating the effects of cultural differences on communication, influencing, problem-solving and decision-making processes;

4) Creating and maintaining trust through open communications and delivering to commitments;

5) Using differences of opinion as a valuable source of creativity and critique;

6) Taking responsibility for discussing, agreeing and working to high standards, reviewing team performance on a frequent and regular basis;

7) Choosing and using appropriate technology as an aid to team performance. (Contour Consulting, 2005)

The work of Wasserman et al. (1994) relates that a bond "establishes a linkage between a pair of actors" and it is this bond that is the key building block of a Virtual Team. According to Katz and Lazer (nd) inclusive within the scope of this bond are other characteristics such as respect, friendship, collaboration, affect, change and spatial propinquity." (Katz and Lazer, nd) it is additionally related by Katz and Lazer that the network needs of a team "are shaped by a variety of moderating variables." (Katz and Lazer, nd) the following chart illustrates both the 'functional' and the 'network' need.

Functional and Network Need of the Team

Source: Katz and Lazer (nd)

In the work entitled: "Building Blocks for Teams" published by Penn State it is stated that there are "...several configurations for a virtual team, but probably the most important characteristic is that the members cannot always meet face-to-face for one reason or another." (Penn State, nd) This leaves teams members relying on "information technology, such as e-mail, chat systems, instant messaging or even the phone or fax to communicate." (Penn State, nd) the following steps are suggested in the beginning of building the virtual team:

Make sure that the first meeting is face-to-face or via audio so that the team members have the change to meet and connect a face with the name of the individual;

Require the team to share their daily schedules with one another so that team members know when to expect a reply from one another;

Require the team to create a contact directory;

Encourage the members of the team to share brief bios with on another.

It is important the ground rules be set out for email communication between team members. The following are suggested as ground rules for email by Penn State:

Establish a maximum time limit for a reply to a message

Determine which medium will be the primary one used for communication by the team;

Make sure that a common file space exists for the team members;

Establish naming conventions and locations for posting material to review;

In the case revisions are needed a coding system to indicate revisions should be created;