Effective Virtual Teams

By: Nathan Iverson, Amy Blackshire, and Robert Bullock

Virtual teams may be defined as teams composed of members who combine their efforts to achieve a common goal by working over time and distance using technology or electronic communication (Bell & Kozlowski, 2002). The following recommendations for constructing and maintaining effective virtual teams are based from empirical research and put forth for organizational application.

Constructing a Virtual Team

At the onset of assembling your virtual team look for the following traits and characteristics, which have been shown to promote effective team functioning:

• Extraversion
• Action-orientation
• Supportiveness
• Self-motivation
• High diversity in job experience and perspective
• Low diversity in job level (e.g., try to avoid a team composed of middle managers, 3 front-line staff, and supervisors)

Goal Setting

After the structure of the virtual team has been developed and members have been chosen, research suggests that the following processes increase the likelihood that the team will engage in high-performance behavior:

• Set SMART Goals: Ensure that goals are Specific (clearly defined), Measurable (including numbers or other outcomes that may be measured), Achievable (within reach), Relevant (aligned with team goals), and Time-Oriented
• Individual goals should be in alignment with the overall goals of the team (this helps increase collaboration for members that may be widely dispersed geographically)
• The team should work together in developing task strategies toward meeting goals
• Team leaders should ensure that members receive regular feedback regarding progress toward their goals

Shared Leadership

Shared leadership (or a leader who involves team members to set goals and direction) is more effective than hierarchical leadership in virtual teams. Shared leadership does not necessarily mean no leadership – it means that leaders involve team members to set goals, and team direction. The ideas listed below will help promote shared leadership and increased performance and team member satisfaction:

• Discuss and develop a team vision (e.g., the ideal state of the team, goals, interpersonal factors)
• Prompt discussion and development of team processes (e.g., designing work processes, task plans, and strategies for accomplishing goals)
• Promote the open exchange of information (e.g. sharing knowledge, seeking and delivering feedback)
• Prevent conflict by continuously ensuring that roles and tasks are clear

The next time you have the opportunity to lead or participate in a virtual team, try some of these research-based best practices – they’re specific to virtual teams, they are positively related to virtual team effectiveness, and most of them cost nothing to implement!