Team Effectiveness with Virtual Teams

ASQ Leadership Institute May 16, 2009 Holly Duckworth Coming together is a beginning. Region 7, Director Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success. Henry Ford

Virtual Team - Definition

A group of people working toward a common goal, interdependently, and with computer technology, across geographical boundaries. Member Leaders???

Virtual Teams Who, Where, When Who

Who is on our team? 5 people is a good median

Where
Where do our team members reside? Geographically disbursed

When
More and more Efficiency benefits Energy benefits

Virtual Teams Why?

Can attract and retain best experts across geography Can resolve traffic, location, and logistics issues Can take hours out of the time commitment Others?

Virtual Teams - Difficulties

Mistrust Miscommunication Lack of visibility Other work provides a distraction to virtual team work

Virtual Team - Remedies

Behavioral - TRUST
Commitment
Trust that commitments will be honored

Competency
Trust that members will be competently responsible

Mechanical COMMUNICATION
Conversation with feedback
Need for predictable, substantive feedback

Team memory
Need to share and document conversations, decisions, and actions

Virtual Team - Behavior

Team
Development Goals Roles

Problem Diagnosis

Procedures
Interpersonal Relationships

Virtual Team - Behavior

Effectiveness Model for the Virtual Team
Goals Commitment and Competency Roles Commitment and Competency Procedures Commitment and Competency Interpersonal Relationships Commitment and Competency

Virtual Team - Behavior

Goals
Commitment
What is our goal? Are the team members committed to this end? Honestly? At what price?

Competency
What is the expected deliverable? Timing? Who is our champion, what is the critical for him/her? Do we have the resources for completion?

Virtual Team - Behavior

Roles
Commitment
Why is each person on the team? Explicitly stated? Through the duration of the project?

Competency
What is each persons role? What expertise is brought to the team?

Virtual Team - Behavior

Procedures
Commitment
Do we have milestones? Meeting agendas? Decision making methods? What is our project methodology?

Competency
How frequently do we meet? What is our method of documenting team memory? Decisions? How will personal accountability be addressed?

Virtual Team - Behavior

Interpersonal Relationships
Commitment
How do we address missed commitments? Lack of communication? Leadership? Initiative?

Competency
How do we resolve conflict? How do we provide feedback on team dynamics? Team progress? Trust issues? Commitment issues?

Virtual Team - Communication

Conversation with Feedback
How often? Media?
Conversation Thread Teleconference, net meeting

Type of feedback?
Real time Formal survey

Timing of response?
Quality and predictability not frequency

Virtual Team - Communication

Team Memory
Technology
Sharepoint, skype, box.net, mindmeister.com Free!!

Retention
Responsibilities, media, forums, emails

Quality
Accuracy, team changes, decisions, timeliness

Virtual Teams Effectiveness Tools

Planning Worksheet
Team Goals and Roles Team Procedures

Feedback Worksheet
Leadership Surveys Member Satisfaction Surveys Member Leader Peer Reviews

Virtual Teams - References

Trust within Global Virtual Teams, by Olivier Chavaren Can Absence Make a Team Grow Stronger?, by A. Majchrzak, A. Malhotra, J. Stamps, and J. Lipnack, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 82, No. 5 Communication and Trust in Global Virtual Teams, S. Jarvenpaa, and D. Leidner, at http://www.ascusc.org/jcmc/vol3/issue4/jarvenpaa.ht ml The Impact of Task- and Team-Generic Teamwork Skills Training on Team Effectiveness, by P.J.E. Aleksander, et. al., Cornell University, Working Paper 05-01

QUESTIONS ???

Thank You!