Viewpoint
Dr Suzanne Edinger
How can virtual teams forge relationships without ever meeting? Perhaps coaching can bridge the gap.
In my current research, I am investigating the role of different types of relationships among remote members of a virtual team – who don’t meet face to face – and also with their leaders, and how these particular relationships might lead to better team performance.
If there’s no chance of members meeting in a single physical location, then trust and connection between those team members becomes particularly important. Of course, building trust among members is a key issue in any team. After all, it’s often conversations had at the ‘water cooler’ that create relationships – and relationships build trust.
Involving a specialist coach in the early stages of building a remote team and putting in place a framework for trust and communication, can be an excellent way of getting the team off to the right start.
Coaches can help leaders of virtual teams ‘learn the ropes’, assisting them in developing a coaching style with the team members so they function more effectively with one another. And if they are team coaches, they have much to offer when it comes to exploring the team’s dynamics.
For the team leader, the ability to connect and collaborate, and also to possess sufficient technical savvy to make good use of the communication tools available, are absolute pre-requisites for virtual team success.
Making sure these tools are used properly (or used at all) is the job of every team member and so – ultimately – the responsibility of the team leader. Ineffective communication in a virtual team is a management issue, not an IT problem.
In a remote team, clarity and consistency about the direction and goals of the group aren’t just ‘nice-to-haves’, they are fundamental to success. Without a leader who consistently communicates a clear vision – and helps others to accomplish it – a clear shared vision is unlikely to develop. Coaches have much to offer here.
While many elements of managing a virtual team are like managing a face-to-face team, some of the pitfalls that can derail a ‘regular’ team – notably communication issues and cultural differences – are significantly amplified in a virtual setting, simply by a lack of physical connection between participants.
The onus is on organisations to purposefully create the conditions necessary for effective virtual teamwork, because it won’t happen by itself.
Even more so than in a non-virtual team, the adoption of a coaching style by a manager who pays attention to these things can have a significant impact on whether or not the team succeeds.
Ultimately, the leader of a virtual team needs to be proactive – and not wait for problems to arise before trying to fix them.
In teams that are culturally, as well as geographically, diverse, for example, it means that the leader may need to balance different communication styles to avoid situations where Europeans and North Americans – well-used to voicing their opinions and speaking out – will tend to dominate discussions, while Asians and Latin Americans remain quiet.
A good coach can help the team leader flex their approach accordingly. Coaching and mentoring for the other team members, too, can make all the difference as to whether or not virtual team working succeeds.
Dr Suzanne Edinger is lecturer in Organisational Behaviour at Nottingham University Business School
Volume 7, issue 6