Virtual Team Challenges
What are some challenges in managing a virtual team?
A challenging issue in managing a virtual team can be technology inconsistencies. Additionally, time differentiation can be very challenging for meetings and discussions, someone’s schedule suffers. The more communication in a virtual team the better. Any thoughts?
Michalina ,
Managing across time zones can be challenging. You want to have as much face to face interactivity as possible. SKYPE has a new platform that allows multiple participants to see each other. Video Whisper is a software that enables team members to see each other. Although not as interactive, services like Go To Meeting and WebEx allow all members to talk and see what is on the screen. One great feature about these services is that the interactions can be recorded and played back for people that could not participate because of the time difference. Another suggestion is to conduct a significant amount of time doing pre-work asynchronously. Setting up means for people across continents to collaborate before and after meetings is also helpful. WWW.webquest.org has a free service that may be helpful for you.
Dr. Jamie Morley
Engaging all members to participate. As in a classroom setting, there may be one or two people who are always contributing to the class, yet you have to engage others in discussion. The team leader has to motivate all to contribute to the discussion(s)so that all ideas are shared. It may be the one introvert who has the one idea that could move the team forward.
At the end of the call, it is a good idea to "go around the table" allowing all to end the meeting with a contribution and/or agreement to the decisions made.
Patricia,
The technique you described is often called a “roping closure.†It is always a good idea to end the meeting by allowing every person to restate what they learned or their greatest take-away from the meeting. It is also very important to take good minutes so that everybody has them to refer to later.
Dr. Jamie Morley
What are some challenges in managing a virtual team?
