Strength in Numbers: Communicating Effectively in Virtual Teams > Carolyn Stevenson, Professor in Communication

Collaboration with others is part of living and working in the social world. Much of our daily communication occurs in groups such as our family, co-workers, friends and classmates. Regardless of career choice, it is likely that you will spend a considerable part of your life and work collaborating with others. Virtual teams are growing in importance as companies become more geographically diverse and more employees are working in off-site locations. The key to successful virtual teams is learning to communicate effectively while working at a distance.

A short overview of business surveys reveals that teams may be one of the most often used communication methods within organizations.

• It is estimated that by 2010 over 75 percent of the U.S. workforce will work in teams of some sort (Shockley-Zalabak, 2006, p. 202).

• A global, cross-functional team successfully designed the website for GE Global eX-change Services “so it would have the same simple, intuitive-looking feel in English, French, Spanish, German, and Italian (Williams, 2007, p. 317). Today the website (gxs.com) is used successfully in 58 countries.

• Team suggestions at a Cleveland Maytag plant caused production to double, yearly production costs to drop by $7 million, and required on-hand inventory to drop by $10 million (Williams, 2003).

• Rubbermaid created 20 cross-functional teams of five to seven people to develop new products. In one year the teams developed over 365 new products. The problem now is not finding innovative products ideas, but deciding which new product ideas to select (Jones, 2007).

• At Honeywell’s Industrial Automation and Control plant in Phoenix, Arizona, quality control decision by employee teams lowered defect rates by 70 percent (Daft & Marcic, 2006).

• Florida Power & Light Company used teams to guild a nuclear power plant in an unbelievably fast six years. For example, because of the work teams, “a slip-forming technique was developed for pouring concrete around the clock, allowing the 3-foot thick, 190-foot-tall concrete shell to be finished in just 17 days, compared with a year for other power companies” (Daft, 1995, pp. 199-200).

Strategies for Communication

Effective and appropriate communication is vital to working in virtual teams. Listed below are a few strategies for promoting effective communication:

Channels for Communication. Communication systems need to be established that encourage ideas, questions, and concerns to be directed to the team members. Methods for virtual communication in teams include email, instant messenger, discussion forums, blogs, live chats, and teleconferencing.

Virtual Team Member Roles. A virtual team needs to be organized around a set of team roles and responsibilities. Roles need to be created that address both the talent and interest of the team members. The roles must also take into account the work distribution by each member. An equal amount of work and responsibility needs to be established among the various roles.

Clear Instructions. One of the challenges for individuals working in virtual teams is the anxiety with group work. You may have had negative experiences working in groups and teams and bring this anxiety in the project. It is important to clearly provide instructions for group roles which outline a timeline for completion and expectations so that members of the group will understand the steps required for completion of the project and a reassurance of equal distribution of the workload.

Managing Conflict. Conflict is sure to arise in virtual teams. Guidelines need to be established within the virtual teams for working with group members when conflict occurs. At appropriate times, the group leader may be required to intervene to resolve group conflict.

Communicate Respect. Communicate respect to each other by acknowledging group members comments. Provide a direct response elaborating on what someone else has said. Be polite and let everyone talk during live chats. Take turns sharing information. The group leader should ask if the team is ready to move on to a new topic and wait for acknowledgment.

Stay On Topic During Group Chats. When you stay on the subject at hand it refrains from the possibility of miscommunication. The designated agenda items can also

be covered in a timely manner.

Be An Active Listener. Listen actively and pay attention to the conversation at hand. It is important to remain open-minded and respect everyone’s ideas.

Ensure All Voices are Heard. During an online discussion, one detrimental group practice is when one participant dominates the conversation. This does not allow for proper group dynamics since participation is not balanced. If one person controls the group it becomes a biased project. When each person in a group agrees to unite and work together, the group becomes perhaps the most effective force it can be – a team.

As our global workplace is becoming increasing smaller and more diverse, more organizations are incorporating virtual teams into their work groups. As such, it is critical that students have prior knowledge working in virtual teams before entering the workplace. A sense of community needs to be embraced following the guidelines of effective communication to ensure that every voice is heard in the virtual team.

Virtual team members (left to right): Tanya Peterson, Carrie Wells, Carrie Hannigan,

Carolyn Stevenson, Diane Martinez

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Daft, R.I. (2006).Understanding management (5th ed.).
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Jones, G.R. (2007). Introduction to Business: How companies
     create value for people. New-York: McGraw-Hill.

Shockley-Zalabak, P. (2006). Fundamentals of organizational
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Williams, C. (2003). Management (2nd ed.). Mason,
     OH: South-Western.
Williams, C. (2207). Management (4th ed.). Mason,
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[This article was originally published in our July, 2009 issue.]