Virtural Team (Successful strategies and common challenges/pitfalls)

VIRTUAL TEAMS

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Advancements made in technology today have led to the growth and coining of new concepts . Virtual team is one such team that is a new phenomenon being brought forth by the growth of the information and communication industry . According to David Pauleen (2004 , 4 ) virtual teams refer to teams that predominantly use information and communication technology (ICT ) to communicate , collaborate , share information and corroborate their efforts ' Another key characteristic to note about virtual teams is the geographic distribution of the members

comprising each team . It has to be mentioned though that geographical distance is not in anyway a defining quality as virtual members can be within a similar physical location what is important is that they be using ICT in a larger proportion of their interactions

Though virtual teams are bound to arm businesses and organizations with a wide range of benefits , they pose serious challenges if not handled with care and managed tactfully . Virtual team is a relatively new concept but it has been given a lot of attention lately by experts in the field mostly focusing on how it can be used by businesses to increase their output

Lisa Kimball (1999 , analyzing virtual teams in the context of health care organizations focuses on the possible strategies to maximize output . One of such strategy is the creation of synergy . Due to the existence of physical distance , members may feel like they are not working in unison lacking in the proper energy to propel the team to greater accomplishments . It is hence important to come up with ways to identify energy in the distributed team and make it available to the whole so they can feel it and build on it (1999 ,3 ) According to Lisa K , the secret lies in making each and every member of the team feel that they are in the spotlight and that they have a grasp of where each of their colleagues is located as well as knowing when interesting things such as celebration of team 's accomplishments are happening . This can be done through video conferencing

Bill Synder (2003 ) evaluates the challenges facing the Hewlett Packard in managing its virtual teams . One of the identified challenge is communication . This is so due to the fact that its products span to over 16 countries territory with different social structures and culture . Due to such differences , a simple e-mail can be misconstrued and misinterpreted by a recipient to mean something else depending on the contextual differences . Bill Synder notes that problems resulting from miscommunications that may be easily corrected through face to face interaction can take on a life of their own in the virtual environment ' In such cases then , it is apt for an organization to initiate proper communication strategies that put into consideration the cultural and social differences existing between the various teams

Trina Hoefling (2003 , 80 ) addresses the of working virtually and how companies are taking advantage of the technology to telecommute as well...