PART VII: Virtual Teams

Before the pandemic, many organizations were already moving in the direction of virtual meetings due to cost savings on hotels, travel, and food allowances. Although virtual group work has been possible for many years, the pandemic accelerated the adoption of virtual work. Many people with no previous experience working virtually, either individually or in groups, suddenly had to learn at least the basics.

Virtual work can be either synchronous, where team members work on the same project at the same time, or asynchronous, where team members work on the same project but at different times. Video conferencing software, like Zoom, assumes that people are working together at the same time, while document sharing software, like Google docs, allows people to work at the same time or at different times. Considering that teams might be brought together from different continents in different time zone, asynchronous tools can be very powerful for project completion.

Working as a team in an online environment can allow team members from diverse geographical locations to work together. At the same time, it can be even more difficult for all group members to feel included and heard, as non-verbal cues are often lost. Non-verbal cues need to be more pronounced and explicit in a virtual environment (Ahuja & Galvin, 2003).

Because the interaction is mediated via technology, it may take longer to cohere as a group (Walther & Bunz, 2005). Allow additional start-up time, and plan for completion to take a little longer. If possible, meet either in person or via video conference initially to lay the project’s groundwork, before taking the project online. Also allow for the possibility of technical issues, such as internet disconnections, which might prevent some team members from completing or sharing work on the agreed upon timeline.

Ensure documents or other project files are shared among all members on the project. Create a timeline, with some flexibility in case of issues, and as much as possible stick with it. Ensure an agreed upon line of communication, whether through email, text, or chat group. Agree to quick response times (e.g., within 24-hours), so time isn’t wasted waiting for responses. Ensure the section of the project you’ve agreed to complete is completed, and on time. It’s advisable to commit to regular meetings to ensure the project remains on track, e.g., a video call once a week, even while working on separate elements of the project asynchronously (Walther & Bunz, 2005).