Chapter 8 – Role of Communication
Managing Virtual Teams
Managing a team of people who work side-by-side in the same office is difficult enough. But what about managing a virtual team—that is, a team whose members are dispersed at multiple geographical locations? In the worldwide marketplace, such teams are essential. Deborah L. Duarte and Nancy Tennant Snyder explain the trend in their helpful workbook, Mastering Virtual Teams:
Understanding how to work in or lead a virtual team is now a fundamental requirement for people in many organizations…. The fact is that leading a virtual team is not like leading a traditional team. People who lead and work on virtual teams need to have special skills, including an understanding of human dynamics and performance without the benefit of normal social cues, knowledge of how to manage across functional areas and national cultures, skill in managing their careers and others without the benefit of face-to-face interactions, and the ability to use leverage and electronic communication technology as their primary means of communicating and collaborating (Duarte & Tennant Snyder, 2006, p. 4).
When properly managed, collaboration over large distances can generate serious advantages. For one thing, the diversity of team members as per Siebdrat et al. (2009) “exposes members to heterogeneous sources of work experience, feedback, and networking opportunities.” At the same time, the team’s diversity enhances the “overall problem-solving capacity of the group by bringing more vantage points to bear on a particular project” (Siebdrat et al., 2009, p. 65). Often, engaging with stakeholders via email allows for more intimacy and understanding than face-to-face conversations, which, depending on the personality types involved, can sometimes be awkward or ineffective.
However, research has underscored the difficulties in getting a dispersed team to work effectively. A study of 70 virtual teams found that 82% did not meet their intended goals (Govindarajan & Gupta, 2001). Furthermore, research has shown that virtual team members are not satisfied with the virtual communication technology and do not view it “as an adequate substitute for face-to-face communication” (Purvanova, 2014).
Given these challenges, what’s a virtual team manager to do? It helps to be realistic about the barriers to collaboration that arise when your team is scattered around the office park or around the globe.
The Challenges of Virtual Distance
Physical distance—the actual space between team members—can impose all sorts of difficulties. Some studies have shown that teams who are located in the same space, where members can build personal, collaborative relationships with one another, are usually more effective than teams that are dispersed across multiple geographical locations.
Potential issues include difficulties in communication and coordination, reduced trust, and an increased inability to establish a common ground…. Distance also brings with it other issues, such as team members having to negotiate multiple time zones and requiring them to reorganize their work days to accommodate others’ schedules. In such situations, frustration and confusion can ensue, especially if coworkers are regularly unavailable for discussion or clarification of task-related issues (Siebdrat, et. al., 2009, p. 64).
Even dispersing teams on multiple floors of the same building can decrease the team’s overall effectiveness, in part because team members “underestimate the barriers to collaboration deriving from, for instance, having to climb a flight of stairs to meet a teammate face-to-face.” Team members end up behaving as if they were scattered across the globe. As one team leader at a software company noted, teams spread out within the same building tend to “use electronic communication technologies such as e-mail, telephone, and voicemail just as much as globally dispersed teams do” (Siebdrat, et. al., 2009, p. 64).
Human Resources may help the Project Manager and team work through the challenges by providing supports and resources to the team.
Efficiently Managing a Virtual Team
Communication options like video conferences, text messages, and email can do wonders to bridge the gap. But you do need to make sure your communication technology is working seamlessly.
Patterns of communication are important for Project Managers and the team. Example: communicating facts is fine in an email. If there are issues with a team member, better to have a virtual meeting. Conference calling, intranets services within organizations, private chat rooms through intranet, telephone, videoconferencing, and social media platforms provide effective means to communicate between and among Project Managers and teams, and the organization.
|when the team is working with mutual documents, presentations, charts, etc.
|when the team need to “see” each other. It helps to develop relationships.
|when the Project Manager, team or stakeholders need to communicate facts about the project, or one-to-one communication.
How to Enrich Execution of a Project
Develop a code of conduct: Have the team and Project Manager agree to what information needs share, when, and to whom it needs to be addressed. Establish authority rules as to who can make day-to-day decisions about their work and related to what activities, and what needs approval before moving forward.
Develop norms: Project Managers and team members cannot always see each other. They need to delve into the communication and ask many questions, and deepen the conversations. It is important to be clear, concise and countercheck that everyone understands instructions and other communication.
Get team to show their work: Do not rely on what is being said that is done. Ask for proof. Send a sample, send a picture, or have a video call.
Be flexible: Time zones differences and cultural differences can cause issues related to “showing up” for meetings. Be flexible with timing. Flex the time of meetings to meet other team member’s time zones.
Stay in touch: Ensure the Project Manager, team members and stakeholders are in regular communication through standard scheduling that is inclusive.
Human Resources Specialists can provide training for the Project Manager and team in how to effectively self-manage, set up an efficient communication plan, and offer ongoing support by participating in meetings. If there are difficulties with communication, Human Resources may wish to be a “sounding board”, provide guidance and support to individual members, or the team as a whole. If struggles persists, Human Resources may offer external counselling services to help individuals.
The Special Role of Trust on a Virtual Team
As we discussed in Chapter 4: Managing Teams trust is important to teams, and plays a significant role in communication. So, what’s the secret to making virtual teams work for you? We’ve already discussed the importance of building trust on any team. But on virtual teams, building trust is a special concern. Erin Meyer describes the situation like this: “Trust takes on a whole new meaning in virtual teams. When you meet your workmates by the water cooler or photocopier every day, you know instinctively who you can and cannot trust. In a geographically distributed team, trust is measured almost exclusively in terms of reliability” (Meyer, 2010).
All sorts of problems can erode a sense of reliability on a virtual team, but most of them come down to a failure to communicate. Sometimes the problem is an actual, technical inability to communicate (for example, because of unreliable cell phone service at a remote factory); sometimes the problem is related to scheduling (for example, a manager in Japan being forced to hold phone meetings at midnight with colleagues in North America); and sometimes the problem is simply a failure to understand a message once it is received. Whatever the cause, communication failures have a way of eroding trust among team members as they begin to see each other as unreliable.
And as illustrated in Figure 8-1, communicating clearly will lead your team members to perceive you as a reliable person, which will then encourage them to trust you.
Leigh Thompson (2015), a professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, offers a number of practical suggestions for improving virtual team work, including the following:
- Verify that your communication technology works reliably, and that team members know how to use it.
- Take a few minutes before each virtual meeting to share some personal news, so that team members can get to know each other.
- Use video conferencing whenever possible, so everyone can see each other. The video image can go a long way toward humanizing your counterparts in distant locales. If video conferencing is not an option, try at least to keep a picture of the person you’re talking to visible, perhaps on your computer. Studies have shown that even a thumbnail image can vastly improve your ability to reach an agreement with a remote team member.
"Msemo wa 8 ""Usimamizi wa Timu za Virtual"" - Usimamizi wa timu ya watu wanaofanya kazi kando-kando katika ofisi moja ni vigumu kutosha." Lakini vipi kuhusu kusimamia timu virtual <unk> kwamba ni, timu ambayo wanachama ni kutawanyika katika maeneo mengi ya kijiografia? Katika soko la ulimwenguni pote, timu kama hizo ni muhimu. "Deborah L. Duarte na Nancy Tennant-Snyder wanaelezea mwelekeo huu katika kitabu chao cha kazi, ""Mastering Virtual Teams: Kuelewa jinsi ya kufanya kazi au kuongoza timu ya virtual sasa ni mahitaji ya msingi kwa watu katika mashirika mengi.""" Ukweli ni kwamba kuongoza timu virtual si kama kuongoza timu ya jadi. Watu wanaohusika katika kuongoza na kufanya kazi katika timu za virtual wanahitaji kuwa na ujuzi maalum, ikiwa ni pamoja na uelewa wa nguvu za binadamu na utendaji bila faida ya ishara za kawaida za kijamii, ujuzi wa jinsi ya kusimamia katika maeneo ya kazi na tamaduni za kitaifa, ujuzi wa kusimamia kazi zao na wengine bila faida ya mwingiliano wa uso kwa uso, na uwezo wa kutumia teknolojia ya mawasiliano ya elektroniki kama njia yao ya msingi ya kuwasiliana na kushirikiana. Wakati kusimamiwa vizuri, ushirikiano juu ya umbali mkubwa inaweza kuzalisha faida kubwa. Kwa jambo moja, utofauti wa wanachama wa timu kama kwa Siebdrat et al. "Kuna uwezekano wa kuwa na uzoefu wa kazi, maoni, na fursa za kuunganisha." - Sebradet et al., 2009 Mara nyingi, kushirikiana na wadau kupitia barua pepe inaruhusu ukaribu zaidi na uelewa kuliko mazungumzo ya uso kwa uso, ambayo, kulingana na aina za utu zinazohusika, wakati mwingine zinaweza kuwa ngumu au zisizo na ufanisi. Hata hivyo, utafiti umeonyesha jinsi ilivyo vigumu kufanya kikundi kilichotawanyika kifanye kazi kwa matokeo. Utafiti uliofanywa na timu 70 za virtual uligundua kwamba asilimia 82 ya timu hizo hazikufikia malengo yaliyokusudiwa (Govindarajan & Gupta, 2001). Zaidi ya hayo, utafiti umeonyesha kwamba wanachama wa timu virtual si kuridhika na teknolojia ya mawasiliano virtual na si kuona ni <unk>kama mbadala wa kutosha kwa ajili ya mawasiliano ya uso kwa uso<unk> (Purvanova, 2014). Kutokana na changamoto hizi, nini meneja wa timu virtual kufanya? Ni muhimu kuwa na uhalisi kuhusu vizuizi vya ushirikiano vinavyotokea wakati timu yako imetawanyika katika uwanja wa ofisi au duniani kote. Changamoto za Umbali wa Virtual Umbali wa kimwili - nafasi halisi kati ya wanachama wa timu - inaweza kuweka aina zote za ugumu. Uchunguzi umeonyesha kwamba timu ambazo ziko katika nafasi moja, ambapo wanachama wanaweza kujenga uhusiano wa kibinafsi, wa ushirikiano na kila mmoja, kwa kawaida ni bora kuliko timu ambazo zimetawanyika katika maeneo mengi ya kijiografia. Masuala yanayoweza kutokea yanatia ndani matatizo ya kuwasiliana na kuratibu mambo, kupungua kwa uaminifu, na kukosa uwezo wa kupata makubaliano... Umbali pia huleta masuala mengine, kama vile wanachama wa timu kuwa na kujadili maeneo mengi ya wakati na kuwaomba kuandaa tena siku zao za kazi ili kukidhi ratiba za wengine. Katika hali kama hizo, kukata tamaa na kuchanganyikiwa kunaweza kutokea, haswa ikiwa wafanyikazi wenzake hawapatikani mara kwa mara kwa majadiliano au ufafanuzi wa masuala yanayohusiana na kazi (Siebdrat, et al. (Alt. al. 2009: 64; kwa mujibu wa Hata kueneza timu kwenye ghorofa nyingi za jengo moja inaweza kupunguza ufanisi wa jumla wa timu, kwa sehemu kwa sababu wanachama wa timu <unk> wanadharau vizuizi vya ushirikiano vinavyotokana na, kwa mfano, kulazimika kupanda ngazi kukutana na mwenzake wa timu uso kwa uso. <unk> Washiriki wa timu huishia kutenda kana kwamba wametawanyika ulimwenguni kote. Kama kiongozi mmoja wa timu katika kampuni ya programu alibainisha, timu kuenea ndani ya jengo moja huwa na <unk>tumia teknolojia za mawasiliano ya elektroniki kama vile barua pepe, simu, na voicemail tu kama timu duniani kote kuenea kufanya<unk> (Siebdrat, et. (Alt. al. 2009: 64; kwa mujibu wa Rasilimali za Binadamu zinaweza kusaidia Meneja wa Mradi na timu kufanya kazi kupitia changamoto kwa kutoa msaada na rasilimali kwa timu. Kuendesha vizuri timu ya Virtual Chaguzi za mawasiliano kama mikutano ya video, ujumbe wa maandishi, na barua pepe zinaweza kufanya maajabu ili kuziba pengo. Lakini unahitaji kuhakikisha kwamba teknolojia yako ya mawasiliano inafanya kazi bila shida. Mifumo ya mawasiliano ni muhimu kwa Wasimamizi wa Mradi na timu. Mfano: kuwasiliana ukweli ni nzuri katika barua pepe. Ikiwa kuna masuala na mwanachama wa timu, ni bora kuwa na mkutano wa kawaida. Simu za mkutano, huduma za intranet ndani ya mashirika, vyumba vya mazungumzo binafsi kupitia intranet, simu, mkutano wa video, na majukwaa ya media ya kijamii hutoa njia bora za kuwasiliana kati ya na kati ya Wasimamizi wa Mradi na timu, na shirika. """Kama timu ya kazi, sisi ni pamoja na kuandaa na kuandaa maandishi, maonyesho, chati, na kadhalika." <unk> wakati timu inahitaji <unk>kuona<unk> kila mmoja. Husaidia kuendeleza mahusiano. Msimamizi wa mradi, timu au wadau wanahitaji kuwasiliana ukweli kuhusu mradi, au mawasiliano ya moja kwa moja. Kuendeleza kanuni ya mwenendo: Kuwa na timu na Meneja wa Mradi kukubaliana juu ya nini habari inahitaji kushiriki, wakati, na kwa nani inahitaji kushughulikiwa. Weka sheria za mamlaka kuhusu nani anaweza kufanya maamuzi ya kila siku kuhusu kazi yao na kuhusiana na shughuli gani, na nini inahitaji idhini kabla ya kuendelea. Kuendeleza kanuni: Wasimamizi wa Mradi na wanachama wa timu hawawezi daima kuona kila mmoja. Wanahitaji kuchunguza mawasiliano na kuuliza maswali mengi, na kuimarisha mazungumzo. Ni muhimu kuwa wazi, fupi na countercheck kwamba kila mtu anaelewa maelekezo na mawasiliano mengine. Msaada wa timu: Usiamini tu kile kinachosemwa. Uliza juu ya uthibitisho. Tuma sampuli, picha au simu ya video. Kuwa rahisi: Tofauti za maeneo ya wakati na tofauti za kitamaduni zinaweza kusababisha masuala yanayohusiana na "kuonekana" kwa mikutano. Uwe mwenye kubadilika-badilika kuhusu wakati unaopaswa kutumia. Flex wakati wa mikutano ili kukutana na wanachama wengine wa timu's maeneo ya muda. Kuendelea kuwasiliana: Hakikisha Meneja wa Mradi, wanachama wa timu na wadau wako katika mawasiliano ya kawaida kupitia ratiba ya kawaida ambayo ni ya kujumuisha. Wataalamu wa Rasilimali za Binadamu wanaweza kutoa mafunzo kwa Meneja wa Mradi na timu katika jinsi ya kuendesha ufanisi, kuanzisha mpango mzuri wa mawasiliano, na kutoa msaada wa kuendelea kwa kushiriki katika mikutano. Kama kuna matatizo na mawasiliano, Rasilimali za Binadamu inaweza kutaka kuwa "bodi ya sauti", kutoa mwongozo na msaada kwa wanachama binafsi, au timu kwa ujumla. Kama mapambano kuendelea, Rasilimali za Binadamu inaweza kutoa huduma za ushauri wa nje kusaidia watu binafsi. Uaminifu katika timu ya Virtual - Kama tulivyojadili katika Sura ya 4: Usimamizi wa Timu, uaminifu ni muhimu kwa timu na una jukumu muhimu katika mawasiliano. Hivyo, ni nini siri ya kufanya timu virtual kazi kwa ajili yenu? Tayari tumezungumzia umuhimu wa kujenga imani katika timu yoyote. Lakini katika timu za kawaida, kujenga imani ni jambo la pekee. Erin Meyer anaelezea hali kama hii: <unk>Uaminifu huchukua maana mpya kabisa katika timu za virtual. Unapokutana na wafanyakazi wenzako karibu na mashine ya kupigia picha au ya kupigia picha kila siku, unajua ni nani unayeweza kumwamini na ni nani asiyeweza kumwamini. Katika timu kusambazwa kijiografia, uaminifu ni kipimo karibu peke katika suala la kuaminika <unk> (Meyer, 2010). Matatizo ya aina zote yanaweza kuharibu hisia ya kuaminika katika timu ya virtual, lakini wengi wao kuja chini ya kushindwa kuwasiliana. Wakati mwingine tatizo ni kutokuwa na uwezo wa kiufundi wa kuwasiliana (kwa mfano, kwa sababu ya huduma ya simu ya mkononi isiyoaminika katika kiwanda cha mbali); wakati mwingine tatizo linahusiana na kupanga (kwa mfano, meneja nchini Japani analazimika kufanya mikutano ya simu saa sita usiku na wenzake huko Amerika Kaskazini); na wakati mwingine tatizo ni kushindwa kuelewa ujumbe mara tu unapopokelewa. Kwa sababu yoyote ile, kushindwa kuwasiliana kuna njia ya kuharibu uaminifu kati ya wanachama wa timu wanapoanza kuona kila mmoja kama asiyeaminika. Kama inavyoonyeshwa katika Picha ya 8-1 ya juu, kuwasiliana wazi kutawafanya wanachama wa timu yako kukuona kama mtu anayeaminika, ambayo itawatia moyo kukuamini. Leigh Thompson, profesa katika Chuo Kikuu cha Northwestern, anatoa mapendekezo kadhaa ya kuboresha kazi ya timu ya virtual, ikiwa ni pamoja na: Chukua dakika chache kabla ya kila mkutano wa kawaida kushiriki habari za kibinafsi ili washiriki wa timu waweze kufahamiana. - Tumia mikutano ya video kila inapowezekana, ili kila mtu aweze kuonana. Picha za video zinaweza kusaidia sana kuwakilisha watu katika maeneo ya mbali. Ikiwa mkutano wa video hauwezi kufanywa, jaribu angalau kuweka picha ya mtu unayezungumza naye, labda kwenye kompyuta yako. Uchunguzi umeonyesha kuwa hata picha ndogo inaweza kuboresha uwezo wako wa kufikia makubaliano na mwanachama wa timu ya mbali.