Executive Collaboration on Virtual Teams

By
Eva Jackson, D.M.
Newell Eaton, MS
Candy Castellanos, MSOD
Lena Neal, Ph.D.
 Over the past 20 years technology has created a new evolution of

organizational communication. The use of the internet, document storage

through cloud-based technologies and two-way communication through

video conferencing has created a new sense of freedom for employees to

engage in meetings. It also allows organizations to increase productivity

while decreasing business expenses.

During a 2017 research conducted on executive collaboration on

virtual teams, participants from throughout the United States were asked to

give their insights on what worked well or didnt work well in their

experience working on a virtual team. Due to the fact that the project was

time restricted, the researchers needed to use a multitude of methods to

reach research participants. The use of technology and social media provided

useful tools to compliment the task.

Overview of the Research Process

The use of technology allowed the researchers to reach participants

with backgrounds in education, government, healthcare, manufacturing, and

consultancy. The team conducting the research also included a virtual team

from throughout the United States.

The use of SurveyMonkey allowed the team to develop an online

survey and collect feedback from participants. SurveyMonkey also allowed

the research team to collaborate and analyze the survey data. It was a

convenient and useful tool.

 The team also used Facebook and LinkedIn to promote the survey

through advertising. With less than a week in advertising, the survey

reached more than 800 individuals across 3 nations. The researchers also

promoted the survey through general correspondence with clients and

associates of known organizations.

Research participants were asked four general questions to gauge their

perception on virtual teams. They were asked about their experience in

working with virtual teams, what they felt worked well and didnt work well,

and also what they felt should go into a handbook on virtual teams. The

research team collected 43 responses to the survey. Those participating in

the survey came from various backgrounds which included: manufacturing,

education, government, telecommunications, advertising, environmental,

and health. Also, their virtual experiences included: board meetings,

international projects, client meetings, projects within similar industries and

public service projects. Of those participating within the survey, 100%

provided positive reflections of virtual team experiences.

What worked well?

The general perception of virtual teams by the participants were that a

virtual team must have good technology and great group dynamics in order

to be successful. Group dynamics theory focuses on the interpersonal

behaviors and communication held within the team. Participants often

referred to virtual meetings being effective when there were clear goals,
common expectations, a shared purpose, agendas, a facilitator, commitment

and rules. Virtual team effective outcomes were linked to having the right

talent of people who shared a common purpose, high trust, and common

goals.

Technology was also a commonly shared perception of what worked

well in virtual teams. Having access to online video tools similar to Zoom

and Skype, and also conference call applications assisted in effective virtual

team collaboration.

What didnt work well?

Although group dynamics often played a role in successful virtual

teams. Individuals surveyed indicated that poor commitment to the team,

poor leadership and facilitation of meetings, regular and good

communication and clear purpose often derailed team success.

Although some individuals considered resources and technology

impeding on the teams ability to be effective, these are often issues that

can be resolved over time.

Overall Perception of Virtual Teams

Overall, the perception of virtual teams was positive. Participants

suggested that a handbook written on virtual teams should disclose a

standardized method of facilitating team meetings. Participants would like to

see best practices and rules established that provide instructions on

communication, meeting guidelines, expected norms and behaviors, and

instructions on the use of technology.

Teaming on the Fly

One effective method for developing effective virtual teams is to

engage in a training practice. As part of a course in Virtual Teams and

Collaborations sponsored through the Florida Institute of Technology in

affiliation with International Society of Organizational Development and

Change (ISODC), the four contributors to this paper participated in a short,

four-week project working together to create a presentation on best

practices of effective virtual teams. We did not know each other in advance;

we work in different sectors; and live in three different time zones in the

USA.

When you reflect on the teams you are on or have been on, how many

are of this short term nature? How frequently are there changes in

membership?

It depends of course on what do you define as a team? For our

purposes we define a team as a group of two or more people who need each

other to create some new future they all care about. Some of these are long

term and relatively stable but more and more teams are fluid with changing

membership and put together for short term projects. Amy Edmondson in

her book on Teaming refers to these kinds of experiences as Teaming on

the Fly On these kinds of team there isn't the time to really get to know
each other in depth. Trust has to happen quickly. There isn't as much time

to get clear about roles and how we will play together -the rules of the

"game". Different guidelines are needed to forming these teams quickly,

moving into action and staying on course.

In our case here we had the additional challenge of being virtual.

Fortunately some of us got to meet each other at the start-up but that

wasn't across the board. And to give it more complexity we had one early

member drop out, another who had other priorities that prevented her from

participating in creating the product. We had some of the tech problems that

often happen on virtual teams where members have different degrees of on-

line expertise, have constraints on what tech they can use (corporate

security registrations) and with different members use to different tech

systems. In the end it was clear that our mutual commitment, high trust and

willingness to be flexible allowed us to produce a robust survey and series of

interviews that resulted in the findings highlighted above.