Managing global virtual teams

I went back to my alma mater after many years. It was trip down memory lane. The most visible part of the change was the way in which Professors were now interacting with students. Face to face interactions were much lesser. They would load their slides and readings online. The students submitted the assignments electronically. Since all of them were living in the college hostel, you would imagine that they would huddle together in a room and work on the assignment. But no, they used their mobile phones to stay connected. They sent ideas across on WhatsApp groups. They were well versed in working in virtual teams. Did it lower the spirit of camaraderie and bonding that we shared with our classmates, I wondered.The closest bonds between coworkers are formed when they are co-located. As the entrepreneurs start their dream company in the garage, they work with more dreams than resources. Then as the firm becomes more successful they move into one new office and then they spread to other offices in other cities across the world. The teams transition to being virtual teams as soon as the medium of communication becomes electronic.When we think of virtual teams we often think of teams that are located in different geographies. Reality is that when someone is working from home or joining a call from another office building, they are facing the same opportunities and challenges that virtual teams face. Employees who work away from the head office complain about being at a disadvantage.A study at MIT showed that  “employees who work remotely may end up getting lower performance evaluations, smaller raises and fewer promotions than their colleagues in the office — even if they work just as hard and just as long.”What can be done?

1. Learn to socialize virtually: While some organizations train employees on working with dispersed teams, the focus is usually around how to run meetings and work across time zones. Hardly anyone creates bonding activities that are run virtually. Leveraging technology such as Google Hangouts or Skype can get several locations to join an event. Remember to be sensitive to time zone differences even in scheduling events – whether for fun or skill upgradation.
2. Share of mind and voice: The manager needs to ensure that those who are in other locations are not losing out because they are not getting enough face time. Track the number of people in projects who are from other locations. Whenever possible, get the team together physically. Train the team members to work effectively in virtual teams. Technology is an enabler. It is finally about working outside one’s comfort zone.
3. Redesign work: Organizations have been seeing virtual freelancers and virtual coworkers for a long time. Yet, a lot of our ways of working and work design remain constructed for a world when a few people worked in a collocated office. World class talent is just that – spread across the work. Work has to be broken down into chunks that allow for specialists working across the world to work on sections that they are best suited for. We need to train employees on how to parse and redistribute work before we integrate all of it.

The role of a leader is to create meaning at work. Work has to help people reach their potential. In addition as organizations manage to work in tighter compliance regimes, they need to get the virtual teams conversant with regulatory issues and compliance, security protocols and knowledge sharing practices that are integral parts of the culture. Without taking into account the view of work from the point of view of the virtual worker, it will hard for organizations to win the war for talent. This change is clunky and slow but being able to tap into a global pool of talent makes it worthwhile.-----------First written for Times of India Jobs in Aug 2014Join me on twitter @AbhijitBhaduri