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602 VIRTUALTEAMSIdentify the Virtual Team Leader
The task of being an effective leader in a virtual environ-
ment can be daunting. The nature of business today de-
mands more from virtual leaders than traditional leader-
ship roles. To be a successful virtual team leader requires
a special set of skills. More than just computers and tech-
nology are needed. Virtual team leaders must have the
tools, techniques, and strategies that work in a virtual
environment.
Organizations that formally identify virtual team lead-
ers often make a long-term commitment to those leaders
by providing resources, training, and other types of sup-
port. Savvy management selects virtual team leaders for
their leadership and facilitation skills. Yet even if they are
formally identified, often people are thrust into leading
a virtual team with little or no training and/or support
from the organization. Many virtual team leaders report
their biggest challenge is an increased sense of burden
and responsibility.
There can also be an informal identification of a virtual
team leader. The organization may not specifically select a
virtual team leader, yet one may evolve or emerge. Such an
informal process, however, may be detrimental to the suc-
cess of the virtual team in that valuable time is lost while
the members of the virtual team struggle to determine a
process for operation.
Because of the diversity of technical and manage-
ment expertise needed for virtual teams to be success-
ful, shared leadership is often the norm rather than the
exception. There may be a rotation of the overall leader-
ship role in a virtual team, with most members of the
virtual team taking a leadership role at some point in
the process. Virtual teams that deal with complex issues
and problems usually have shared leadership regardless
of the titles used. They establish a division of leadership.
Each virtual team member has a unique set of skills that
contributes to the successful completion of the task at
hand.Identify the Task
The next step in the creation of a virtual team is to iden-
tify the task the team will be charged with. The virtual
team may be assembled to work on one specific problem
or product. Virtual teams can also work with routine, on-
going tasks.
The task must be clearly identified, with the pro-
cesses involved described in detail. The virtual team must
determine the flow of the work, which does not have to be
sequential, and assign duties to each member of the team.
The specific actions that the virtual team members under-
take to accomplish the task will determine the desired end
result.
The virtual team must carefully plan how it is going to
successfully complete the task. Timelines and milestones
need to be determined, and everyone must agree on what
the results will be. All virtual team members should have
a shared understanding of the task, their individual roles,
and who is accountable for what. Objectives and goals
must be clearly defined and accepted by all members of
the virtual team. Methods need to be developed to review
the virtual team’s progress and results.Create Procedures and Processes to Achieve
the Common Goal
There are numerous challenges of culture, geography,
technology, and organization inherent in virtual teams.
Successful virtual teams know that each member has a
task to perform for which each will be held accountable.
Operating procedures and processes need to be developed
and implemented to contribute to the seamless function-
ing of the virtual team. Norms must be established. Each
member of the team should be involved in making key
decisions.
Virtual teams operate in an adaptive, volatile environ-
ment. Placing rigid controls and restrictions on the virtual
team will destroy the team’s ability to perform at its high-
est level. The virtual team must create an infrastructure
appropriate to the organization, the task, and the team,
which allows the virtual team to function at its highest
capacity.
The Internet needs to be considered as a vehicle
for communication, not just exchanging information
(Gundry, 2001). Virtual team members need to be in con-
stant communication to successfully complete the task
and attain their common goals. Effective communication
can be achieved by utilizing the Internet to its fullest ca-
pacity. With such a variety of tools available the Internet
can facilitate all virtual team functions.
The team must have a clear, shared vision, mission,
and strategy based on the organization’s values and prin-
ciples. The virtual team must define its expectations and
its environment so the virtual team members will have
a clear understanding of how the task will be completed
and in what order. Outlining the scope and responsibil-
ities of each team member, implementing performance
measures, and determining methods needed to review the
virtual team’s progress and output are also necessary to
ensure success.
Because virtual team members usually do not share
a common physical workspace, an infrastructure must
be created that allows the virtual team to develop and
maintain a sense of identity. Strong symbols are needed
to unite people across time and space. This can be accom-
plished in many different ways, most notably using the
Internet.
A short, informal Internet video conference would al-
low the virtual team to build rapport. The virtual team
could create a symbolic name for the team and design a
representative logo. A designated virtual team historian
could maintain a Web site with the location, photograph,
and personal information of each virtual team member.
An Internet-based “electronic water cooler” (Haywood,
1998, p. 36) could provide a forum where virtual team
members could have electronic chats, exchange ideas and
information, or just keep in touch.
A method for providing timely, succinct, and effec-
tive feedback needs to be in place. This can be accom-
plished by using a variety of Internet technologies. Addi-
tionally, rewards and recognition, along with celebration
of achievements, keep virtual team members connected
and convey a sense of progress and team identity.
Cultural differences can easily create major misunder-
standings within a virtual team. For instance, different
cultures may be more or less inclined to provide feedback