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2010RW3LLCAllrightsreserved.
The Challenges
of Working in Virtual Teams
VIRTUAL TEAMS SURVEY REPORT - 2010
55 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10003
Tel. +1.212.691.8900 RW-3.com
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2 TableofContents|
CONTENTS
ExecutiveSummaryandAnalysis..................................................................................................................................3
KeyFindings...............................................................................................................................................................3
KeyRecommendations..............................................................................................................................................3
Background....................................................................................................................................................................5
AboutRW3CultureWizard.........................................................................................................................................5
SurveyPurpose..........................................................................................................................................................5
RespondentProfile........................................................................................................................................................6
LocationofRespondents...........................................................................................................................................6
PercentageofVirtualTeamLocatedOutsidetheHomeCountry.............................................................................6
SizeofRespondingOrganizations..............................................................................................................................7
SurveyParticipationbyIndustrySector....................................................................................................................7
DefinitionofVirtualTeam.........................................................................................................................................8
SurveyResponseData...................................................................................................................................................9
VirtualTeamSuccess.................................................................................................................................................9
DifferencesBetweenVirtualandFacetoFaceTeams............................................................................................10
RatingGeneralChallengesFacedbyVirtualTeams.................................................................................................11
ChallengesYouFacePersonallybyWorkingVirtually.............................................................................................12
MeetingVirtualTeamMembersinPerson..............................................................................................................13
ChallengesYouFaceDuringaVirtualTeammeeting..............................................................................................14
CharacteristicsofaGoodVirtualTeammate...........................................................................................................16
OpenEndedComments..............................................................................................................................................17
GeneralComments..................................................................................................................................................17
OtherImportantDifferencesBetweenVirtualandFacetoFaceTeams................................................................19
ExperiencewithVirtualTeamsOutperformingCoLocatedTeams.........................................................................23
MakingVirtualTeamsMoreSuccessful...................................................................................................................28
Conclusion
...................................................................................................................................................................
31
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2010RW3LLCAllrightsreserved.
EXECUTIVESUMMARYANDANALYSIS
InApril2010,RW3CultureWizardsentout30,000surveyformstorandomlyselectedemployeesofmultinational
corporations.Wereceived600completedsurveys,andthefullresultshavebeenanalyzedintheattachedreport.
Overall,participantsinthesurveyconfirmedthatvirtualteamspresentuniquechallengesthatareculturallybased
and can be counterproductive unlessmanaged effectively.While the hurdles that virtual teams face are not
surprising,wewerestruckbythedepthandbreadthofthechallenges.Sincevirtualteamsareanevergrowing
component of global business, it behooves global organizations to institutionalize some global virtual team
structureandtrainingtoovercomethesepotentialhazards.
Wealsofoundthatvirtualteamsfacemanyofthesamechallengesthatallteamsface,butlanguagedifficulties,
timeanddistancechallenges, theabsenceof facetofacecontact,andaboveall, thebarriersposedbycultural
differences andpersonal communication stylesmakevirtualwork farmore complex.Fortunately,ourbusiness
experienceshowsthatallofthesechallengesarenotinsurmountable,andonceagroupismadeawareofthem,
effectivetrainingandorganizationalstructuringcanamelioratemostofthem.
KEYFINDINGS
80%ofrespondentsreportedthattheywerepartofateamwithpeoplebasedindifferentlocations.
63%ofrespondentsindicatedthatnearlyhalfoftheirteamswerelocatedoutsidethehomecountry.
64%consideredtheirteamtobeanexampleofavirtualteam.
60%reportedthattheirvirtualteamsweresuccessfulorverysuccessful,and40%believedtheirvirtual
teamsweresomewhatsuccessfulornotsuccessful.
Respondents foundvirtual teamsmorechallenging than facetoface teams inmanagingconflict (73%),
makingdecisions (69%),andexpressingopinions (64%).Theyalso stated thatdeliveringqualityoutput
(48%)andgeneratinginnovativeideas(47%)weremorechallenginginavirtualenvironment.
Time zones (81%)presented thegreatestgeneralhurdle tovirtual teams, followedby language (64%);
holidays,locallaws,andcustoms(59%);andtechnology(43%).
Thegreatestpersonalchallengesrespondentsfacedwereinabilitytoreadnonverbalcues(94%),absence
of collegiality (85%),difficultyestablishing rapport and trust (81%),difficulty seeing thewhole picture
(77%),relianceonemailandtelephone(68%),andasenseofisolation(66%).
46%ofrespondentsnevermetothervirtualteammembersfacetoface,and30%metonlyonceayear.
The top fivechallenges facedduringvirtual teammeetingswere insufficienttime tobuildrelationships
(90%), speed of decisionmaking (80%), different leadership styles (77%),method of decisionmaking
(76%),andcolleagueswhodonotparticipate(75%).
When
respondents
ranked
the
most
important
characteristics
of
a
good
virtual
teammate,
they
ranked
willingness to share information as first, being proactively engaged second, and the ability to be
collaborativeasthird.
KEYRECOMMENDATIONS
Thesurveyclearlyconfirmsthegrowingimportanceofglobalcollaboration,whichtranslatesintovirtualwork,and
itgoeson topointout thekeyareas inwhichvirtual teams representuniquechallenges to theproductivityof
organizations and individuals. The findings and our experience validate the need to recognize that virtual
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4 ExecutiveSummaryandAnalysis|RW3 LLC
teamworkisdifferentandrequiresspecifictraining,tactics,andsupport.Furthermore,todaysleadershipneedsto
include specific competencies to structure and manage virtual teams that invariably comprise people from
differentculturesandworkstylesandwhocometogethertomeetatdifferenttimesofthe24hourworkcycle.
Virtual teamsneedtoestablishspecificworkrules (i.e.,rules forrespectful interaction)thatareassumed inco
locatedteams.Theyalsoneedtopaygreaterattentiontoteamstructurethancolocatedteamsdo. Inaddition,
virtual teamsmust carefullymonitorandadhere to thework rules theyhavecreated.Finally, theyneed tobe
awareoftheinfluenceofcultureonworkstylesandtodevelopprocedurestoassureinterculturaleffectiveness.
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RW3LLC| 5
BACKGROUND
ABOUTRW3CULTUREWIZARD
RW3 CultureWizard is an intercultural training consultancy that specializes in creating online and eLearning
facilities for itsclientorganizations. In2001, the foundersof thecompany recognized thatcultural trainingwas
neededbytheentirecorporatepopulation,notjustthepeoplewhoweretravelingand living internationally. In
responsetothatrecognizedneed,wecreatedCultureWizard.comtoserveasaculturaleUniversityandprovide
tailored learning platforms to our client companies. As a result of the interests of our clients and general
recognitionofthegrowingimportanceandcomplexityofvirtualwork,wesetabouttocreateanumberofcultural
learning tools.These tools facilitateglobalcollaborationandacknowledge the impactofculture invirtualwork
settings.
SURVEYPURPOSE
The rapidpaceof technological change and growingnumberof collaborative softwareoptionshave facilitated
virtualwork to the pointwhere it is now commonplace for teams of people from around theworld towork
together,sometimeswithoutevermeeting face to face.Theobviousefficiencyof thesevirtualwork teamshas
increased dramatically in recent years.More recently, the reduction in business travel brought about by the
economicdownturnhasmadevirtualteamsmoreusefulthanever.
Whileweallrecognizethebenefitsofaccessingtheintellectualpowerofaglobalworkforce,therehasbeenlittle
focusonthechallenges thatcomewithworkingacross timezonesandcultures.Nonetheless, therehasbeena
growingawarenessoftheneedforeffectivecommunicationskillsamongvirtualteammembers.Thisconcernhas
beenvoicedbyourclientsandcolleagues. Inresponse,RW3CultureWizard isdevelopingaVirtualTeamToolto
help improvecommunicationskillsamongvirtual teammembers.Aspartof thiseffort,weemailedasurvey to
28,034randomlyselectedcorporateemployeesandaskedthemtoparticipateina17questionsurveytoidentify
keyareasforimprovingcommunicationskillsamongvirtualteammembers.RW3analyzedtheresultsandpresents
thefindingsinthisreport.Inparticular,thereportexaminedthefollowingkeyareas:
Differencesbetweenvirtualandfacetofaceteams
Generalandspecificchallengesfacedbymembersofvirtualteams
Informationabouttheuseofvirtualteamsandevaluationsoftheirsuccess
Characteristicsofsuccessfulinteractionamongvirtualteammembers
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RESPONDENTPROFILE
LOCATIONOFRESPONDENTS
The1,592surveyrespondentswerebasedin77countries.
Percent Country23% UnitedStates18% UnitedKingdom7% France,India5% Germany4% Canada3% Brazil2% Australia,China,Ireland,Italy,Switzerland1% Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mexico,
Netherlands,Poland,Romania,Singapore,SouthAfrica,Spain,Thailand,Turkey
Other countries
represented Algeria, Armenia, Aruba,Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bosia and Herzegovina, Brunei,Bulgaria,Cameroon,Colombia,CostRica,Cuba,Denmark,Egypt,ElSalvador,Finland,Gabon,Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iran, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon,
Madagascar, Malta, Mauritius, Morocco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama,
Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Sweden,
Taiwan,Uzbekistan,Venezuela,Zimbabwe
PERCENTAGEOFVIRTUALTEAMLOCATEDOUTSIDETHEHOMECOUNTRY
Sixtythreepercent(63%)ofrespondentsindicatedthat41%ormoreoftheirvirtualteamswerelocatedoutsideof
thehomecountry.Thisunderscorestheglobalaspectofvirtualteamdeployment.
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RW3LLC|RespondentProfile 7
SIZEOFRESPONDINGORGANIZATIONS
The largestgroupof respondents (55%) representedorganizationswithmore than50,000employees.Thenext
largestgroup(21%)wasfromorganizationswithlessthan5,000employees.Together,theyconstituted76%ofthe
survey participants. Representatives of midsized companies (5,000 to 50,000 employees) constituted the
remaining24%ofrespondents.
SURVEYPARTICIPATION BYINDUSTRYSECTOR
Morethanhalfofthesurveyparticipants(52%)werefromthefinance,insurance,legal,andaccounting industry
sector.Thiswas followedbyparticipants fromthe informationtechnologysector (28%). Inaddition, therewere
participants from themanufacturing and aerospace sector; thepharmaceutical andhealthcare sector; and the
servicesandhospitalitysector.
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8 RespondentProfile|RW3LLC
DEFINITIONOFVIRTUALTEAM
Toestablishashareddefinitionofwhatitmeanstobeonavirtualteam,weaskedparticipantsiftheywerepartof
ateamwithpeoplebasedindifferentlocations.Eightypercent(80%)ofrespondentsindicatedthattheywere,but
20%ofthemdidnot.Sixtyfourpercent(64%)ofrespondentsconsideredtheirteamtobeanexampleofavirtual
team.Consequently,mostrespondentsappeared toagreethata teamofpeoplebased indifferent locations is,
indeed,avirtualteam.Weweresurprisedthat36%ofthesurveyedpopulationdidnotthinktheirteamwasvirtual
sincetherecognizeddefinitionofavirtualteamisateamofpeoplewhoareindifferentlocationsanddonotmeet
facetofacebutworkonprojectsonaregularbasisbyphone,email,andvideoconference.
80%
20%
PartofaTeamwithPeopleinDifferentLocations
Yes
No
64%
36%
TeamIsConsideredVirtual
Yes
No
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SURVEYRESPONSEDATA
VIRTUALTEAMSUCCESS
Whenaskedaboutthesuccessoftheirvirtualteams,60%ofrespondentsreportedthattheyweresuccessfulor
verysuccessful(combined).Whilethisinformationconfirmsthevalueofvirtualteams,38%stillreportedthatthey
wereonlysomewhatsuccessful,and2% reportedthat theywerenotsuccessfulatall.Clearlythere is room for
improvement, andtheseresultsindicatethereisarealneedfortraininginthisarea.
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10 SurveyResponseData|RW3LLC[Typethecompanyname]
DIFFERENCESBETWEENVIRTUALANDFACETOFACETEAMS
Virtual teamsdifferedmost from facetoface teams in three areas:managing conflict (73%),makingdecisions
(69%),andexpressingopinions (64%).Respondentscitedallthreeoftheseareasasmorechallenging forvirtual
teams, and difficulty expressing opinions under these circumstances, in particular, is characteristic of indirect
cultures.Intheabsenceofanabilitytoexpressopinionsormanageconflictsamongmembers,itisnotsurprising
thatvirtualteamsfinditchallengingtomakedecisions.
Respondentsalsoreportedthatdeliveringqualityoutputandgeneratinginnovativeideasweremorechallengingin
a virtual environment than face to face. These challenges, serious as they are, arenot surprising inasmuch as
virtual teams facehurdlesof language, time zonedifferences, and culture as they try to complete theirwork.
Thesehurdlesareexacerbatedbythe lackofvisualandtactile interaction.Nevertheless, it issatisfyingtoknow
thatresearchindicatesthattheeventualoutputofsuccessfulinterculturalvirtualteamsismoreinnovativeandof
higher quality.However, this benefit does not come easily, and it highlights the need for observing rules for
respectfulinteractionamongvirtualteammembers.
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RW3LLC|SurveyResponseData 11
RATINGGENERALCHALLENGESFACEDBYVIRTUALTEAMS
Timezonespresented thegreatestgeneralchallenge tovirtual teams.Thiswas followedby language;holidays,
local laws,andcustoms;and finallyby technology.We found it interesting that technology representedonlya
smallchallengetovirtualteams,especiallycomparedtotheotherchallenges.Timezones,however,wereanissue
to81%oftherespondentswhofounditverychallenging(15%),challenging(27%),orsomewhatchallenging(39%).
Sixtyfourpercent (64%) found languageat leastsomewhatchallenging,andtheopenendedcommentselicited
greaterdetailabouthowandwhen languagerelatedchallengescame intoplay.Finally,59%ofrespondentshad
somechallengeswithholidays,locallaws,andcustoms.
The challenges addressed in this section of the survey are difficult to manage with anything other than
compromise.Forexample,itisagoodideatoequallydistributethehardshipofschedulingmeetingsonaglobal
clocksothatthetimezoneissueisnotbornebyoneculturealone.Successfulglobalteamsalsodistributeholiday
schedules toeachother inadvance,and theyaddress languagedifficultiesby followingupphoneconversations
withwrittencommunications.
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12 SurveyResponseData|RW3LLC[Typethecompanyname]
CHALLENGESYOUFACEPERSONALLYBYWORKINGVIRTUALLY
Respondents indicated that thegreatestvirtualchallenge they facedwas inability to readnonverbalcues.This
wasfollowedbyabsenceofcollegiality,difficultyestablishingrapportandbuildingtrust,difficultyseeingthewhole
picture, relianceonemail and telephone,anda senseof isolation.Not surprisingly,our studies and anecdotal
evidence indicatedthatthe inabilitytoreadbody language(whichaccordingtosomestudiesrepresents70%of
themessage)ledtothebiggestchallengesthatvirtualteamsface.Inthissurvey,theinabilitytoreadnonverbal
cueswasachallengeofvaryingdegreeto94%ofallteammembers.Furthermore, itiscloselylinkedtothelackof
facetofacemeetings:wefoundthat46%ofvirtualteammembersnevermeetinperson.
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RW3LLC|SurveyResponseData 13
The absence of collegiality (85%) and the difficulty of establishing rapport and trust (81%) alsomade itmore
difficultforteammemberstobeproductive.Takentogether,thesefindingsaboutvirtualchallengesindicatethe
importancetovirtualteamsofestablishingclearlydefinedstructures,procedures,andprocesses.
Wehavefoundthatwhereverpossible,itisvaluableforvirtualteamstohaveperiodicfacetofacemeetings,but
evenwhen suchmeetingsarepartofa team structure, it isstill important for team leaders tobecognizantof
thesechallengesandtoleavetimeduringmeetingsforbuildingrapportandcollegiality,whichhaveasignificant
impact on team trust. Furthermore on the subject of trust, there are severalways that the absence of trust
manifestsitself.Itcanbealackoftrustintheperceivedcompetenceofteammembersoralackoftrustintheir
dedicationandcommitmenttotheteam.Bothoftheseaspectsareoftenrootedinculturalbehaviorsandcanbe
addressedeffectivelybyproperlystructuringcommunicationsandbysettingasidetimefordialog.
MEETINGVIRTUALTEAMMEMBERSINPERSON
Theinfrequencyofmeetingsamongvirtualteammembersunderscoredtheirvirtualnature.Nearlyhalf(46%)of
respondentsnevermettheirothervirtualteammembers,and30%metonlyonceeachyear.Twentyfourpercent
(24%)ofrespondentsmettwoormoretimeseachyear.Theopenendedquestionselicitedevenmoreinformation
aboutthisaspectofvirtualteams.Againandagain,respondentsvoicedadesire formore facetofacemeetings
amongvirtualteammembers.
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14 SurveyResponseData|RW3LLC[Typethecompanyname]
CHALLENGESYOUFACEDURINGAVIRTUALTEAMMEETING
The accompanying graph lists virtualteammeeting challenges by the severity of the challenge. The top five
challengeswereinsufficienttimetobuildrelationships(90%hadsomedegreeofchallenge),speedofdecision
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RW3LLC|SurveyResponseData 15
making (80%),different leadership styles (77%),methodofdecisionmaking (76%),andcolleagueswhodidnot
participateintheprocess(75%).
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16 SurveyResponseData|RW3LLC[Typethecompanyname]
Whiletheremainingteammeetingchallengesweresomewhatlesschallengingforrespondents,between60%and
65%ofrespondentshadsomedegreeofchallengewithallthehurdlesidentifiedinthesurveywiththeexception
ofadheringtoagendas,whichwaschallengingto48%ofrespondents.Fromtheseresponses,itisclearthatvirtual
teams need structures and defined processes. Introducing them will not only enhance the comfort level of
participantsbutwillhaveamarkedimpactonperformance.
CHARACTERISTICS OFAGOODVIRTUALTEAMMATE
Whenweaskedaboutthecharacteristicsthatmadegoodvirtualteammates,respondentsindicatedthatthemost
important characteristicwas awillingness to share information (18%), followed by being proactively engaged
(17%),collaborative(17%),organized(14%),havinggoodsocialskills(13%),providingusefulfeedback(11%),and
offeringassistancetoteammates(10%)
It isclearthatmanyofthebehaviorsofagood teammateareculturally rooted.Forexample, insomecultures,
sharinginformation(18%)isbothamanifestationofpowerandawayofbuildingrelationships.Insomecultures
thebulkof informationsharing takesplace inoffline settings,whicharehampered in thevirtualenvironment.
Furthermore, directcommunicators (whoarealso lowcontext) focuson sharingjust the facts,whichwill leave
highcontextcommunicatorsfeelingunderinformed.Globalteamleaderswouldbewelladvisedtodevelopplans
tosharethisinformationwiththeirteammembers.
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OPENENDEDCOMMENTS
GENERALCOMMENTS
When we asked survey participants to add any other comments, they responded with statements that
encompassed the following topics: communication and language; coordination, technology, and a sense of
collaboration; management,goals,andaccountability;culturalbias,andbetterteamselection.
COMMUNICATION ANDLANGUAGE
Allteamsarevirtual,whetheryourcolleague isthreedesksawayor3,000
miles away.In professional relationships, nonverbal, nonwritten
communicationsareoffrecordandthereforeirrelevant.
Inabilitytounderstandpeopleduetothickaccentsisvery,veryfrustrating.
emails areOK to solve 80% ofproblemsphone calls help solve 10% of
remainingproblemsthen adding videoconferences helps solve 5% of the
remaining problemsfor the remaining 5% of problems, a facetoface
meeting will help solve easily half of the remaining problemsthose
remaining after that are real essentialproblemspotentially impacting the
essenceoftheprojectandneeddeepnegotiation.
COORDINATION,TECHNOLOGY,ANDASENSEOFCOLLABORATION
We have created a virtual lunch once a month that coworkers can
voluntarilyattend.Thishashelpedinbuildingrapportwithcoworkers.
Virtualteamsrequireagoodinfrastructuretoovercomethelackofpersonal
interaction. We use chats, videoconferencing, and audioconferencing
constantlyinadditiontooneononeconversationsandemail.
Ifyoucanseeaprofileofthepeopleyouareworkingwith,howtheyfitinto
theoverallorganization,whatistheirexpertise,etc.,helpsthevirtualteams
to be successful. I also think having good tools to share screens and
collaborateondocumentsorprojectsandsharevisibilitytoactionitems(not
gettinglostinemails)helpstomakevirtualteamssuccessful.
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MANAGEMENT,GOALS,ANDACCOUNTABILITY
Virtual team building is a balanced act and requires a good skill set and
talent management and selection criteria. Virtual teams require more
managementtimeandadditionaltimetoadjusttotimezonedifferences.
Virtualteamscanbesuccessful iftheexpectationsand leadershipareclear
and themembersarewilling,able, and committed tomaking the timefor
meetings.
Ensuringaccountabilityisthekeytosuccess.
Leadershipplaysabigpartestablishingcleargoalsforeveryone,notjust
the project, takes effort. Getting commitment by agreeing to project
objectivesthatfitwitheachindividualsperformanceobjectivesalsohelps.
CULTURALBIAS
Somenationalities Ifinddifficult toworkwith,every time, irrespectiveof
theindividuals.Definitelysomebigculturalchallenges!
Akeytosuccessinvirtualteamsistherespectthathastoexistbetweenthe
teammembersindifferentcountries.Onecountrycannotfeelitisbetterthan
theothers.There isnothingmoredisruptivethanhavingonecountryacting
asifitknowsitallandtheothersareignorant.
Political agenda of different nationalities, geographic entities, and
departmentsisamajorhindrancetotheconceptofvirtualteam.Weneedto
understand that though we are globalizing, we still have asymmetrical
power, economic well being, and ethnocentricity among different
geographicalunits.
BETTERTEAMSELECTION
Somepeopleperformbetteronvirtualmeetings,somearebetteronfaceto
facemeetings.
Theteammembersarewhatmakeavirtualorcolocatedteamwork. Iam
fortunatethateveryoneinmyteamhasmanyyearsofexperienceandisable
toworkwellinavirtualteam.
Critical toperformance,whether the team is virtual or colocated, is the
compositionof the team.A blendof driven, strong individual contributors,
whowill complement each other andfunction seamlessly, unhampered by
timeandlocation,makesforahighperformingteam.
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OTHERIMPORTANTDIFFERENCESBETWEENVIRTUALANDFACETOFACETEAMS
Whenweaskedparticipantstoidentifyotherimportantdifferencesbetweenvirtualandfacetofaceteams,they
respondedwithsuggestions.Weselectedseveralanddividedthem intothe followingsevencategories: faceto
face contact and relationships, communication, language andmisunderstandings, time and distance, level of
participationindiscussions,decisionmaking,andpositiveobservations.
FACETOFACECONTACTANDRELATIONSHIPS
Respondentsexpressedaneedtohavefacetofaceinteractionswithteammembers.Ononehand,theneedfor
personal interaction related to taskcentered activities. These included informal brainstorming, spontaneous
discussions,sharing ideasaround thewatercoolerorwhilepassing in thehallway,orunscheduledvisitswhere
oneteammemberdropsintodiscussanexcitingidea.Examplesincludedthefollowingstatements:
Lessopportunityforwatercoolermoments,whenyoumakebreakthroughs
inideas,orunblockingroadblocksbyinterpersonalreaction.
Youneed toconnectwithpeople.There isnoway toconnectwithpeople
virtually.Itisinefficientwhenconflictsariseortobrainstorm.Byexperience,
wehavedoneintwodaysoffacetofacemeetingwhatwecouldnotachieve
intwomonths.
On theother hand, theneed for direct interaction and relationshipbuilding involved thepersonal sideof the
equation.Respondentsexpressedaneed tobuild trust,gauge the strengthsandweaknessesof teammates,or
assesswhereonesteammatesstoodwithrespecttoanissue.Insomecases,thisinvolvedadesiretopersonally
witnessasenseofcommitmenttotheprojectortopersonallyexperiencethesharedsenseofacommongoalor
teamspirit.Examplesincludedthefollowingstatements:
Lack of facetoface contact makes it take longer to build the team
relationshipsandtrust.
Norealteamfeeling.Inevermetoneteammemberpersonally.
ItshardtotrustsomeoneIneverseeandhavetroubleunderstanding.
COMMUNICATION
Asinthecaseoffacetofacecontact,uncertaintiesabouttheeffectivenessofcommunicationamongvirtualteam
memberscoalescedaroundspecifictasksononehandandamorepersonaldimensionontheother.Taskrelated
concerns includeddoubtsaboutcommunicatingeffectivelywithoutvisualaids. Insuchcases,respondentswere
concernedthatteammatescouldnotvisualizeorabsorbinformation.Examplesincludedthefollowingstatements:
Ifeelthatitishardtogetyourpointacrosswhenyoucannotseeor[usea]
whiteboard[toconvey]somedesigns.
Thelackofvisualizationandcontact.
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Ontheotherhand,respondentswereconcernedabouttheirinabilitytoobservethebodylanguageofteammates.
Theywereconcernedaboutwhetherotherteammembersagreedwithorevenunderstoodtheircommunications.
Assent, comprehension, and a sense of being on the same page were important. Examples included the
followingstatements:
Overallcommunicationisdifferentasnobodylanguagecanbeused.Lacksa
dimensioninthatregard.
Difficulttoensurethateveryoneactuallyhasagreedtothesamething.Not
seeingbodylanguagecanalsomeanthatitisdifficulttounderstandexactly
whatsomeoneisfeelingandifthisdiffersfromwhattheyaresayingsothat
youcanmanagetheirexpectationsbetter.
LANGUAGEANDMISUNDERSTANDINGS
Some respondentscited languageproblemsanda fearofbeingmisunderstood.While thesecanbeconsidered
part of the general communication challenge, they were cited frequently enough to merit independent
consideration.Ononehand,theseconcernswereexpressed intermsofthetaskoriented,technicalmeaningof
communicationsandthepreciseterminologyused.Examplesincludedthefollowingstatements:
Mustbemoreawareof terminologyused invirtual teams. Itsmore likely
thatthingsaremisunderstood.Virtualteamsseemlesslikelytospeakupand
say Idontknow that termorassume itmeansone thing,but the term is
beingusedinadifferentcontext.
Itsmucheasier tomisinterpretwhat issaidwhenyoucantseefacesand
bodylanguage.
Ontheotherhand,concernaboutmisunderstandingwasbasedonthepossibilitythatculturalcuesandlanguage
differenceswouldleadtopersonalfriction.Examplesincludedthefollowingstatements:
Cultural,linguisticdifferences.
Communication issues arise when people come from different countries.
Misunderstandingsaremultiplied.
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TIMEANDDISTANCE
Comments about working with team members located in different time zones included concerns about
inefficiency,establishingmutuallyagreeablemeeting times, timezonebaseddelays inobtaining responses,and
theavailabilityofteammembersallleadingtodelays.Examplesincludedthefollowingstatements:
Findingmutuallyagreeablemeetingtimes.
Locationscancrosstimezones,sothereturnoffeedbackoranswerscanbe
delayed.ApersonwhohasaquestionontheWestCoastsendsitat4p.m.to
a teammateon theEastCoast. It is then7p.m.on theEastCoast, so they
havetowaituntilthenextdayforaresponse.
Ontheotherhand,timeanddistanceconcernsincludeduncertaintyaboutthepersonalcommitmentoftheother
teammembers. Respondents also suspected that remote teammembersmight have other local priorities.
Examplesincludedthefollowingstatements:
Thelevelofengagementdiffersbecauseoftimezonedifferences.Someare
justwakingup(5to6a.m.)whileothersareendingtheirday(9to10p.m.).
Theydontcontributeasmuchateitherend.
Localprioritiestakeprecedenceoveroverallgoals.
LEVELOFPARTICIPATIONINDISCUSSIONS
Respondents were concerned that people did not speak up or were unmotivated to participate. They also
wondered if team members were paying attention during long discussions suspecting that they were
multitaskingandansweringemailswhileadiscussionwasunderway.Theybelievedthat thequalityofthework
waslowerasaresult.Examplesincludedthefollowingstatements:
someoneisalwaysonmuteanddoingtheiremails!
Ifeel thatmanypeople try tomultitask during conference calls,which
means that they do not pay full attention to the task at hand. This
subsequentlymeans thatwe repeat issues/statements quite often because
someonemissessomething.
Somerespondentsbelieved itwaseasytobecomeinvisibleanddisappearduringdiscussionswithvirtualteam
members.Sometimestheyappliedtheseconcernstothemselvesandexpressedasenseofpersonalisolation.They
feltleftout,faraway,andunwillingtospeakup.Examplesincludedthefollowingstatements:
Inconferencecallsinparticular,peoplearemorereluctanttospeakupand
offeropinionsthantheyareinfacetofacediscussions.
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22 OpenEndedComments|RW3LLC
Generalfeelingofisolation(orbeingleftout)ofcertaindiscussions.
DECISIONMAKING
Theabsenceofclear leadershipand inability tomakedecisionswereconcernsamongsome respondents.They
believedthatmoreattentionhadtobedevotedtomanagingtheprogressofvirtualteamsandplanningaheadto
achieveadesirableresult.Examplesincludedthefollowingstatements:
Leadership, governance, effective planning, and virtualmeeting
managementbytheteamleaderandhisassistantplayacrucialrole.
Effectiveleadershipdemonstrateswhatitlooksliketoremoveisolationand
confusionwhilebuildingvirtualtrust.Regrettably,someplacedinleadership
roles opt only to manage their teams, which fuels a repetitive cycle of
challengeafterchallenge,resultinginmediocrityandlossoftalent.
Resolving differences also was considered a key obstacle. Respondents expressed concern that in a virtual
environment,therewasnoclearwaytomoveontothenexttopic.Thesedifficultiesrevealedaneedforeffective
leadership.Examplesincludedthefollowingstatement:
Ivehadtototallychangemyworkprocessandammuchmoredirectwhen
askingpeoplehowtheyarefeelingoractingwhenIsensehesitationorlack
ofcommitment.IhavetotranslatewhatIpickupfrombodylanguagethe
silent lackofverbalagreement isdeafeningwillyoueachtellmehowyou
arefeelingabout this changeat thismoment? It isverydirectandcanbe
somewhatinyourfacewithnewfolks.
POSITIVEOBSERVATIONS
Somerespondentsclaimeditwaseasiertoworkwithavirtualteamthaninafacetofaceenvironment.Theyfelt
thatawiderrangeofopinionsandmoretimeweremadeavailable.Examplesincludedthefollowingstatements:
Ifindthatremoteworkinghasmoreplusesthanminuses.Focus isontasks
anddeliverables,notonofficepolitics.
Onapositivenote,youhavealotofdiverseideas.Also,youcanutilizemore
hoursintheworkday(dayandnight).
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Inaddition,somerespondentsclaimedthatstrongteammembersandappropriateuseoftechnologiesmadefor
successfulvirtualteamwork.Examplesincludedthefollowingstatements:
Ifthemanagerhasstrongemployeesonavirtualteam, it isjustaseasy, if
notbetter,thanfacetoface[meetings].
Ihavefoundthatyouhavetousethetoolsyouhaveandnotrelyonperson
toperson contact.Idomorecontacton thephone regardingperformance
thanIdoinperson.Ialsoprovidedocumentsonlinetostaff(versusinperson
arrangements).TheonlythingImissisbodyandfaciallanguage.However,
thisisthenatureofworkingremotelyandindifferentlocations.Youhaveto
findwaystodetermine ifpeopleareworking [and]areavailable.Onceyou
findthatandarecomfortablewithit,itworksquitewell.
EXPERIENCEWITHVIRTUALTEAMSOUTPERFORMINGCOLOCATEDTEAMS
We mentioned research showing that virtual teams outperformed colocated teams, and we asked survey
participants to describe their experiences with both types of teams. While some respondents had good
experienceswithbothtypesofteamsorhadcriticismsofbothtypes,theresponseswereoftenpolarizedoneach
side of the question. In this section we present a sampling of the strengths and weaknesses identified by
supportersofeachtypeofteam.
SUCCESSWITHVIRTUALTEAMS
Respondentshighlightedthewiderrangeofexperienceandskillsthatcanbeaccessedwhenvirtualteamstapinto
anorganizations worldwideresourcepool:
Itisanexcitingfeeltobepartofaninternationalteam.Onegainsmoreofa
big picture view and has the opportunity to view many different
managementstylesthatarebornindifferentcultures.
Virtual teams canhaveabroaderexperienceandexposureandoffernew
perspectivesbutrequiremuchmoreefforttocoordinatetomakeitwork.
Withavirtualteam,youcantap intoamuchwiderresourcepool,butyou
havetogetthedynamicrighttogetcontributionsthatmaximizetheoutput
fromtheteamscompetencies.
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Somerespondents reportedthatsincevirtualteamswereunableto functionproperlywithouttakingadditional
measurestoorganizetheireffortsmorecarefully,thesemeasureswere,indeed,takenandhadbeneficialresults.
Theyalsoindicatedthatstrongleadershipwasthesourceofthispositiveresult:
Ibelievethevirtualteamsdonottakeanythingforgrantedandasaresult
ensurethereiscommonclarityandunderstanding.
Virtualteamsareforcedtobebetterorganizedandfollowclearprocedures.
So[they]couldhavebetterperformanceinthissense.
Itdependsonthemotivationlevel.Myvirtualteamprojectsarefollowedat
averyhighlevel,sotheyaremoredriventosucceedthanmyteamwhositsin
thesamebuilding.
Manyrespondentsindicatedthatvirtualteamswereabletomaintainastrongerfocusandhadfewerdistractions
thanfacetofaceteams:
I think virtual teams tend to bemore goaloriented andfocused.With a
virtual team, youget togetherona callfora specificpurpose,andyouall
focusonthat.
haveworked in both environmentsfeel that there are less distractions
workinginavirtualteam.
Anumberofrespondentsindicatedthattheflexibleschedulingrequiredforvirtualteamswaspreferableforteam
members
because
it
enabled
them
to
improve
both
their
team
product
and
quality
of
life:
Workingvirtually,Icanflexmyscheduleasneededtoconcentratefullyon
work, but also take care ofpersonal needs, balancing as needed. I can be
moreflexible in terms of taking calls at early or late hours as needed to
accommodateothertimezones.
Virtualteamsoftenprovide individualswithbetterqualityof life, including
abilitytohaveflexhourstosupportabetterwork/lifebalance.Thismotivates
peopletodowhattheycantocontinuetobesuccessfulinthatsetting.
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WEAKNESSESOFVIRTUALTEAMS
Manyrespondentsfeltthatpoorlanguageskillsandculturalbarrierscompromisedtheeffortsofvirtualteams:
butitwouldrequireacertainlevelinlanguageskillsandsocialbehavioras
well.Forsomepeople, itseemstobejusttoomuchtotakeacalltoateam
memberifyoudontknowhimthatwell.
Virtual teamscanbeasgoodascolocated teams if[theyhave] thesame
language and culture. For different languages and cultures, virtual team
workingbecomesmuchlesseffective.
The miscommunications brought on from geographical and cultural
separationhaveprovedverypainfulandrequirepeople ineverysite(andof
every culture) to have an aboveaverage skill set to overcome these
difficultiesandavoidatotalbreakdownintrustandcooperationbetweenthe
disparatepartsoftheteam.
Some respondents indicated thatvirtual teamswere toodependentonexceptional leadership skills toperform
effectivelyundermostcircumstances:
Itisverydependentontheteamand inparticularonthe leadershipofthe
manager todevelop the teamsvirtual skillsandensureanopportunityfor
effectivecommunications.
Majorproblemwithavirtualteamistoensurefairloadbalancingbetween
members.Amembersestimateofhisowncontributionandeffortsmaynot
matchreality.
Whiletheyagreedthatvirtualteamswerecapableoffurnishinghighqualityresults,somerespondentsbelieved
thattheteambuildingeffortrequiredwastootimeconsuming:
however, significant timeand effort shouldbe invested in teambuilding
activitiesatthebeginningoftheproject.
Somerespondentsclaimedthatsimpletasksweremoreappropriateforvirtualteamsthancomplexassignments:
Depends on the complexity of [the] task[on] simple tasks for volume
output,[virtualteams]outperformduetoroundtheclockworking.
If the task lends itself to a divideandconquer approach [specialized,
segmented activity] and benefits greatly from geographic diversity, then
virtualteamsaregreat.
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Participants reported that the lack of sufficient interaction among virtualteam members placed them at a
disadvantage:
Colocationhas theadvantage [because] it iseasier toupdateandadvise
teamsofrevisedactionsandchangesinplansduetoalocalpresence;thishas
provedmoredifficultacrossvirtualteams,whichfeelisolated.
In engineering, a large part of the job depends on short, facetoface
interaction.Emailandtimezonedifferencesdramaticallydegradequalityand
productivity.Withverygoodpeople, itcanbeaccomplished,butata steep
priceintermsoftimeanddevelopmentcost.
Anumberof respondents claimed thatonlyexperienced teammemberswere capableof functioningwith the
independentfocusandnecessaryskillsetrequiredformostvirtualteamefforts:
If [thevirtual team] consistsofwell experiencedmembers, itwillperform
well.Forateamwithmembersthatarerelativelyneworhave lessworking
experience, it is better to be colocated as communication can be made
clearer.
In areaswhere teammembers, especiallyjuniors, requirementoring and
support, colocated teams provide better opportunities and onetoone
contacttimetoprovideguidanceandmentoringtogettheworkdone.
SUCCESSWITHCOLOCATEDTEAMS
Accordingtomanyrespondents,facetofaceinteractionisvital:
Team spirit ismuch better in colocated teams,which normally leads to
betterresults.
Facetofacecheckingforunderstandingonkeyissuesinaprojectorprocess
ensuresthattheworkisnotwasted.
Personally, commitment to achieving team objectives increases to a
sustainable level if the team has an opportunity for a facetoface
engagementaminimumofonceperyear.
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Some respondents indicated that the speed and efficiency of colocated teams gave them an advantage over
virtualteams:
Decision speed, better communication, learningfrom others experiences,
informationsharing...arecharacteristicsofcolocatedteams.
Colocated teams arefaster [and]moreflexible. Less communication and
meetings [are] needed since everyone is sitting together certainly for
problemhandling.Easiertobrainstorm.
Colocatedteamstendtoworkbetterasdecisionmakingisquicker,anditis
easiertotestunderstanding.
Some respondents claimed that colocated teams had greater commitment and were more responsive to
leadership:
Myexperience isacolocatedteamwaswellrun,communicatedregularly,
and allwere engaged.My experience nowwith a virtual team is that not
everyone is engaged (or that is theperception). It is hard to read others
whomyoudonthavetheopportunitytospeakwithoften.
Itismucheasiertogetgoodresultswithcolocatedteamssinceyoucansee
thepeopleandyoucanpushthemtohaveahighercommitment.
Anumberofrespondentsbelievedthatcolocatedteamswereabetterchoiceforcomplex,advancedprojects:
Depends on the complexity of taskcomplex tasks [are] less suitable [for
virtualteams]duetocommunication[requirements].
Virtual team isnotefficient toperformadvanced results inengineeringor
training.Virtual training isunsuccessful compared toacademicengineering
schoolwithtechnicalpracticelearning.
WEAKNESSESOFCOLOCATEDTEAMS
Somerespondentsbelievedthatcolocatedteamsweremoreinsularintheiroutlookandwereunabletoprovide
creativesolutions:
Membersof colocated teamsoftenhave the samebackgroundand share
the same traditions and habits (e.g., of the company). This leads them to
thinkinamoresinglemindedwaythanvirtualteams.Inmyopinion,virtual
teamsgeneratemoredifferentandmoreinnovativeideas.
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Therewere reports that localofficepoliticsand frictionbetweenpersonalitiesposed a significant challenge to
membersofcolocatedteams:
Local [colocated] teamshave thedisadvantageofgroup thinkoraligning
with the localpower structure going alongwith thebossorpersonwith
mostauthority.
I think there is apossibility thatpersonalities could get in theway if the
peoplearecolocated,whereasvirtualteamsarenotasclosepersonallyand
donothavetheopportunityformorepersonalissuestogetintheway.
A number of respondents believed that the distractions facing colocated teammembers tended to lead to
excessiveamountsofwastedtime:
Withfacetoface teams,therearemanydistractionsandother issues that
cancomeup.
Workingonsite,thereareanumberofdistractionsthatdecreaseproductive
worktime,inadditiontocommuting,greaterlikelihoodoflunchbreaks,etc.
casualdistractions,interruptions,andtimeconsumingsocializing.
MAKINGVIRTUALTEAMSMORESUCCESSFUL
Whenaskedhowtheywouldmaketheirvirtualteamsmoresuccessful,somerespondentsexpressedaneedfor
more
time.
Others
cited
the
need
for
a
common
language,
time
zone,
and
currency.
These
comments,
however,
constitutedonlyafractionofthetotal.Thelargestnumberofcommentscitedaneedformorefrequentfaceto
facecontacttocementbetterrelationshipsamongteammembers.Inarelatedvein,manyparticipantsidentifieda
need for better communication, and they frequently suggested the use of better collaborative technologies
especiallyvideoconferencing.Therealsowerenumerouscommentsthatonlycanbeinterpretedasexpressionsof
frustrationaboutpoorprojectmanagementusuallyevidencedbyalackoforganizationoraclearunderstanding
ofsharedobjectivesandresponsibilities.Finally,commentsaboutthelackofinitiative,cooperation,andmeeting
etiquetteamongteammemberspointedtoaneedformorecarefulselectionofvirtualteammembers.
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FACETOFACECONTACT
The following statementsexpressed theneed for regularly scheduled facetoface contact,better relationships,
andinformalexchanges:
Having regularmeetings or evenjust conference calls,where thewhole
team comes together so thatwe can all have a sense ofwhat each team
memberisworkingon.Currentlywehavenoteammeetings,andeveryone
islefttoworkinisolation.
Theabilitytobuilduprelationshipsandtrustsomore informalexchanges
of information [should] naturally occur. These are the types of things that
wouldhappenwhenyouwalkedpastsomeonesdeskandchatorbumpinto
themmakingcoffee
Regular touchpoints, face to face, for lessons learned, for relationship
buildingactivities.Also,tohaveateambuildingpossibilitybeforethevirtual
teamshavetoworktogether.
BETTERCOMMUNICATION ANDCOLLABORATIVETOOLS
Thefollowingstatementsweretypicalofrespondentsthatcitedaneedforusingthesamesystems,software,and
collaborationtoolstoimprovecommunication:
Ourteamandtheotherteamsweworkwithwouldfinditmucheasiertobe
successful ifwewereallusing the same systemsandproducts.The lackof
uniformityinthecompanyisdistressing.
communication is key. Finding more ways to communicate without
sacrificingtimeawayfromtheactualjobfunctionswouldhelp.
Less relianceonemailandmorewillingness topickup thephoneandcall
eachotherwhentheresaconflictorimpasse.
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BETTERMANAGEMENTANDORGANIZATION
Thefollowingcommentsillustraterespondentsfrustrationsaboutthelackofmanagementoversight,leadership,
clearobjectives,assignmentdelegation,coordination, andawarenessofteamprogress:
Better followup, information, and visibility into what each member is
doing.
Clearlydefinedownership.Notlettingpeoplegetawaywithnotdoingtheir
jobandpassingthebuck.
Ensuring everyone understands and is aligned to the same objectives.
Commitment toobjectivesandconstantfollowuponmilestones toachieve
objectives.
Startingandendingmeetingson time,adhering toanagenda,and timely
followuponactionitemsloggedduringthemeeting.
BETTERTEAMMEMBERS
Invariouscommentsthatwere linkedtoperceivedmanagementdeficiencies,respondents indicatedthatvirtual
teamsrequiredamoreresponsible,selfdirectedtypeofpersonwithamixofappropriateskills:
iftheywouldusetheirowninitiative.
Pay attention during calls and dedicate the time to the call rather than
multitaskingduringcalls.
amethodtomotivatepeoplebyemailandphone.
Caliberofpeople.
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CONCLUSION
Thenumericaldataandopenendedresponses inthisreportcorroboratethetrendtowardglobalcollaboration.
Theyalsohighlightfundamentalareaswherevirtualteamsposeuniquechallengestoorganizational andindividual
productivity.Knowingthatchallengessuchasconflictmanagement,decisionmaking,timezonedifferences,and
culturalandlanguagebarriershavesuchastrongimpactonthesuccessofvirtualteams,forwardlookingleaders
are well positioned to structure and manage their relationships for optimal results in a global business
environment.
Thereisavitalneedtodevelopspecificandexplicitworkrulestoreplacethosethataretacitlyunderstoodamong
membersofcolocatedteamswhoshareacommoncultureand language.Toensurethattheseruleshavetheir
intended,positiveeffect,mechanisms toassure theirobservance shouldalsobeput inplacejustasquality
control programs require a tandem effort of quality assurance to document their successful implementation.
Armed with an awareness of cultural influences in the workplace and procedures to sustain intercultural
effectiveness,organizationswillbeabletocapitalizeonthediverserangeoftalentthattheirworldwideemployee
populationscanbringtobearontheirefforts.