Types of Differentiators in the Virtual Management - Essay Example

Virtual management Virtual management Types of differentiators i. Commitment and engagement Members of virtual teams with high performance are more proactive and engaged. They exhibit levels of high initiative and self-motivation. People engage in these virtual teams in addition to their daily activities and it can sometimes add pressure on them (DeRosa & Lepsinger, 2010). That is why the poor score in the low performing teams is not surprising since it is very challenging to handle the competing demands. Those with high scores in the virtual teams are well motivated to achieve more than it is required of them. It is upon the team leaders of these teams to monitor their members and monitor their motivation levels on a daily basis. It is important for virtual teams to connect their daily activities with the strategy and objectives of the business to remain committed and engaged over time. This in turn contributes to the success of the organization. ii. Shared process for decision making High performing virtual teams establish better decision-making and better problem solving process than low performing ones. Decision making and ensuring that the rightful information reaches the right people is challenging for virtual teams whose members are located in different time zones or who converse through email or phone. It is important for virtual team leaders to establish communication processes early and revisit them over time. iii. Getting the right information to the right people Most of the virtual teams have little face-to-face contacts with their members or work under different time zones. That is why they face challenges in communication with their members. High performing teams always have a way to work around these challenges unlike the low performing virtual teams. High performing virtual team members respond quickly to problems, providing each other with the required information, involving each other in decisions making and providing each other with necessary feedback. They have various technologies of communicating with each other and updating one another. Good communication strategy with each other increases the success of the virtual teams with ample face-to-face meetings every now and then. iv. Task-based trust It is important for the virtual team members to exercise trust with each other since lack of trust can lead to unsuccessful virtual work arrangements (Zofi, 2011). Trust is important for the success of the virtual team members because most of these members rarely see one another and others have never met in person. Thus, they relate on inter-personal trust based on their personal relationships. Virtual teams rely on the task-based trust where they believe that members will do their jobs in the required manner. Task-based trust has to be created by responsive team members, following through commitments, and taking responsibility for the achieved results. It is important for virtual team members to honor their words and conduct their responsibilities to enhance trust-based relationships in their work. Top performing virtual team members have high levels of task-based trust as compared to low teams. Successful virtual teams enhance building relationships among their team members and ensure that they learn about one another early enough. Types of virtual RAMPS a) Relationships It is important for teams to embark on interpersonal relationships in addition to the execution of their duties. Since most of these team members works at a distance with no face-to-face collaborations, it is important that they form quality relationships with each other (Sheridan, 2012). The three important aspects of effective virtual relationships include trust, conflict resolution, and communication. To be in a position to work together effectively, team members ought to provide one another with information and respond to it in a timely manner. Most effective virtual teams come up with a communication protocol that indicates how members will communicate. Trust, on the other hand, is crucial in building strong relationships with each other. Building trust in a virtual team can be challenging especially in a high diverse team settings. Virtual teams can establish trust with one another by open and honest communications, accessibility, and responsiveness, implementing a communication plan and establishing a positive behavior between members. Moreover, high performing virtual teams know how to manage their differences effectively and reach a consensus (Zofi, 2011). b) Accountability Companies with high level of virtual team performance have better methods of ensuring the accountability of their employees for their work. However, in such a virtual setting, accountability is challenging. One indicator of lack of accountability is the evasion and the avoidance tactics employees use to avoid blame for failed tasks. In addition, there is reduced innovation and risk taking. It is important for organizations to understand the factors why people refuse to take accountability when things go wrong. The factors include locus of control, preservation of self-image and social loathing. c) Motivation High performing virtual teams are more motivated than low-performing teams. These members of high performing teams have high initiative and willing to put extra effort to achieve the objectives of the team. They collaborate to help each other achieve the required goals. They are willing to step-up and take up leadership responsibility whenever needed. It is important for team members to align individual goals, team’s goals and the broader goals of the organization to enhance engagement and motivation of the members (Garton & Wegryn, 2006). Team leadership enhances creation and maintenance of high motivation levels. d) Process and purpose Most of the effective virtual teams come up with clear goals, roles, and clear processes from the beginning. These teams define their clear goals and responsibilities better than less effective teams. Thus, team processes is crucial for high performance of the team. Key drivers of performance are specific, and task related processes of the team processes that enhance coordination of work between team members or enhance effective communication among these members (Garton & Wegryn, 2006). Virtual teams that implement these processes outperform their counterparts that are co-located. Most of the virtual teams that are successful are clear about how their work often contributes to their organizational success. Low performing team members have no guiding purpose and question how it leads to the benefit of the organization. Thus, it is important for teams to define their process and purpose form the start to guide their members in achieving the set objectives and goals. References DeRosa, D. M., & Lepsinger, R. (2010). Virtual team success. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Garton, C., & Wegryn, K. (2006). Managing without walls. Lewisville, TX: MC Press. Sheridan, K. (2012). The virtual manager. Pompton Plains, N.J.: Career Pres. Zofi, Y. S. (2011). A managers guide to virtual teams. New York: AMACOM. Read More