Absolutely - in fact, companies have learned that the inefficiencies often created from highly centralized operations often yield highly negative results. Sure, there are challenges, but there are collaboration tools and frameworks out there that increase transparency and keep all involved aware of what everyone else is doing . . . ironically, perhaps moreso than if the same people were sitting in a cubicle farm together. As always, communication, proper leadership, job design (i.e. KPIs') and understanding of duties/initiatives are key.
I think the more appropriate question is can you build trust within a team working remodetly. I'd say it's harder and transparency can be very difficult.
Leadership happens in conversation. Leaders must increase their capacity to speak to team members by phone as much as e-mail to build rapport and common purpose.
I say yes but telephone conversations on a regular basis would be important. Video phone would be better. The team would fall apart if email was the primary communication. With web based CRM, virtual PBX phones, off site hosted corporate email, and group chat, home workers could all be part of a live team communicating consistently and working on the same goals as a team. Managers could monitor these communications. It would be very important that managers had clear goals employees were expected to reach and that managers had phone meetings on a regular basis. A good strategy would be to build virtual team groups all in the same surrounding geo area. This way the team could all meet up on a regular basis for a company gathering. The benefit of virtual work is happy employees, green business, and lower overhead. All of these goals can be achieved by hiring virtual employees in the same geo area.
Working as we do, so far from our home planet of Offyd, we have some experience of this question.
Assuming we are talking about international teams here (one member in the US, one in France, two in Japan etc.) there are several prerequisites for success:
1. You need sxcellent communication systems (phone, telephone/visual links, email, instant messaging etc.)
2. All members should be proficient in a common language (often - though not always - English.)If they are not, the team leader should ensure that those without the right level of language skills receive the appropriate info. in their own language , and/or that native language speakers simplify their language so eveyone understands them.
3. The team needs a strong team leader with great inter-personal, communication and inter-cultural skills.He/she should ensure that in the (virtual) meetings everyone gets to speak (not just the ones with the loudest voices) and that every week it's not the same person who has to get up in the middle of the night to attend the weekly meeting.(Terrestrial time differences are a pain.)
4.Earthling humans are just half an evolutionary step away from the apes - so ideally they should meet face to face to build inter-personal contacts (shake each others' hands, share a meal, gossip , and perhaps indulge in a little mutual grooming.)
I think it is difficult. The need for human contact and interaction is still critical for team building. It cannot be done only in email, phone calls and video conferencing. Every once in a while physical meetings are important for that pat on the back, a handshake and sharing someone's physical space while in conversation.
I think it is, as long as the people involved are also connected in ways not directly related to their jobs (for example, social networks, twitter, reading each other's blogs, other outside projects, etc).
I agree. The key is maintaining the common purpose, inspiration and support. Too often teams lose the inspiration that brought them together in the first place.
Absolutely. Remote shouldn't mean isolation. 90 % of my teams interaction is through web meetings. Every 6 months we will get together for an in person event and it's great to see the people behind the voice. To build a team you need to keep people connected NOT isolated.
Hey guys, that's why I created www.onthesystem.com. Virtual teams are the future. All that's needed are more effective ways to communicate, coordinate and collaborate. I believe with the right web-based tools virtual teams can change the world.
14 Total
March 29, 2008 at 5:28pm by Joshua Letourneau
Absolutely - in fact, companies have learned that the inefficiencies often created from highly centralized operations often yield highly negative results. Sure, there are challenges, but there are collaboration tools and frameworks out there that increase transparency and keep all involved aware of what everyone else is doing . . . ironically, perhaps moreso than if the same people were sitting in a cubicle farm together. As always, communication, proper leadership, job design (i.e. KPIs') and understanding of duties/initiatives are key.
March 29, 2008 at 8:11pm by Benjamin Wojcikiewicz
I think the more appropriate question is can you build trust within a team working remodetly. I'd say it's harder and transparency can be very difficult.
March 29, 2008 at 10:08pm by David Porter
Leadership happens in conversation. Leaders must increase their capacity to speak to team members by phone as much as e-mail to build rapport and common purpose.
March 29, 2008 at 11:11pm by Jacob Minett
I say yes but telephone conversations on a regular basis would be important. Video phone would be better. The team would fall apart if email was the primary communication. With web based CRM, virtual PBX phones, off site hosted corporate email, and group chat, home workers could all be part of a live team communicating consistently and working on the same goals as a team. Managers could monitor these communications. It would be very important that managers had clear goals employees were expected to reach and that managers had phone meetings on a regular basis. A good strategy would be to build virtual team groups all in the same surrounding geo area. This way the team could all meet up on a regular basis for a company gathering. The benefit of virtual work is happy employees, green business, and lower overhead. All of these goals can be achieved by hiring virtual employees in the same geo area.
March 30, 2008 at 4:14am by Lester Avery
yes altho I work as a print consultant I have individuals I can Use
March 30, 2008 at 8:33am by Mario Blanca
Yes, collaboration can be more efficient.
March 30, 2008 at 9:33am by Offyd Grinipuffs
Working as we do, so far from our home planet of Offyd, we have some experience of this question.
Assuming we are talking about international teams here (one member in the US, one in France, two in Japan etc.) there are several prerequisites for success:
1. You need sxcellent communication systems (phone, telephone/visual links, email, instant messaging etc.)
2. All members should be proficient in a common language (often - though not always - English.)If they are not, the team leader should ensure that those without the right level of language skills receive the appropriate info. in their own language , and/or that native language speakers simplify their language so eveyone understands them.
3. The team needs a strong team leader with great inter-personal, communication and inter-cultural skills.He/she should ensure that in the (virtual) meetings everyone gets to speak (not just the ones with the loudest voices) and that every week it's not the same person who has to get up in the middle of the night to attend the weekly meeting.(Terrestrial time differences are a pain.)
4.Earthling humans are just half an evolutionary step away from the apes - so ideally they should meet face to face to build inter-personal contacts (shake each others' hands, share a meal, gossip , and perhaps indulge in a little mutual grooming.)
March 30, 2008 at 9:52am by Julie Bausman
I think it is difficult. The need for human contact and interaction is still critical for team building. It cannot be done only in email, phone calls and video conferencing. Every once in a while physical meetings are important for that pat on the back, a handshake and sharing someone's physical space while in conversation.
March 30, 2008 at 3:20pm by Jarin Udom
I think it is, as long as the people involved are also connected in ways not directly related to their jobs (for example, social networks, twitter, reading each other's blogs, other outside projects, etc).
March 30, 2008 at 6:38pm by Jay Thomas-Burrows
Technology brings people together if the right technology is used.
March 30, 2008 at 9:14pm by Dennis Kuhn
This is really a question of "against what odds?" With common purpose, inspiration, and support you can build a successful team under any situation.
March 31, 2008 at 10:34am by Stanley Bauer
I agree. The key is maintaining the common purpose, inspiration and support. Too often teams lose the inspiration that brought them together in the first place.
April 1, 2008 at 5:06pm by
Absolutely. Remote shouldn't mean isolation. 90 % of my teams interaction is through web meetings. Every 6 months we will get together for an in person event and it's great to see the people behind the voice. To build a team you need to keep people connected NOT isolated.
April 16, 2008 at 8:47am by Michael Kramer
Hey guys, that's why I created www.onthesystem.com. Virtual teams are the future. All that's needed are more effective ways to communicate, coordinate and collaborate. I believe with the right web-based tools virtual teams can change the world.