By Fiorenza Rossini, Pear CoachGlobal Virtual Teams are teams that are both culturally diverse and globally dispersed. In other words, Global Virtual Teams are multicultural teams whose members are in different locations around the world and who connect through electronic...
By Fiorenza Rossini, Pear Coach
Global Virtual Teams are teams that are both culturally diverse and globally dispersed. In other words, Global Virtual Teams are multicultural teams whose members are in different locations around the world and who connect through electronic communications technologies (such as email and videoconferencing), rather than face-to-face.
Over the last decade, many companies turned to working as Global Virtual Teams in an attempt to use the best available talent while being under budget pressure. With recent travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Global Virtual Teams have been on the rise, with teams typically working in the same office now also working virtually and so expanding the range of Global Virtual Teams.
Research points to conflicting data, suggesting that successfully leading Global Virtual Teams can be achieved with strategic planning:
In their seminal 2001 study of 70 such groups, professors Vijay Govindarajan, director of the Center for Global Leadership at Dartmouth College and Anil Gupta, professor of strategy and global e-business at the University of Maryland, found that 82% fell short of their goals and 33% rated themselves as largely unsuccessful.A 2009 study of 80 global software teams by authors from BCG and WHU-Otto Beisheim School of Management indicates that well-managed dispersed teams can actually outperform those that share office space. Similarly, an Aon Consulting report noted that using virtual teams can improve employee productivity; some organizations have seen gains of up to 43%.So how do you successfully lead a Global Virtual Team?
Delivering the Right Message
The way Global Virtual Teams are structured may cause perceptions of power imbalance: the team members located in the same location as the team leader may be perceived as having more power. To counter this, leaders need to get three messages across:
“The team is united.” As a leader, it’s important to emphasize the team identity, not the subgroups within the team. Leaders should seek to promote the idea of the team as a single entity while still encouraging sensitivity to cultural differences. Be aware of how you talk about team members in different locations?—?does the language divide or unite? For example ‘our designers in London’ versus ’the Europe team’.“We share a common purpose.” Leaders need to make every team member aware they are working toward a common goal as a team. Regularly remind the team how everyone’s work fits into the team or organizational goal.“I am here for you.” Make sure all team members know the leader acknowledges their contributions, supports their work, and involves them in important decisions.Creating a Supportive Structure For Your Team
Global Virtual Teams lack informal face-to-face interactions so their leaders need to make an effort to build deliberate moments to foster a sense of mutual understanding, empathy and trust.
Set up regular one-to-one meetings with your team members. Go beyond asking for a status update on their work. Get to know them and support their professional development.Allow unstructured communication. Maybe it’s a few minutes of general chit-chat at the start of a business meeting or maybe it’s a Slack channel strictly to talk about non-business related topics. (e.g. what’s everyone reading at the moment?)Fostering Open Dialogue
As early on as possible, leaders should encourage open dialogue and collective communication, inviting their team members to describe their professional and cultural backgrounds, the way they prefer to work and the value they hope to add to the group.
Keep in mind that Global Virtual Teams are multicultural teams. As such, differences in cultural values, in addition to differences in personal and professional values, may also be the source of conflicts. So the earlier you try to understand what those differences are, the best it is.
Consider Language Gaps and Fluency
Language gaps can be particularly wide in Global Virtual Teams. English is often adopted as the common business language, while being the mother tongue for some and not for others. As a leader, you should monitor and actively manage participation, in order to ensure balance and inclusion.
Dial down dominance. Team members who tend to dominate conversations should be encouraged to pull back a bit. For example by limiting the number of comments made within a set timeframe. Help English-native team members be conscious of their speaking speed, allowing for shorter sentences, and avoiding idioms. Explain any specific cultural references (e.g. to politics or TV shows) so that team members don’t feel confused or left out. Be aware that team members will not necessarily say they don’t understand something, so double-check.Dial up engagement. Less fluent team members, who tend to withdraw from conversations, should be encouraged to speak up. Keep in mind that it may be difficult to pick up everything you are saying due to language issues or accent. Make sure the whole team is on the same page at the end of a meeting, do not hesitate to check everyone’s understanding of the priorities.For information on leadership coaching for yourself, your managers or team, email contact@pearcoaches.com or call/text 888–708-PEAR (7327).
About the Author
Pear Coach, Fiorenza Rossini, is an ICF-certified professional coach, cross-cultural trainer and mindfulness teacher. She is passionate about helping global teams and individuals work better together through coaching. She leverages her 10-year global corporate experience in fast-paced environments in her work.
How to Successfully Lead Global Virtual Teams was originally published in Pear Coaches on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
