How to Lead and Manage Virtual Teams
Leading and managing virtual teams differs many respects from managing teams located
in one place, yet in many other respects the same principles of management apply.
The following points are intended to summarise some of the main issues that leaders
should consider when leading virtual teams. The points are based on my own experience of leading virtual
teams and the latest best practice from different industries and sectors world-wide.
My expertise in Leading Virtual Teams can be delivered world-wide, through a
tailored management consultancy project, workshop, lecture,
seminar, coaching or mentoring. For example I have delivered a half-day workshop as part of
a bimonthly team meeting of senior executives of multinational corporations.
For further details, and an informal discussion about how I can work with you to
lead and manage virtual teams, contact me. Overseas enquiries welcome.
Link to
How to Lead and Manage Virtual Teams (PDF file)
Definition: A virtual team is a group of people, working together for a particular purpose,
who are based in different locations, and who mainly communicate electronically rather than face-to-face.
1. The virual team must have clear goals. All teams will succeed or fail, whether virtual or not,
depending on clarity of goals.
2. Team members must be able to see the whole picture, as well as focusing on their own role within the team.
3. Communication is essentially between people (with technology providing the medium), so the
management of virtual teams is much more about people than technology. All the rules about managing people still apply.
4. One of the leader's key roles, as in all situations, is to manage the organisational culture
and this applies to virtual teams too, though the culture has different dimensions. For example
sharing of information is easy with email and the leader's behaviour in terms of sharing or not
sharing information sets the tone for all team members.
5. There needs to be a shift of emphasis away from managing and controlling to leading and inspiring,
since the leader is not able to manage people in detail, but can point out the way forward and help
people to make their own way towards the corporate objective.
"Whips and chains are no longer an alternative. Virtual leadership is all about keeping everyone
focused, as old structures, including old hierarchies, crumble."
Professor Warren Bennis.
6. Since close supervision is impossible, trust is essential. (See quote below: Charles Handy.)
"If we are to enjoy the efficiencies and other benefits of the virtual organisation, we will have
to discover how to run organisations more on trust than on control. Virtuality requires trust to
make it work; technology on its own is not enough."
Charles Handy.
7. If people are to work effectively together in a virtual team they need to know each other and
this initial 'getting to know each other' is difficult online or even on the phone. Remember
that teams go through the process of 'forming', 'norming', 'storming', and 'performing'. There
is no substitute for face-to-face meetings to allow people to get to know each other.
People are essentially social animals, and though there is an efficiency to people working
separately in different locations, this efficiency will be eroded if people become isolated.
Leaders should provide opportunities for team members to meet whenever possible.
8. In order to keep everyone informed, yet avoid endless debate about minor decisions, there
needs to be clarity about whether each communication is for debate/decision or simply 'for information'.
9. Establish team norms for responding to emails, for example within 24 hours. Even if you
cannot provide a full answer, you can at least let people know you are working on it. Otherwise
there can be a feeling that an email has fallen into a 'black hole'.
10. Be aware that it is extremely easy to sound unfriendly, blunt or rude when communicating
by email, even though this is not the intention. This is because communication is made up of
four elements, three of which cannot be communicated via email: written words; pitch or tone;
non-verbal signals (body language); and attitude. Comments that are made in jest with a wink
or a smile in a meeting could very easily be misinterpreted in an email. It is particularly
important to avoid any possible misunderstandings of tone when emailing, especially when
working in a cross-cultural team.
11. Responding to a phone call with an email will be regarded by the recipient as 'downgrading'
the communication to a less important level, whereas responding to an email with a phone call
demonstrates an 'upgrading' of the importance of the communication.
12. The number and frequency of one-to-one emails received from a manager (as opposed to one-to-many
and 'cc' emails) will influence a team member's perception of their importance within the team and
level of respect they have earned from the virtual team leader.
13. Know when it is time to stop emailing and pick up the phone, or organise a face to face meeting.
As a rule of thumb, try to make at least one phone call for every ten emails, and one face-to-face
meeting for every ten phone calls. Earl Long's advice (see sidebar) is not easily achieved in a
hectic business environment, but there is nevertheless much insight and wisdom in his saying.
"Don't write anything you can phone, don't phone anything you can talk face to face, don't talk
anything you can smile, don't smile anything you can wink, and don't wink anything you can nod"
Earl Long (late US politician).
14. As in all communications, remember to think of the recipient before communicating,
including their location and ease of access to email, cultural and personal sensitivities,
and the level of trust and goodwill you have with that person at that time.
15. Finally, say 'thank you'. People respond positively to thanks for their individual
contribution to the team and the project. Team members require recognition and encouragement
even if, indeed especially if, they are working at a distance from their manager.
Link to How to Lead and Manage Virtual Teams (PDF file)
Note: This web page is not intended to provide comprehensive coverage of the subject, merely a brief introduction to provoke thought and to lead to a more in depth understanding and application of the topic, either through further reading - or from me as your management consultant, executive trainer or personal coach in a consultancy project, training course, workshop or seminar.
References and Further Reading
Duarte, D and Snyder, N T. Mastering Virtual Teams. Jossey-Bass. 1999.
Handy, C. Trust and the Virtual Organisation. Harvard Business Review. 1995.
Lipnack, J and Stamps J. Virtual Teams. John Wiley and Sons. 1997.
Valley, K. The Electronic Negotiator. Harvard Business Review. Jan-Feb 2000.
Davidow, William and Malone, Michael. The Virtual Corporation. Harper Business. 1993.