Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/55943
FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY used face-to-face or virtual methods. After the panel gave its feedback, we discussed what the students found to be the advantages and pitfalls of vir- tual teamwork, as well as the differ- ences between working virtually and working face-to-face. What Works, What Doesn't This exercise brought to light many things about the nature and require- ments of leading a virtual team. In the two parts of our newspaper chal- lenge, for example, our panel found that the quality of solutions did not depend on whether teams used virtu- al or face-to-face approaches. Instead, other factors played larger roles: n Virtual teams that set too many rules or were too rigid about how and when participants contributed, gener- ally were not as successful as those that were more flexible. Different time zones, for instance, required that teams set slightly longer deadlines. n Virtual teams that produced solutions using customized online team rooms—designed specifically for virtual collaboration—scored better than those that used social networking sites such as Facebook. Social networking sites often offer no function to organize activities effec- tively, search information, engage in complex discussions, or rank ideas. There is little "click-through" capa- bility. Facebook users either did not participate in brainstorming activities or did so unproductively, perhaps because interactions on the site tend to be largely superficial. The students weren't accustomed to using it for this purpose. Although virtual teamwork isn't necessarily more effective than face- to-face teamwork, throughout our courses we have found that virtual teamwork that is well-facilitated and well-supported by the best plat- form for the purpose can be supe- rior to face-to-face interaction, par- ticularly for large or geographically dispersed teams. Once our students return to work, we encourage them to have conversations with their IT departments about how to cre- ate customized team rooms, rather than rely on existing sites with pre- determined features. A Different Set of Skills Once students complete their virtual teamwork in our program, they come to several realizations: Charisma, a traditional leader- ship trait, often doesn't come through on virtual teams. Therefore, they must rely not on force of personal- ity, but on clarity, cultural sensitivity, and the ability to delegate. "Lead- ing" in these interactions is less about exhibiting authority and more about emphasizing team accountability, reaching consensus, and being open to challenges. Merit has more power than per- sonality on virtual teams. As a result, those who are introverted or are not proficient in the language may thrive on a virtual team. If one of the objectives of great leaders is to bring out the best in everyone, then they should encourage at least some virtual work on very diverse teams. Technology does not solve every problem. Virtual teamwork can fail if leaders do not attend to the fun- damental problems of coordinating, engaging, and motivating individuals across time zones. It's easy for team members to disengage when they're not face-to-face, so students find they must convey a high degree of enthusiasm and clarity, and agree on who is accountable for what, from the start. Assumptions are dangerous. If team members are from different cultures, countries, and time zones, leaders cannot assume that everyone shares the same understanding of how the team will work. For exam- ple, will everyone be in one virtual "place" at the same time, or will they contribute on their own time? Our students' most important takeaway is that to lead a virtual team, they must focus on team maintenance before task maintenance. Critical to the Curriculum Attending to the dynamics of virtual teams in the business curriculum can be a challenge. Virtual teams can take more time to form, and they often need more time to complete tasks. To provide that extra time, we explore virtual teamwork during the ELP's intermodular month—which falls between the second and third weeklong modules. At London Business School, we believe it's critical that students learn to work well on virtual teams. In virtual environments, students must know how to make the transition between succeeding as individuals and succeeding with and through other people. For that reason, we put virtual teamwork near the forefront of all of our lessons on leadership—oth- erwise, we do not serve our students' aim to maximize their leadership impact in global business settings. Adam Kingl is director of the Emerging Leaders Programme at the London Business School in the United Kingdom. BizEd NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 55