The Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina recently published a useful white paper on the topical area of developing skills for virtual teams. It is available online and in PDF. What I found most interesting was the section on Virtual Team Challenges.

The White Paper references a recent report "The Challenges of Working in Virtual Teams", based on a survey of nearly 30,000 employees from multinational companies which found that:

1. The top challenge for virtual team members was the inability to read nonverbal cues (94%).
2. There is an absence of collegiality among virtual team members (85%).
3. It is difficult to establish rapport and trust in virtual teams (81%).
4. Most virtual team members (90%) said they don't have enough time during virtual meetings to build relationships.
5. Managing conflict is more challenging on virtual teams than on conventional teams (73%).
6. Decision making is more difficult on virtual teams than on conventional teams (69%).
7. It is more challenging to express opinions on virtual teams than on conventional teams (64%) (Hastings, 2010).

Read Developing Real Skills for Virtual Teams online.

See also my recent post Virtual Teams spreading but not tipping yet - new research.

About Ken Thompson

1. Creating High Performing Teams in enterprises including Virtual and Mobile Teams (based on the Bioteams Book)
2. Establishing effective Collaborative Business Networks enabling companies to co-operate effectively in areas such as sales and product development (based on the book - The Networked Enterprise)
3. How to use the latest social media technologies including blogging and online communities to promote enterprises, brand, organisation or event
4. Development of graphical on-line interactive Business Dashboards and What-if Simulators for organisations to support Performance Improvement, Strategy Development and Executive Team Development.

   
   Tags: change management, collaboration, virtual collaboration, virtual communities, virtual teams

Bioteams Books Reviews

The coming shape of organizations and teams

August 23, 2005 | article by Ken Thompson in Book Reviews (37)

Belbin sees Bioteams as the next step. Dr R Meredith Belbin, regarded as the father of "team-role" theory and one of the worlds foremost experts on teams predicts that we will evolve into bioteam forms. In his book "The Coming Shape of Organisation" Belbin picks out five observations human teams need to learn from "a diminutive masterclass" of social insects such as bees, ants and termites.

Buy it now from:
Amazon.Com
Amazon.Co.UK

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Click here to check all Bioteams book reviews

Related Virtual Teams Articles

Virtual Teams: New Research into challenges and opportunities

October 19, 2006 | article by Ken Thompson in Virtual Teams (46)

Using Far-Flung Virtual Teams for Managing Knowledge in Global Companies, reports on research into 54 far-flung teams in 31 different companies, including Intel, Textronic and Royal Dutch Shell

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Self organizing virtual communities

November 9, 2006 | article by Ken Thompson in Virtual Teams (46)

Major Oil Company, Schlumberger, exploits self-organizing virtual communities.

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The Lost Secrets of High-Performing Teams

May 5, 2011 | article by Ken Thompson in Bioteams Features (104), Virtual Communities (34), Virtual Teams (46)

I spoke at the inaugural TEDx event in Belfast on March 23. My argument was that we have all experienced high-performing teams but mostly not at work (sports, music, adventures, holidays, family etc)! In the video The Lost Secrets of High-Performing Teams I remind us of what we may have forgotten about great teams and make a plea to bring these sensibilities back into our work teams.

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