GWU PMSA

Selecting Communication Tools for Virtual Teams

As virtual teams become indispensable in business and academia, more attention is being paid to how these teams communicate: what tools they use, how effective they are, what problems they face and how technology can be employed to create an environment that facilitates effective communication regardless of the team size, location, purpose or the length of its existence.

There is no single type of media that will satisfy all the changing needs of the project and of the team. To succeed, a team must mix communication media that have the capabilities that best suit the team’s needs. It’s also important to build on prior traditional relationships where possible and set rules and norms that govern communication. For instance, how do we interact in social networking sites? How do we handle shared documents? When do we use email instead of the phone?

After reviewing forms of communication and some theories behind the way people communication in virtual teams, the paper offered the following suggestions:

• Understand the task at hand. Why are we assembling as a team, what is our purpose? Is the task one of information collection and dissemination, or information processing and understanding?
• Know the team. Where are we located, what is our level of technical expertise, what kinds of personalities are on the team?
• Understand the constraints. What tools are available, what is the time frame, how much money is available to purchase tools and do we have time to implement them?
• Combine technologies. For example, one of the authors routinely uses instant messaging with phone conferences when discussing formula or programming topics, especially with people in different countries. The team pastes source code snippets into the IM discussion and can use the text-based format to clarify words when accents are difficult to understand.
• Plan your communication. For teams that will be together for more than one or two meetings, it’s important to agree on and codify a plan for communication. This may be as simple as a list of phone numbers and call dates or several pages outlining
• Use collaborative workspaces. Although the tools can differ widely, there are dozens of virtual workspaces available, the use of which should benefit any team collaborating for more than a very short period. Email is very easy to overuse; sharing documents in a common area eliminates a lot of confusion.
• Meetings, particularly phone, voice, or face to face, should be followed up with a summary.  Depending on the team needs, these could be in the form of minutes, or simply a review of major decisions and points. This can be especially helpful for multicultural/international teams where language barriers may increase the chances of misinterpretation.
• Train team members. In certain cases, especially long-term projects, it may be beneficial to train the members on how to use the chosen technology. Even if the team has some experience with the tool, they may not have used every feature.
• Factor communication cost into the project. It’s important to set aside funds for the team’s communication cost. Good virtual communication tools are usually not free and as the projects get larger and more complex, it is important to factor in contingency costs in case the primary form of communication breaks down or an alternative needs to be sourced.

Obviously, managers deciding on virtual team tools face a difficult job. They must choose the tools based on the task at hand, the make-up and technical proficiency of the team, and the budget. In addition to deciding on the tools, they must initiate the policy for using the tools; the flexibility of each tool necessitates outlining rules for use. The leading theories that describe how virtual teams interact when using various tools may not be perfect — indeed they are often being reconsidered or refined – but they provide managers a foundation for making choices. In the end, the decision requires the same wisdom that informs most project management decisions: know your purpose, know your team, and know your constraints. Make a conscious decision, don’t make arbitrary selections.

Do you have any experience managing virtual teams?  What techniques do you use?

From

The Effective Use of Technology to Improve Communication in Virtual Teams
Dec 1, 2009
Organizational Leadership and Management

Authors

Craig Baker
Khaled El-Sayed
Robson Nyereyemhuka
Elizabeth Ombija
Jamie Tang