THE SECRETS OF SUCCESSFUL VIRTUAL TEAMS

THE SECRETS OF SUCCESSFULVIRTUAL TEAMS:WORKING REMOTELY IN THE21ST CENTURYwww.onpointconsultingllc.com 1

IntroductionWhatever reasons companies have for turning to geographically distributedteams, remote work has become practically ubiquitous. Research by IWGhas found that 70 percent of professionals work remotely at least one daya week, and Gallup’s “State of the American Workplace” report found that24 percent of employees spend 80 percent or more of their time workingremotely. It’s not hard to see why. Advances in technology have made iteasier to organize and manage dispersed groups of people. Competitivepressures and the needs of today’s global economy have made virtual teamsa necessity for some organizations.Unfortunately, having solid business reasons for implementing a virtualstrategy does not mean that strategy is always going to be executed wellsince many virtual teams do not meet performance expectations.www.onpointconsultingllc.com 2

OnPoint Consulting’s VirtualTeam StudyOnPoint Consulting conducted a global research studysignificant, providing us with a strong basis for identifyingof 48 virtual teams across various industries to identifythe characteristics that distinguish highly effective virtualspecific practices associated with the most successfulteams from low-performing teams.teams. We assessed six dimensions of virtual teamperformance, including Results, Communication, TeamThe cause, we believe, is that too many organizationsMotivation, Interpersonal Relationships, Collaboration,approach virtual teams as if the dynamics are the sameand Purpose & Roles.as those for co-located teams. We found that manyorganizations simply recycled the same guidelines andOur research found that roughly one-third of the remotebest practices they were using for their co-located teamsteams surveyed were categorized as less effective,and hoped for the best. This fails to account for thewhile just under a third graded out as high-performing.unique dynamics of a virtual environment, resulting inThe differences across all dimensions were statisticallyless effective communication and collaboration.www.onpointconsultingllc.com 3

The Profile of a High-PerformingVirtual TeamBased on our research findings and experience, there are a number of characteristics that high-performingvirtual teams tend to have in common. While a remote team does not need to possess all of these qualities tobe successful, teams that exhibit several of them are more effective.Stable Team MembershipFrequent changes in team composition can disrupt relationships and create confusion as to who is responsiblefor specific tasks. On average, high-performing virtual teams have greater stability due to less frequent changesin team membership. This allows members to focus on building lasting relationships, which promotes higherlevels of trust and accountability.www.onpointconsultingllc.com 4

Fewer TeamMembersMembers Are Fromthe Same FunctionThe most successful virtual teams tend to beMany low-performing virtual teams also happenrelatively small. According to OnPoint’s research,to fit the definition of cross-functional teams,only 24 percent of top-performing teams hadmeaning that their members are drawn from13 or more members. When there are too manydifferent departments across the organization.members on a virtual team, it becomes easy forCross-functional teams face unique challenges insome members to fade into the backgroundterms of collaboration and accountability due toand avoid accountability. Scheduling andtheir composition. These problems are much morecommunication also become more difficult as moredifficult to overcome in a remote environment. Themembers join the team.most effective virtual teams have members drawnfrom the same department or function.Members Are onFewer TeamsMembers HaveLonger TenureWhen employees participate in multiple teams, itTeams with members who have been on thecan be difficult for them to focus their attention onteam for three years or longer tend to performbuilding the relationships necessary for success onbetter than teams with short tenure. While longer-any one team. It comes as little surprise, then, thattenured teams still need to be on the watch for42 percent of lower-performing teams indicatedperformance plateaus, having a stable, long-termthat membership in multiple teams presentedteam allows members to build relationships anda key challenge to effective communication anddevelop work process to communicate and executecollaboration.more effectively.www.onpointconsultingllc.com 5

Productive VirtualMeetingsSince effective communication is critical to virtualteam success, it shouldn’t be surprising that over60 percent of high-performing teams meet at leastonce a week, compared to just under 30 percentfor less-effective teams. High performing teams alsohave more productive and well run virtual meetings.Leverage TechnologyHigh-performing teams are more likely topossess the tools necessary for effective remotecollaboration. They use video conferencing moreoften to conduct virtual meetings and rely oncollaborative software that helps them to managetasks and work together more efficiently.Provide TrainingTeams that have had more than four trainingor skill development sessions significantlyoutperform teams that had one or fewer sessions.This reinforces the fact that the skills needed towork remotely can be taught through targeteddevelopment programs.www.onpointconsultingllc.com 6

Virtual Team DifferentiatorsThere are a number of practices that differentiate high-performing remote teams. Leadership behaviorsare especially important here. Effective virtual leaders provide opportunities for interaction among teammembers, set the tone for other members, hold team members accountable regardless of their location, andkeep the team focused on its objectives.Demonstrate a High Level of Initiative andShared Leadership ResponsibilityThe members of high-performing virtual teams not only tend to be proactive and engaged, but they alsodemonstrate high levels of initiative. These teams place a great emphasis on role clarity and overall teamsuccess. Team members are eager and willing to take on leadership responsibilities when required, whichensures that the teams stay focused on their goals and remain accountable.www.onpointconsultingllc.com 7

Establish a Shared Process for Decision Makingand Problem-SolvingStructure is important for virtual teams. In a remote environment, it’s easy to lose track of where decisionmaking authority is located. The most successful teams have clear processes in place to facilitate decisionmaking and keep information flowing to the right people at the right time. Effective virtual leaders establishthese processes early in the team’s life and make efforts to revisit them on a regular basis.Clarity About How Their Work Contributes tothe Success of the OrganizationIn a high-performing virtual team, every member understands how their work contributes to team successand how it aligns with the strategy of the organization. This is critical in a remote environment, where teammembers can easily become disengaged from their work and other team members. Successful remote leadersfind ways to create a sense of purpose, inspire their teams, and regularly monitor the overall motivation ofteam members.Trust One Another to Get Things DoneTrust is everything in a virtual team and can only be built over time by strengthening relationships betweenteam members. Until that personal trust can be developed, most remote teams rely upon task-based trust,which is simply the belief that other team members will be accountable for their work. When team membersfollow through on commitments and take personal accountability for results, other members will be morewilling to trust them in the future.Work Together EffectivelySuccessful virtual teams know how to collaborate effectively from a distance to work toward collective goals.These teams are greater than the sum of their parts. Rather than independently executing tasks and objectivesassigned specifically to them, team members support one another and provide assistance when needed tohelp the team as a whole achieve its goals.www.onpointconsultingllc.com 8

Building High-PerformingVirtual TeamsVirtual teams offer tremendous advantages to today’s organizations, allowingthem to better leverage the knowledge and skills they have at their disposal tosolve their most pressing challenges. Taking steps to make sure these teams areset up for success makes it more likely that they will deliver on their potential.Neglecting the details in the early stages of team formation can leave teammembers constantly scrambling, distracting them from the work they should befocusing on collectively. If organizations are going to implement virtual teams,they owe it to themselves to provide them with every advantage possible fromthe onset.www.onpointconsultingllc.com 9

Ensure the Right Fitof Skill and CharacterTraits When SelectingVirtual LeadersGood leadership is crucial to virtual team success.Effective remote leaders are able to balance theexecution-oriented practices, interpersonal skills,communication, and cultural factors that affectevery virtual team. When selecting virtual teamleaders, organizations should assess their ability tomanage from a distance and routinely evaluate theireffectiveness to provide targeted feedback that willhelp them enhance their performance in the future.www.onpointconsultingllc.com 10

RAMP ModelThe RAMP Model outlines four dimensions our research has identified asessential for virtual leader effectiveness. Successful virtual leaders are ableto adapt their behavior and leverage technology to successfully manageRelationships, promote Accountability, provide Motivation, and implement teamProcesses.RelationshipsAccountabilityBuilds trust, effectively manages conflict,and enhances collaboration.Establishes clear goals and expectationsand ensures that individual and teamcommitments are met.MotivationProcessInspires, effectively uses influence, andengages individuals and the team as awhole.Effectively uses technology, conductseffective virtual meetings, and establishesclear processes to support virtual work.www.onpointconsultingllc.com 11

Don’t Take the Team Launch for GrantedSetting up and launching a virtual team should never be an afterthought. Organizations need to considerhow membership, size, and resources can impact a team’s ability to work remotely. There are a numberof steps they should take to ensure these teams are set up for success: Establish criteria for team member selection and consider who should be on the team in order forit to make high-quality decisions and ensure buy-in. Limit participation in multiple virtual teams so that members can dedicate the time needed tofulfill their roles successfully. Develop clear operating guidelines to structure communication and decision-making. Hold a face-to-face meeting when the team launches to help members build relationships,understand the scope of their work, team composition, timelines, communications processes, anddecision-making structure. Implement video and collaborative software (Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, etc) to overcome thelack of face-to-face interaction and increase engagement.Provide targeted skills training for virtual leaders and team members to enhance decision-making,communication, and feedback.www.onpointconsultingllc.com 12