APT Framework for Leading Virtual Teams

Leading virtual teams or working in a virtual team can prove to be stressful. There is ample evidence that trust, cohesion and productivity remain low in a virtual team. Read this article to know the potential causes of friction in virtual teams and how to effectively lead a virtual team through the APT framework.

What is a virtual team?

A virtual team is one where two or more individuals collaborate on a task from different geographical locations. They rely on different forms of communication technologies such as emails, video conferences and voice calls for discussion. If some members of your office team are working from home, your team becomes a virtual team. Virtual teams are also called geographically dispersed teams, remote teams and distributed teams.

Are you leading virtual teams? This article will help you get a perspective on some of your teams’ problems.

Is it tougher to work on a virtual team? Let us explore the facts one by one.

Some good news first

A study by Aon Consulting reported that organizations can improve their productivity by working in virtual teams. In the best case, an organization saw a rise of 43% in productivity by switching to virtual teams.

Now, some bad news

It often takes longer to build trust in virtual teams, sometimes 4x as longer. In addition, some leaders find it difficult to engage employees. A survey found that almost 39% of people attending a virtual meeting doze off at some point or the other.

Why are some virtual teams more successful?

It is clear from the above facts that some virtual teams perform better than others and some organizations are better able to handle virtual teams. But why? What are the successful organizations doing differently when it comes to virtual teams? In order to find an answer, let us first explore the potential problems of working in virtual teams.

Disadvantages of virtual teams

1. Technological issues: The very existence of virtual teams is contingent upon uninterrupted technological services. In most parts of the world today, this is possible. However, the chances of experiencing technological errors still remain high. You may have access to the best internet services but that may not be true for your teammates. Hence, technological interruptions are likely to create trouble in virtual teams.
2. Communication gaps: Human beings convey a lot of emotions through body language, posture and gesture. For instance, in a virtual presentation, when you are looking at the slides and not at the speaker, you might miss undertones. In addition, the speaker also becomes disconnected from the audience as visual cues are missing. Your team member might perceive your well-wishing praise as sarcasm. Further, uncertain and long silences can cause distress in such meetings.
3. Team bonding: Most virtual teams meet only to discuss work. They are not granted the privilege of the mid-day chats at the cafeteria. Hence, they do not get a chance to share personal bonds with their team members. Thus, trust and cohesion are likely to be low. In addition, they do not enjoy the benefits of social support from their co-workers.
4. Time difference: Since members of virtual teams are geographically dispersed, they may not enjoy the chance to collaborate at their most productive hours. This is likely to give rise to fatigue and frustration.
5. Cultural differences: Most virtual teams have members from different cultural backgrounds. Although this is true for most office teams as well, the differences get more prominent in virtual teams. For instance, in some cultures, employees would discuss non-work things like the weather or about a sport before coming to the point. This may be the cause of anger for their co-workers coming from a different culture where there are clear boundaries between work and non-work domains.

Some virtual teams are more successful because they are better able to manage these differences. Leaders have a special role in driving the productivity of virtual teams.

How can leaders drive virtual teams? The APT Framework

If you are leading virtual teams, you may try following the APT framework.

A: Articulate and Appreciate

When you first assign a project or task to your virtual team, be sure that you have articulated the goals and responsibilities of each team member. Set clear and attainable goals for your team and be firm with quality as well as deadlines. Articulation does not stop here. You must encourage your team members to articulate their thoughts as well. Nudge them to ask questions and put forward their thoughts. This will not only initiate a conversation but also improve their communication skills. Remember that it is teamwork.

Secondly, never forget to appreciate your team members. Follow this rule: Appreciate your employees in the presence of others but rebuke them in private. This will increase the trust your team has on you. In addition, encourage your team to praise and appreciate one another. This exercise has the potential to improve team bonding and cohesion.

P: Proactivity

As a leader of any team, it is important that you are proactive. Please read our previous articles on enhancing proactivity and the downsides of excessive proactivity.

The energy and enthusiasm of a leader are very important for the productivity of the team. In most cases, the actions and values of the leader percolate down to the subordinates. This is called the trickle-down approach.

Now you know that as a leader, your proactivity represents the team’s proactivity.

Apprehending future happenings and preparing for them is key to proactivity. If you are leading a virtual team, you need to monitor the situation very actively. For instance, you may want to keep a note of global news related to your domain of work. When needed, coach and motivate your team for accepting a proactive change. In addition, monitor inter-personal dynamics in your team. If you apprehend a conflict between team members, take action immediately before the situation accelerates.

T: Trust

You need to keep two things in mind regarding trust. If you are leading virtual teams, you need to trust your team members and build an environment of trust. Your subordinates should trust you no matter what their geographical location is. Further, your team members should trust each other too.

Trust develops very slowly in virtual teams. Be prepared for that. Just like proactivity, trust also begins with the leader. Give reasonable autonomy to your team. They should not feel that you are breathing on their shoulders. At the same time, do not hesitate to ask for a progress report once in a while. Do not be too punitive in case some error occurs. Punishments and harsh behavior will encourage them to hide their mistakes which may be harmful in the long run.

A golden rule for developing trust is that you deliver what you promise. If you have promised your team that you will give them 3 days off for a festival, you need to give it. Also, do not hesitate to give bad news. In uncertain times, your team would feel much more comfortable if you give them timely updates.

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