Virtual and traditional teams
Virtual teams and traditional teams represent two distinct approaches to collaborative work in contemporary organizations. Traditional teams generally consist of members who work in close physical proximity, allowing for regular face-to-face meetings that foster camaraderie and spontaneous idea generation through informal interactions. This setup can enhance understanding of individual contributions within the broader context of projects, and it encourages leaders to build strong relationships with team members to maintain motivation and engagement.
In contrast, virtual teams operate in a dispersed environment, leveraging technology to facilitate collaboration among members who may be separated by significant distances and time zones. While virtual teams offer flexibility and the ability to draw on diverse expertise from a global talent pool, they also pose unique management challenges. Effective virtual team leadership requires clear communication, defined roles, and the establishment of trust among members, often necessitating more structured approaches to team dynamics than traditional teams. The lack of casual, everyday interactions in virtual settings can lead to feelings of isolation, making it essential for leaders to create opportunities for informal connections and to actively manage cultural differences that may arise in diverse teams. Overall, both types of teams have their advantages and challenges, significantly influenced by the nature of their interactions and the environments in which they operate.
Virtual and traditional teams
In work settings, team members traditionally have worked on projects in close physical proximity. The development of technology in modern organizations, however, has made it increasingly convenient for individuals to work together while physically distant. This has created places of employment with a mix of those who work in the office and those who work in other settings. Additionally, companies around the world shifted their approach to in-person work due to the measures put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020. While the extent of virtual work and teams varied, including as virus control restrictions were lifted over time, virtual work continued to impact most industries in some way.
Traditional Teams
Though individuals may work in different departments or buildings, members of traditional or colocated teams generally meet regularly to discuss progress. Such face-to-face meetings may be supplemented with email, instant messaging, and other forms of communication. Subgroups work together and report back to the larger body or consult with other members.
Frequent personal contact encourages so-called water cooler meetings, which can generate spontaneous ideas. Such contact can also foster camaraderie, whether workers share a passion for a local sports team, bond over lunch, or discuss the morning commute. This contact helps team members understand how their contributions fit into the big picture of a project and how their work benefits the organization overall.
Business experts have recommended that leaders work to develop strong relationships with each member of a team to ensure everyone feels included. To keep workers motivated, the leader should also be sure that members are aware of how their work contributes to the project.
Virtual Teams
While some studies have found that virtual or dispersed teams outperform traditional teams, virtual teams present a unique team management challenge and must be managed carefully to thrive. Members may be separated by space and time zone and come from different cultures. Teams may be configured unevenly—some members may work in one place, while others work from home or far-flung locations.
The strength of these teams lies in their flexibility. They are not limited to tapping expertise in the same geographic region, but instead they can draw from the knowledge of individuals with different work experiences, such as those who are familiar with an international market. Using virtual teams can allow employers to avoid the expense of buying and maintaining large office buildings or other facilities, and they can also save time and money that would otherwise be used for travel. These savings can be reinvested in the company, even potentially into benefits for the virtual team members, such as better computer equipment or other communications technology.
To ensure virtual teams work smoothly, it has been suggested that leaders should take charge at the start by establishing clear duties, procedures, and standards of measurement. Members should emphasize quality in communication over quantity. Conflicts may benefit a team but should focus on work, not interpersonal matters. As with traditional teams, leaders should develop relationships with each member, though this might require more planning or increased use of various types of technology.
Though virtual team meetings may be impractical if members are working in multiple time zones, this obstacle can be overcome. One solution is to have team members pass along work from time zone to time zone. As workers in one office are ending the business day, the team leaves updates for the next group, which is preparing to open for business as the day dawns in another part of the world. Thus, work on the project follows the sun around the globe and can continue around the clock.
Differences and Challenges
Personal contact can help teams tremendously, while working together from different locations presents challenges. Leaders may have to address issues such as trust, communication, team spirit, and work flow in creative ways when team members are far apart from one another. In forming a team, experts have suggested, leaders should consider each member's functional skills—some individuals may perform well in traditional teams, but they may be less adept and comfortable when using technological and communication tools. Such factors could affect the effectiveness of a team.
Shared leadership has been found to be very effective for virtual teams because many individuals are working independently or in very small groups and may need to make decisions quickly. This democratic approach may be less successful in traditional teams in which the leader has more control over day-to-day efforts. A leader of a virtual team must be careful to clearly define job descriptions and duties to ensure work is not duplicated.
One drawback of virtual teamwork is the lack of everyday casual contact. Informal virtual gatherings and similar social practices establish teamwork and should be supported to encourage cooperation and prevent feelings of isolation that may arise, especially in unevenly configured groups in which several team members have face-to-face contact while others do not. While quality of communication is vital, frequent contact between members of small groups builds camaraderie. Leaders of virtual teams may find it helpful to create small teams to work closely together on small components of a project. Leaders can also encourage team spirit by sharing success stories with the entire team.
Trust is an essential component of any team effort and can be developed through an awareness of who is doing what and how it benefits the team. This is more easily achieved with traditional teams, but leaders of virtual teams can help members develop trust as well. Workers who know that their colleagues are skilled and are making progress are less likely to feel that unseen teammates are not contributing equally. Such impressions are particularly likely to occur when some members work from home.
Cultural diversity in a traditional team is more likely to be understood by individuals who see each other often. The nature of virtual teams makes it increasingly likely that members come from different and possibly unfamiliar social and/or cultural backgrounds. Decision-making may vary in different countries, and leaders should clearly define how decisions will be made—whether informally by consensus or by other means. Individuals in some cultures may be offended by brief email messages, which can seem curt, while others may feel impatient waiting for a reply. Even a video conference could cause conflict if individuals are unaware of body language differences around the world. Team leaders may need to establish ground rules such as mandating time limits for email responses. Sharing profiles helps individuals who have never met get to know one another, which encourages trust.
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