Motivation and virtual teams

Explicit attention to initial and ongoing motivation of virtual team members is a key component of an effective virtual working strategy. In this context we look at virtual teams with two leading characteristics. Firstly they communicate predominantly through technology thus they do not have the ability to engage and respond to face to face communication cues such as hand gestures, facial expressions and physical attributes. Consequently the other characteristic is that virtual teams are not co-located. Interestingly virtual teams can be physically located within a small radius of each other (e.g. 20 km radius) and still function virtually, or can be disparately positioned around the globe and face similar challenge.

A key challenge for remote leaders is to maintain the motivation of the team members. Motivating virtual team members requires a different approach than conventional teams. Many organisations focus on technology as being the key to motivating virtual teams. Some tactics businesses employ include providing consistent and reliable platforms of communication, providing varied mediums and increasing the capacity of the communication mediums. These actions are fundamental for effective virtual teams and certainly help curb team members becoming de-motivated. Motivation to contribute is diminished when one doesn’t have the functionality to join a teleconference or the internet bandwidth doesn’t allow for access to a net meeting.

However broader strategies need to be executed to maintain virtual team member’s motivations. Often virtual team members feel a sense of isolation and thus become disengaged more rapidly than conventional teams. Whether work is being conducted in a home office or maybe in the office of an Alliance partner, the sense of belonging to one’s own team is a primary requirement to maintain motivation and thus incentive to contribute and deliver within that team. The stimulus to continue to contribute to the team is often as a result of the relationships with other team members and the sense of trust that has been developed and nurtured between members. Knowing and trusting that your colleagues are going to complete the tasks they committed to, such as deliver on the due date or discuss a particularly sensitive process with a stakeholder, impacts on the relationship and performance within the virtual team.

Within the virtual team, relationships and trust are built from communication. Two aspects of communication need to be cultivated. Firstly process and task oriented communication and secondly but just as importantly, social connection. Connection and engagement with team members in the virtual space, on a social level, enhances trusted relationships.

The sense of belonging also comes with a clear understanding of how one’s own work and that of the virtual team, contributes to the broader organisational objectives. Having clarity of one’s own roles and responsibilities within the team and understanding the frameworks around performance measurement assists that understanding. Furthermore the ability to self measure performance within a virtual team provides empowerment for the team member, again fostering that trusted team environment.

Planning and attention to the team development phases allow motivation of members to remain prominent within virtual teams. Here are some tactics to assist in increasing and maintaining motivation of members through the development of the virtual team.

Conduct virtual team development sessions (virtually – face to face is not necessary), reviewing and discussing:

i. Ways of working together

ii. Similarities and differences (both individually & culturally)

iii. Where the virtual team fits into the boarder organisational goals

iv. The styles of communications, language and tone

v. The tools of communication within the team and understand team members competencies in using these tools (e.g. Netmeetings, teleconferencing, Instant messaging)

vi. Guidelines for when specific communication mediums will be used

vii. How successes and learning’s are to be shared, respecting different nationalistic cultural attributes (dependant on team population)

Individual and team motivation may also be shaped by the behaviours and characteristics of the virtual team leader or may also be influenced by the constraints of the organisation’s strategy, structures or policies. Diagnosis of the current state of the team allows interventions to be focussed on improving motivations of individuals and of the team.