Working in Teams 5

Working in organisational teams (contd)

Virtual teams
You may also find you are part of a 'virtual' team where team members from different geographical locations work on a project using technology for communication and transfer of information and data.

Working in virtual teams can bring challenges, especially when developing trust and ways of working. There may be intercultural issues to consider.

However, virtual teams often can concentrate more on the task, rather than be distracted by side issues and interpersonal conflict. Email and forums appear to reduce discrimination (sexism, ageism, racism) between the team members.

Virtual Teams

• Paris phone London requesting a document

• London emails document as attachment to Paris

• Paris updates the information and forwards copies to New York and London

• New York emails London and Paris to clarify details

• New York updates information and sends it via email to Tokyo

• Tokyo, London and New York have video conference call

• Tokyo emails Sydney to advise them, of amended objectives

• Sydney phone Paris to discuss timescales

• Sydney publishes revised document to company intranet available to all offices - London, Paris, New York, Tokyo and Sydney

• Sydney copies an email to all offices advising that the updated document is now available on the intranet

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