Virtual Team Communication

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Since the beginning of EMBA 8011 - Leading Effective Global Teams, I’ve learned a lot about the importance of communication and trust within virtual teams. In today’s global business environment, communication is an integral element of success when leading teams around the globe. Effective communication has been connected with important results, such as increased trust, commitment to the workgroup and association, shared skills, and ultimately improved performance. Organizational functioning is reliant upon the communicative connections among people inside an organization on the grounds that these connections encourage the spread of critical information and expertise that empowers high-performance (Ferrell, & Herb, 2012). While virtual teams can be highly effective and can actually outperform traditional co-located groups, the success, and effectiveness of virtual teams are much more sensitive depending on how the team is managed. This document will focus on my reflection of the material discussed in lesson 1 and 2 regarding the importance of trust and effective communication in virtual teams. Virtual Teams In recent years, organizations have progressively turned to virtual teams as a method for interfacing and connecting with geologically scattered specialists, bringing down the expenses connected with worldwide cooperation, and empowering more noteworthy pace and versatility (Heller, Laurito, Johnson, Martin, Fitzpatrick, & Sundin, 2010). A virtual team is a collection of independently employed individuals who work across time, space and hierarchical limits with connections fortified by networks of communication technology (MaRS Discovery District, 2015. If implemented correctly, a virtual team can provide many benefits for the business needs of small and large companies. Building Trust in Virtual Teams In lesson 1 of EMBA 8011, many students concurred that building trust amongst new direct reports can be a challenge when a manager is expected to take over an existing virtual team. While this may be a tough challenge to overcome, studies have shown that trust can be actively accelerated and maintained on virtual …show more content…
According to Ferrazzi (2012), the key to effective communications is not the amount of communication but the quality of it. Virtual team leaders who have experienced issues in the past with employees being overwhelmed by information overload can reduce the number of meetings held and e-mails sent each week and focus more on effective quality communication. While effective communication is key in companies with workplace diversity, predictable communication patterns can help virtual team leaders establish trust within their teams. In a study of virtual teams, researchers found that groups ailing in trust tend to have unpredictable communication patterns, often with just one or two individuals representing the bulk of the communications (Ferrazzi, 2012). In my own personal opinion, leaders of virtual teams should manage communication with a view to fostering cohesion while conveying to staff the feeling they work in a supportive environment. When that type of communication is transmitted and understood by others, leaders are able to build trust in a virtual workplace.
Conclusion
In conclusion, successful teamwork in virtual teams is built on a foundation of trust that is developed through consistent and meaningful communication. Without a sense of trust, true collaboration within a virtual team environment will be difficult to develop. A collaborative and trusting virtual team environment allow team members to share personal information and develop a stronger bond with their leader and other employees. While effective communication is key in building trust within a virtual team environment, the quality of communication is much more important than the quantity of

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