the 4 powerful keys to virtual team success

Helping Global Teams Increase Their Productivity

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The Four Powerful Keys to Virtual Team Success Creating virtual teams is not challenge-free. Why? Imagine trying to communicate

effectively with people you have never met and whose personalities you are not

familiar with. If this hurdle is not overcome, establishing successful virtual teams can

be extremely frustrating.

Why still pursue it? Harnessing the power of technology to connect with business

units scattered across the country or around the world can result in dramatic

increases in efficiency as well as significantly reduced costs

Harness the Power of Differences You’ve heard it before, each individual is unique. Ponder the implications to virtual

team success. Each of us brings strengths and challenges to the table. Understand

and appreciate the uniqueness of others, yet, don’t fall into the trap of believing

everyone thinks the same as you do.

You’ve probably heard of the DiSC system before. The DiSC system looks at how we

tend to behave and what motivates us in a given situation by breaking behaviors into

four categories corresponding to the letters D, I, S and C.

Knowing how to recognize a particular behavioral type, realizing that you want and

need this person on your team, understanding the challenges they will introduce and

how to manage them for success will now be discussed.

The Challenging One

In DiSC “The Challenging One” is the Dominance Style – represented by the letter

“D”. A “ D” likes to have control and can be very opinionated. They tend to decide

what the team is going and do and how they are going to do it. They are inclined to

be very direct, which means they do not mince words and you will always let you

know exactly where they (and you) stand. D’s thrive on change and are often risk

takers. They can become very impatient with people who try to slow down their

progress.


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The D’s can energize a virtual team, whether virtual or collocated. They are

extremely task oriented and have high personal standards. They can be counted on

to get things done with quality results. Their direct and forceful approach can inspire

others when they recognize the value and contributions offered by others. Being task

oriented is a characteristic that is highly valued in virtual teams, but only after good

relationships and trust is established.

A “D” can also exhaust a virtual team. They can be very forceful and tend to take

over. This can be particularly difficult for a team since a “D” might want to do it their

way instead of getting buy-in from the team. This can cause resentment among less

vocal members who may be naturally shy or reticent when it comes to expressing

opinions. Body language (a natural indicator of how one is responding to another’s

suggestions) also looses impact in a virtual team situation, making it even harder to

determine a team member’s buy-in level A “D” not only has high standards of

themselves they have equally high standards of other people. This can be

challenging and stressful for some people. Because a “D” is very direct and may

sometime lack tact, they may appear blunt and uncaring.

“D” also stands for “direct,” which you must be when working with this type of

person. When you work with a “D” be very direct. Pleasantries tend to get in their

way; they just want the bottom line. Depending on the group’s ethnic mix, this can

have negative repercussions (Latin Americans and Eastern Europeans, for example,

see pleasantries as an essential part of doing business. When giving them

information be sure to focus in on the relevant facts of the task at hand. Give them

autonomy to do the work; it is not necessary to tell them how to do it. Just let them

know what needs to get done. Keep in mind that when a “D” is under stress they

tend to become more autocratic and bossy.


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The Social Butterfly In DiSC “The Social Butterfly” is the Influence Style – represented by the letter “I”.

These individuals are extremely friendly, positive and enthusiastic. Other people may

see them as outgoing or extroverted. They are very communicative and they love to

network with everyone. They are your team builders and motivators.

“I”s are naturals at pulling teams together and building and maintaining team spirit.

They are the morale builders and motivators on your team and are full of ideas and

very creative.

People who are a high “I” can have difficulty following through on tasks and tend to

be less detailed oriented. “I”s have a need to be part of a group, so if the team is

virtual, or they are required to do solitary work, they may have difficulty. Also, “I”s

are very trusting, so they may be unrealistic in appraising people.

Since an “I” is not particularly detailed oriented, you may want them to team up with

someone who loves details. The “I” enjoys socializing but needs to realize not

everyone likes to “schmooze.” Give them an opportunity to socialize with you before

moving onto business. In fact, it has been proven that the most successful virtual

teams are those which have either had the opportunity to meet face to face or which

have established the human touch prior to focusing on work. Utilize your “I” to build

team spirit. Also, an "I" needs to feel appreciated, so let them know how they are

doing. When "I"s are under stress they may oversell themselves and guard

themselves against rejection and disapproval.

The Trusted One In DiSC “The Trusted One” is the Steadiness Style – represented by the letter “S”.

An “S” is ready and willing to help. You can always count on them to support the

team through loyalty and cooperation. An “S” would rather let others have their way

than to start an argument; they don’t like conflict or radical change. They will


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support change if they understand why it is necessary. Unlike an “I”, an “S” does not

like to be the center of attention, they may also take longer to warm up to people.

An “S” will rarely let you down, making them invaluable “team players.” They are

patient and supportive and they create balance and harmony on the team. They are

also the mediators on your virtual team. They will be the ones who provide praise

and encouragement to the rest of your team. An “S” will move cautiously especially

when it has to do with change. Some people may view it as being stubborn or

inflexible when in fact it’s because you tend to see the risks.

Because an “S” tends to see the potential risks they may tend to move more

cautiously which can slow down the team. They also prefer a predictable

environment with minimal conflict or change. An “S” may agree to things just to

avoid conflict or they may choose not express their ideas because they do not like to

“rock the boat.” As well, being in a virtual environment can be more difficult for an

“S” because of the need to be more flexible.

Since change is something that an “S” finds disconcerting, make sure they know why

the change is necessary and how it will impact them and the team. Encourage them

to ask questions and try to answer them all. Whenever possible provide an

environment that is predictable. When “S”s are under stress they may withdraw,

become more inflexible or acquiesce.

The Analyzer In DiSC “The Analyzer” is the Conscientiousness Style – represented by the letter “C”.

A “C” is very demanding on themselves and others. They are sticklers for details and

would rather do things right than do things fast. They prefer a reserved business-like

atmosphere without a lot of mandatory socializing. A”C” follows protocols and

expects others to follow suit.

A “C” has the reputation for producing high quality work. If detailed-oriented work is

required give it to a “C”; they excel in making sure things get done correctly and you

can be assured that they will follow through on their commitments.


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A “C” expects everyone to have the same high standards as they do. This can be

intimidating for some or appreciated by others. Also, because they demand high

quality work from themselves, it tends to take them a longer to complete their work.

They prefer to work alone which can be particularly difficult if they are part of a team.

Since a team can only function when an open information sharing model is in effect,

it is crucial that a “C” – who generally prefers to work alone – be actively kept in the

loop.

Let a “C” know your expectations prior to giving them a task. Incomplete

instructions are difficult for a “C” to work with. Not only do they need to know what

your expectations are but the standards you expect from them. “C”s tend to get

bogged down with details so it’s critical to let them know when a task needs to be

completed. When “C”s are under stress they may become more demanding and

indecisive.

The key to communicating is not only understanding our behavioral style but,

learning to adapt our style to others on the team. This is even more critical to do this

when the team is virtual.

At first it may not be easy to detect each member’s personality type. However,

making the effort to do so – even by using a simple survey – then tailoring your style

to interact based on their personality type and preferred method of behavior can

spell the difference between a powerful virtual team or a virtual disaster.

the 4 powerful keys to virtual team success

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