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Virtual Teams: Creating the Foundation for Success Eminence Inc. Training

November 10, 2009

Virtual Teams: Creating the Foundation for Success

Eminence Inc. Training Session

Prepared forDr. Jackie Hartman

Prepared byJoel Cohen, T&D Senior Associate

Brittany Habben, T&D Senior AssociateLaura Kolb, T&D Director

Heather Korbe, T&D Senior ManagerSteven Vogel, VP-Training & Development

November 10, 2009

Mr. Steven VogelV.P.-Training & Development851 Constitution Ave K97Fort Collins, CO 80521November 10, 2009

Dr. Jackie Hartman Colorado State UniversityCollege of Business226 Rockwell HallFort Collins, CO 80524

Dear Dr. Hartman:

Upon your request, we are submitting our Leadership Communication Team Project. This project will highlight the principles for effective virtual teamwork and include an overview of a training session for our company, Eminence Inc. In this session, we will also highlight the three Microsoft programs that will be utilized by this virtual team for all communication and collaboration, and they will include Outlook, Live Meeting, and SharePoint. The purpose of the report is to inform and train our Eminence Inc. employees who have been chosen to take part in a virtual team that will develop a more affordable and innovative laptop.

This training session has been created by the Training and Development Department at Eminence Inc.: Joel Cohen, Brittany Habben, Laura Kolb, Heather Korbe, and Steven Vogel. Thank you for the opportunity to teach the necessary principles and tools of effective virtual communication to our selected employees, so they can enhance their leadership capabilities and communication skills while reaching individual and organizational goals. If you have any questions after the training session, please contact me at (720) 690-5885 or vogel303@msn.com.

Best Regards,

Steven VogelV.P.-Training & Development

Table of Contents

WELCOME...............................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................1

BACKGROUND.......................................................................................................................2

Advantages...........................................................................................................................2

Disadvantages.......................................................................................................................3

Remedies...............................................................................................................................4

TEAM TRAINING....................................................................................................................5

Outlook..................................................................................................................................6

Live Meeting.........................................................................................................................7

SharePoint............................................................................................................................8

LOOKING FORWARD............................................................................................................9

Works Cited.............................................................................................................................11

Appendix A..............................................................................................................................12

Appendix B..............................................................................................................................13

TRAINING SESSION TEST QUESTIONS............................................................................14

True and False..................................................................................................................14

Multiple Choice...............................................................................................................14

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WELCOME

Congratulations! Each of you has been selected to take part in a cross-functional,

geographically dispersed virtual team. The purpose of this team is to develop a more

affordable laptop computer that includes touch technology and various customization

options that separate us from our competitors and further our innovative reputation in

computer design and manufacturing. Since this task requires highly knowledgeable and

experienced individuals, Eminence Inc. hopes to break through geographical barriers in

order to utilize all available expertise and create the proper context for our product’s

success. Before you begin your work as a team, we will train you on the proper etiquette

and essential technology needed in order to reach these goals and enhance

communication and collaboration. Please reference Appendix A to find the slides for the

November 17 training session.

INTRODUCTION

Virtual teams can be defined as groups of individuals that transcend geographic

and organizational barriers by communicating via information technology across widely

dispersed areas (Combs, 2007). Due to the ever increasing trend towards globalization,

virtual teams are becoming essential to enhancing a company’s competitive advantage.

With the shift towards more decentralized organizational structures, companies are

beginning to utilize the vast availability of individuals with high specialization and

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experience. This helps companies not only attain organizational goals and expand their

financial success, but creates more opportunities for employees to advance their personal

careers and also transform the future of any type of business.

Although virtual teams provide opportunities for long-term success, organizations

still face challenges utilizing virtual teams. This can be attributed to the unfamiliarity of

various available technologies as well as the difficulties managers face in regards to

training and leading these teams when compared to traditional face-to-face teams

(Nunamaker Jr., 2009). This training session will help identify essential principles

necessary for effective virtual teamwork to improve trust, enhance communication, attain

individual and organizational goals, and develop an innovative product.

BACKGROUND

With geographical borders becoming less relevant, it is becoming increasingly

important to manage. While virtual teams have several advantages that must be leveraged

in specific situations, there are also several issues that may arise, which can be either

avoidable or inevitable. Communication methods used within a virtual team context

become critical, and if misused, can lead to an ineffective and unsuccessful outcome. In

the following section, advantages of a virtual team will be outlined.

Advantages

One of the main benefits that organizations continually experience from virtual

teams is the ability to overcome limitations of space and time (Piccoli, 2004). Companies

today are increasingly leaning towards international markets to compete, which lead to

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various operations and departments being scattered across the globe. Because of the

dispersion of personnel across countries and time zones, face-to-face meetings are

extremely expensive and difficult to coordinate. As a result, the use of technologies such

as e-mail, webcams, and other channels that facilitate a virtual environment are becoming

prevalent. Another primary benefit of virtual teams is diversity of perspectives and ideas

(Piccoli). Since team members are dispersed in different locales, viewpoints should be

leveraged in the most effective way possible within an international context. However, if

this diversity is not managed correctly, it can result in various communication barriers,

which will cause the team to fail and not meet its goals. See slide 4 on page 13 for a full

list of advantages. While there are various benefits that can be experienced in virtual

teams, there are several disadvantages that need to be considered before engaging in this

type of team.

Disadvantages

One disadvantage of a virtual team stems from the improper use of

communication channels and mediums (Piccoli, 2004). When using e-mail, chat, and

other similar technologies, the richness of communication suffers because nonverbal

communication is lost, making the development of a team much more difficult. This

problem is magnified when dealing with individuals from multiple cultural backgrounds,

which can create communication barriers and fault lines that impede the development of

interpersonal relationships. Another disadvantage of virtual teams is their reliance on

technology. Any type of malfunction with the technology being used will inhibit the

team’s ability to interact, making it almost impossible to complete any task at that time.

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Additionally, communication lags are inevitable and unavoidable, further preventing the

team from performing efficiently because information sharing becomes tedious (Piccoli).

Because of the many complexities involved in virtual teams, managing communication

and differences becomes key to the success or failure of the team (See page 13, page 5).

Remedies

For virtual teams to be successful there are four major actions leaders must take

early on in the team’s life to combat conflict. First of all, leaders must facilitate the

creation of a team charter (Combs, 2007). This charter will become the lifeblood of the

team for the duration of their time together. The charter should include the mission of the

team, a definition of the problems and objectives they are seeking to satisfy, a definition

of members’ roles, acknowledgment of cultural and language differences and the

conflicts they may cause, and a list of “blackout periods,” so all members are aware of

differences in time zones and observed holidays for each member. Second, leaders need

to help establish norms for the team. Ground rules for communication etiquette,

membership input, and rewards for positive behavior should be outlined (Combs). These

norms will help to clarify the expectations of individual members and specify appropriate

behavior, especially with regards to the timeliness of communication.

Additionally, leaders should help facilitate in establishing trust among members,

which will create the foundation of the team (Maznevski, 2000). One way to facilitate

trust between team members is to have an initial face-to-face meeting or a

videoconference call between team members to help everyone become familiar with one

another and start building relationships. The last issue that leaders must address is the

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choice of technology that will be used. As tasks become more complex and important, so

should the technology being used. For more complex decisions and tasks that require

extensive information sharing and group interaction, videoconferencing,

teleconferencing, and a collaborative team workspace should be used. For routine

information and personal interactions between weekly meetings, e-mail and phone calls

are the better channels to use (Maznevski). Evidence shows issues are bound to arise in

such a complex environment; however, when managed properly from the start, virtual

teams are able to adapt and be flexible, resulting in greater productivity and success.

TEAM TRAINING

There are a wide variety of tools available for virtual teams to utilize. Some of them

have been around for years; others have only come about recently as a result of the

advances in technology. Eminence, Inc. has programs to use to facilitate this virtual team,

which include these three Microsoft products:

Outlook Live Meeting SharePoint

In addition to these mediums, phone calls and conference calls will be utilized as well.

Telephoning will be used to check in with each individual to ascertain the progress of

each member, and help create more personal relationships. Conference calls will be made

when necessary to share vital information immediately. However, the bulk of the

communication will be done using the above programs. These programs will be how

meetings are both scheduled and conducted, and will allow for constant communication,

organization of information, and more detailed and organized collaboration.

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Outlook

Microsoft Outlook is one of the most popular, and widely accepted, e-mail

software programs available because it is easy to learn and use. Outlook offers a variety

of services to help members coordinate and effectively carry out the requirements of the

virtual team, so they can be successful. These services include, but are not limited to, the

ability to “centralize project information and task management,” and the ability to

generate a detailed calendar (Microsoft Corporation, 2009).

With regards to centralizing information and tasks, Outlook allows for a variety of

options. Users can customize the information that they track, such as e-mails and

attachments, phone calls, and meetings/appointments, and then share this information

with others who are part of their secure network. Users can also assign tasks to others and

monitor the progress of the team (Microsoft Corporation, 2009). When tasks are

assigned, notifications show up in the users To-Do Bar, so they are aware of the changes.

One of the best features of Outlook is its ability to create an updatable calendar.

This calendar can track deadlines, meeting times, appointments, and all other scheduled

events that the user has added. Along with this, meetings can be scheduled and added to

all connected users’ calendars through the sharing calendar tool. This is especially useful

in informing team members of meeting times, conference calls, etc. without confusion,

stress, or wasting of time. With this tool, managing tasks of virtual teams is more

productive and efficient and is a necessary, routine function for successful teams (See

page 13, slide 6).

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Live Meeting

Microsoft’s Live Meeting allows teams to conduct meetings over the web with

ease and efficiency. The software connects employees via audio and video with data

sharing capabilities. Before you enter a Live Meeting session, you will receive an e-mail

from Eminence Inc. inviting you to your first Live Meeting. From there, you can

download the software and get started. Once you access the meeting, everyone will be

given video and audio access.

Any team member can schedule a meeting through Microsoft Outlook. This

allows you to select the date and time of the meeting, the participants, and who will

present and attend the meeting (Agnvall, 2009). Next, the invitation is sent out to

participants through e-mail. Once the meeting has begun, attendees are given the option

to have audio through the speakers on their computer or through the telephone by dialing

the 800 number given in the invitation.

Once the meeting is in progress, employees have the option to share resources,

chat with members, share meeting notes, and give feedback. Live Meeting “enables you

to share files (not just prepared slides), use digital whiteboards—even save the

presentation so people who couldn't attend the meeting can watch it later” (Microsoft

Corporation, 2009). Resources can be shared using the uploading tool in the menu bar.

Chatting with members, asking questions, and sharing meeting notes can all be opened in

a separate window. Giving feedback is based on a “seat color” that team members

designate to themselves. Each color represents a status such as “have a question” or

“cannot hear audio” (Agnvall, 2009). Live Meeting will be used to conduct all meetings

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among employees in this virtual team (See page 14, slide 7). You will all be equipped

with the appropriate technology, including cameras and audio devices.

SharePoint

Microsoft SharePoint is a software program that helps to organize information,

enhance collaboration, and leverage business insight in order to make better

organizational decisions (Dwyer, 2009). By using this software, you will be able to

efficiently collaborate with your virtual team as well as others across the corporation.

You can also access important resources and information and manage content in a

proficient and easy manner (Langfeld, Noel, & Spence, 2004). SharePoint helps combine

all the necessary tools needed for efficient and effective collaboration in one place,

allowing your virtual team to save time and increase organization and productivity

(Microsoft Corporation, 2009). Although SharePoint has numerous features and tools,

your virtual team will primarily utilize the personalized team site and its document

management functions.

Following Microsoft’s SharePoint instructions, the Eminence Inc. IT department

has created a SharePoint site, specifically for the members of this virtual team. The link

will be provided for you in an e-mail to access this site, and since you have been granted

access by IT, there will never be a need to input your employee id or password. This site

is more than a website that holds information. It is your virtual team’s collaborative

workspace, which offers various tools that allow you to update calendars, track projects,

post blogs, share links and contacts, and create document libraries (Langfeld, Noel, &

Spence, 2004). The basic template for your website includes these features: shared

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documents library list, linking your Outlook calendar to the SharePoint calendar,

announcements, links, tasks list, and team blogging/discussion list (Dwyer, 2009). Please

utilize these features as often as possible to help you and your team become as efficient

possible and boost productivity.

One of the most important features of SharePoint is the ability to create and edit

documents collaboratively. Your team site has a Shared Documents library link where

you can see all documents that were uploaded. This is where you or any person on your

virtual team can open and read any document, or if you desire to edit one, you can

“check-out” the document and edit it. When you have a document checked out, no other

team member can edit it at that time until you complete your edits, save it, and check it

back in. This feature helps prevent multiple people changing a document at once as well

as preventing the tedious task of constantly sending attachments to one another of an

updated document. Also, only your virtual team has access to update these documents

(Microsoft Corporation, 2009). Everyone else within the organization can visit your site

if they desire, but they can only view available content and cannot change or contribute to

any part of your site without administrator access approval. Overall, SharePoint will be

essential to your team’s communication outside meetings, especially when collaborating

on documents or other tasks necessary for this project’s success (See page 14, slide 8).

LOOKING FORWARD

Effective use of these three programs and background knowledge of virtual teams

will help each of you increase communication, collaboration, and develop this new

product successfully. A weekly team conference call will be held every Wednesday

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morning at 10am in order to update the team on current accomplishments and plans for

the upcoming week. Also, checking e-mails, engaging in Live Meetings, and

collaborating on documents via SharePoint will help enhance productivity and lead to

greater success. As previously mentioned, it is essential for us to establish trust and

cohesion among members in order to form interpersonal relationships, maintain constant

communication, and approach all discussions with an open mind.

This training manual has given you the basics on virtual teams as well as the

technology to be utilized for this task. On Tuesday, November 17, 2009, we will be

conducting hands-on training session. This training will help everyone better understand

the technology and become proficient users of these three Microsoft programs. Also, an

Eminence Inc. IT technician will meet with each of you after this training to help you set

up your Microsoft Outlook account. You will receive an e-mail through this account on

Monday, November 16, 2009, inviting you to Live Meeting. You will need to accept this

invitation in order to proceed and download the necessary software. Please remember,

your SharePoint team site has already been set up, and the link to the site will be e-mailed

to you through Outlook once it is set up. During the meeting on Tuesday, we will instruct

you how to use Outlook, Live Meeting, and SharePoint and answer any questions that

arise. If you have any urgent questions before this meeting, please feel free to contact the

Eminence Inc. Training & Development team via our Vice President-Training &

Development, Steven Vogel at (720) 690-5885 or by sending an email to

EminenceT&D@gmail.com (See page 14, slide 9).

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WORKS CITED

Agnvall, E. (2009). Meetings Go Virtual. HR Magazine , 74-77.

Combs, W. &. (2007). Leading Virtual Teams. T+D , 27-28.

Dwyer, M. (2009). The Microsoft SharePoint. Infonomics; 2009 AIIM Guide to ECM , 55-56.

Langfeld, L., Noel, M., & Spence, C. (2004). Understanding Organizational Uses of SharePoint Technologies. informIT , 1-15.

Maznevski, M. L. (2000). Bridging Space Over Time: Global Virtual Team Dynamics and Effectiveness. Organization Science , 473-492.

Microsoft Corporation. (2009). Microsoft Office Live Meeting. Retrieved October 14, 2009, from Microsoft Corporation Web site: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/livemeeting/default.aspx

Microsoft Corporation. (2009). Microsoft Office Outlook with Business Contact Manager. Retrieved October 14, 2009, from Microsoft Corporation Web site: http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/contactmanager/FX101674171033.aspx

Microsoft Corporation. (2009). Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server 2007. Retrieved October 21, 2009, from Microsoft Corporation Web site: http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/Pages/Default.aspx

Nunamaker Jr., J. F. (2009). Principles for Effective Virtual Teamwork. Communications of the ACM , 113-116.

Piccoli, G. P. (2004). Virtual Teams: Team Control Structure, Work Processes, and Team Effectiveness. Information Technology and People , 359-379.

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APPENDIX A

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APPENDIX B

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TRAINING SESSION TEST QUESTIONS

True and False

1. Familiarity, training and leading are the reasons organizations find virtual teams challenging to utilize. – TrueThis is a true statement because managers face obstacles such as unfamiliarity with technology, training and leading issues because most is done through face to face interactions.

2. Viewpoints should be leveraged within an international context. –TrueThis is another true statement because members of a virtual team are dispersed in different locations and it would be more effective if all members leveraged their viewpoints.

3. Communication barriers and fault lines that impede the development of interpersonal relationships between team members are dissolved when using e-mail, chat and other efficient communication strategies within a virtual team. –FalseThis statement is false because e-mail and other forms of technological communication cause the richness of communication to suffer because of a nonverbal communication loss.

4. Anyone in the virtual team can edit and manage information shared within the group using SharePoint. –FalseOnly people within the team that are granted access as a contributor are allowed to edit and manage information within SharePoint.

5. Between team meetings, team members should use personal phone calls and e-mails to communicate routine information. - True Members of the team should stay in contact with one another regularly when an all member meeting is not necessary.

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Multiple Choice

1. The team charter is a contract or agreement among members of the group. The team charter should include:

a. Mission of the teamb. Definitions of problems and objectivesc. Definitions of members’ rolesd. All of the abovee. None of the above

The charter’s purpose is to establish norms, expectations, and roles of the team as a whole. It is crucial that the overall mission of the team, definitions of problems and objectives, and definitions of roles are clearly stated before the team begins their work.

2. Which is not a reason companies are shifting towards using virtual teams?a. Increased globalization b. decentralized organizational structurec. “Traditional Teams” are increasingly becoming less

effectived. Utilize expertise across the entire organization

In some instances, traditional teams are more effective than virtual teams. Some projects require face-to-face interaction and large amounts of trust, and it is important that these teams work traditionally.

3. How do you update a document on SharePoint?a. Download, Edit, Send to site administratorb. “Check it out”, Edit, Save, “Check in”c. “Check it out”, Edit, Save, Re-uploadd. Download, Edit, Save, E-mail to all members

“Checking out” a document on SharePoint allows a team member to notify other people that they are working on the data. From there, they edit the data and save it, then check it in the file share for team members to see. It is not necessary for the teammate to re-upload the document or e-mail it to other members.

4. What are the main disadvantages of virtual teams?a. Improper use of communication channelsb. Reliance on technologyc. Lack of collaboration toolsd. A and B e. None of the above

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It has been proven that some teams improperly use communication channels and rely on technology too much. However, there are numerous software programs that allow for team collaboration, such as SharePoint and Live Meeting.

5. The main method to give feedback during Live Meeting session is:a. Changing your “Seat Color”b. Asking a question of your facilitatorc. Use the digital whiteboardd. Change the status on the menu bar

Changing seat colors during Live Meeting allows attendees to communicate feedback to the administrator. Examples of different “seat colors” include “can’t hear audio” and “has a question.”

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