DQ 2 REPLIES UNIT 8
Reply to Pliny’s post
Working virtually is slowly, but steadily becoming an increasingly common phenomenon and more organizations are taking advantage of this. Working remotely eliminates the need for office space, reduces commuting time, lowers overhead costs, and, in many cases, promotes a better work-life balance (Nordbäck & Espinosa, 2019). I enjoyed reading your discussion. I agree that knowledge transfer and improved reporting could be used to improve teamwork in virtual teams. Arranging a face-to-face meeting can also improve teamwork in virtual teams. During such meetings, you will be able to not only talk to your teams/teammates but also study their body language and eye contact, which may result in a better interpersonal connection and higher levels of trust. If meetings don’t seem like a possibility, use video chat instead.
Reply to Joel’s post.
I agree with you that choosing the right communication tools to facilitate open communication and building trust and the use of SWOT analysis can be used to improve teamwork in virtual projects. I also agree that using skype for meetings helps in creating a more personal experience which in the long run leads to trust. Another tip to ensure the flawless flow of communication is for every team to have a chat room of their own, which is open at all times. This could probably be set up with tools like zoom (Nordbäck & Espinosa, 2019). The discussions that take place could be both project-related and non-project-related. Nevertheless, it is also critical to ensure that these chat rooms do not become a source of disturbance or distraction for the team members and/or lower their productivity significantly.
Reply to Eric’s post.
I enjoyed reading your discussion post. I agree that managing virtual teams is often a challenging time because of the lack of physical aspects that are involved in managing the teams. Other than what you have mentioned, another strategy that could be used to improve the teamwork of virtual projects is dynamic team affiliation. Virtual teams are generally formed to exploit the experience of individuals for the errands they can do rather than training people. Nevertheless, since members of a virtual project can join and leave a project at given times, teamwork is a more significant challenge. When a new member joins a virtual project, he/she can be informed instantly on the team’s operating procedures (Levin, 2009). They must also pledge to work on a virtual project by revising and signing the team’s charter, and suggesting improvements as required. This will ensure that the project goes to competition without stops.
Reply to Sheetal’s post.
I enjoyed reading your discussion post. I was impressed with what you listed. Regarding video chat, it allows to unite dispersed members and increase agility when laptops and phones become mobile offices and managers have to make decisions on the move and troubleshoot on weekends and holidays. Group video chats help people from different floors, buildings and across time zones and international boundaries to feel that they are close enough to each other for brainstorming and collaboration. With conferencing, you can build and support trusted relationships with coworkers regardless of their location (Grey, 2011). Here everyone speaks and shares ideas without the intimidation of a large table and a boardroom. Video calls make remote an effective option, with employees engaged and managers staying in control.