Virtual_Workplace

Abstract Communication is a crucial component of any successful enterprise, but in a virtual organization it is preeminent. This paper will delve into the subject of what is meant by communication, what telecommuting is, how the level of dispersion affects communication, and what types of tools are available to the manager. Keywords: virtual organization, communication. Communication in a Virtual Workplace ` Communication is defined as a process by which information is exchanged and it is a basic an essential skill in life, (Speechmastery, n.d.). Most people are familiar with the basic types of communication known as verbal (verbal, written or e-mail), and non-verbal (body language such as gestures, posture, facial expressions), but do not generally think about the sub-types of communications that fall under both the main types, such as whether the communication is formal (the type used in business), or informal (as when speaking to friends and family). A good communicator is someone who is well aware of the audience, the person or persons; they are communicating with and can get the intended message across successfully. Effective communication in the workplace can mean the difference between a long and successful career, and a non-stellar one. How well a manager is able to communicate is often one of the primary skills on which his performance rating will be based. Managers who work hard at learning and developing their communication skills are generally viewed as better leaders than those managers who through lack of these skills cannot get their teams to work together to complete projects, or to understand and follow the company’s vision and mission. There are managers who have exceptional writing skills yet have a hard time delivering their message orally such as is needed in a presentation in front of a group, while others can be engaging speakers, yet their message looses something when they put it on paper. A well rounded manager will be able to use all modes of communication effectively in order to manage his team and achieve the highest level of performance excellence. In recent times even seasoned managers, who may have already possessed the required skills, have had to adjust to a new variety of communication modes brought about by the ever changing electronic age, and by the side effect of allowing team members to work dispersedly or virtually as it is more commonly known. Telecommuting Working from home is really not a novel idea, as in the middle ages most artisans worked in their homes to turn raw products into items they could sell, and it was not until the arrival of the industrial revolution which shifted the established pattern to work from factories (Nayab, 2010). The modern concept of telecommuting, or working from home with the aid of computers linking home to the workplace, has created a new challenge for team leaders or managers as they now have to communicate with team members that may be working in their home, and that home may be across town or in a completely different country altogether. Although this virtual workplace has its advantages as in the form of happier employees who see a increase in work-life balance, and in turn tend to stay longer with the company thus cutting back on turnover and retaining costs, there are a few disadvantages that managers need to be aware of, among them the lack of direct supervision and the potential for diminished productivity if the employee is unable to maintain a separation of family time from that of work time during working hours (Reference for Business, n.d.). Modern day managers may have to oversee one person, a few people, or an entire team working in a dispersed situation. Each of these situations will present a different challenge to how well the manager is able to communicate with his team, and how they in turn communicate with him. How the team is structured can pose a whole set of different challenges for the team leader and put a different perspective on what communication skills he needs to rely upon for success. The Effect of Team Structure on Communication A manager who is in charge of a fully collocated team (one where all team members are located in the same place), is by no means guaranteed that those working for him will get the message he is attempting to communicate, but he does have the added advantage of being able to determine if the listener is at least focusing on what is being said. This is not always the case for the manager that has a part or all of his team dispersed to a variety of locations. Team structure can play a critical part on how well a team works together and how well communication flows between all those involved. Both the traditional and virtual team leaders have the ability to call a meeting, have everyone in attendance, deliver the message and ensure that at the very least the team members cannot claim they did not know what was going on, however how the communication during the meeting flows can be greatly affected by the dispersion level of the team. Both types of teams also face the same challenges, such as lack of punctuality and pre-meeting preparedness by the attendees, the variations in personality of the team members where extroverts may ask a lot of clarifying questions, and the introverts will just sit, listen and take it all in and ask questions individually after the meeting. The level of team dispersion adds another layer of challenge to the team leader communication skills. A team with zero dispersion will listen to the same message at the same time, be able to clearly hear input questions from everyone else on the team, have clarifying sidebar conversations with other team members without necessarily interrupting the main speaker. Even if the communication is being done electronically (as in the case of an email being sent to the team), zero dispersion teams can go directly to the source of the message, either in person or again electronically, and get clarification on any doubts, with almost immediate feedback that is not affected by distance or time zone variances. A company has to be careful when choosing a leader that can manage a high level of dispersion, as simply taking a manager with great leadership and communication skills does not automatically translate into someone who can lead a successful virtual team. The leader also has to possess a degree of adaptability to new situations and be able to think quickly on their feet. The leader of a team with one hundred percent dispersion has to contend with a whole new set of communication flow criteria, such as the team member’s location (which may affect time zones, cultural background and connectivity), their level of electronic savvy and focus. In the next section we will discuss types of communication tools that a virtual team leader may use to make sure that regardless of the level of dispersion of his team, the message is being delivered, but before moving on, there is one more level of dispersion that a manager might need to contend with; the hybrid team. Managers who are tasked with managing teams that are both colocated and dispersed face an additional layer of difficulty in communicating. In this type of combined audience the manager has to keep in mind the perspective of their dispersed team. They cannot see someone in the room nodding in agreement, or hear low volume conversations so it is up to the team leader to act as their eyes. Whenever possible it is suggested that local meetings be kept local and remote meetings be kept remote, (Schindler, 2008). Types of Communication Tools Along with developing new communication skills to adapt to the virtual world, managers also need to understand and master a variety of communication tools to help facilitate communication among virtual teams. In a virtual world the primary communication tool is through a combination of electronic communication systems (Casio, n.d.). Some of the tools that the manager may already be using or needs to become familiar with are (Settle-Murphy & Lindsell-Roberts, n.d.) * Simultaneous audio conferencing – in a virtual team setting it is important to secure a commitment from all team members on a time and day that works well for all participants since a challenge here might be different time zones. * Simultaneous audio conferencing and web meeting tools – allow for members to both listen in and submit questions in writing. * Asynchronous web meetings – allows for participants to enter the meeting at any time and it is best used to gather input prior (or instead of) a phone meeting. * Email – the most common if not the most effective mode of communication between teams. Email is often used incorrectly and creates a lot of “noise” that team members might need to get through to reach the right information. Set standards as to who needs to be copied in the e-mail, if and when a response is required, and to who needs to receive the reply (the dreaded reply all). * Videoconferencing – is one of the most productive types of electronic communication as it is the next best thing to a face-to-face meeting. It is imperative that the technology works smoothly and that the participants have easy access. It is important that the manager understand what the purpose of the meeting is so that he can choose the appropriate communication too. The suggestion here is to choose the mode that best suits the particular meeting type such as if the meeting is to be used to communicate a point, or gather data, or ideas, team building, problem solving or decision making, (Schindler, 2008). All these tools require a different level of technological knowledge so it is to the manager’s benefit to become as proficient in them as possible so as to become a resource to his less tech-savvy team members. Conclusion Although the virtual workplace shares many similarities with the traditional workplace, it does have inherently different needs. Among these is the need for a set dissimilar communication skills that help bring the team together, regardless of how far apart in location they might find themselves. In the ever changing electronic age, telecommuting and virtual teams are here to stay. A young manager just entering the workplace might have a high level of technical skills but will lack the communication and leaderships skills that come from time in position, while a seasoned manager might have extraordinary communication skills but has not kept up to date with the latest innovations in communication. Either of these types of managers will need to adapt their knowledge to the situation they are faced with, and if that situation includes working as part of a virtual team, that will add an extra layer of complexity. Striving for excellence in developing communication skills needed to manage virtual teams should be in any manager’s priority list if they are looking to progress up the career path in their chosen field. Reference Cascio, W.F. (n.d.). The Virtual Workplace: A Reality Now. Society for industrial & organizational psychology, Inc. Retrieved from: http://www.siop.org/tip/backissues/TIPApril98/Cascio.aspx Nayab, N, (2010). History of Telecommuting. Bright Hub. Retrieved from: http://www.brighthub.com/office/home/articles/82023.aspx Reference for Business, (n.d.). Telecommuting. Reference for Business.com. Retrieved from: http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/small/Sm-Z/Telecommuting.html Schindler, E. (2008). Running an effective teleconference or virtual meeting. CIO.com. Retrieved from: http://www.cio.com/article/184550/Running_an_Effective_Teleconference_or_Virtual_Meeting'page=1&taxonomyId=3160 Settle-Murphy, N., Lindsell-Robert, S., (n.d.). Recipe for great virtual teamwork: the right communications tools at the right time. Guided Insights.com. Retrieved from: http://www.guidedinsights.com/newsletter_detail.asp'PageID=6027 Speechmastery.com (n.d.). What is communication. Retrieved from: http://www.speechmastery.com/what-is-communication.html