Excerpted from  

Virtual Teams:

Establishing and Monitoring a Team Improvement Process Across Time Zones, Distance and Technology

How can team leaders establish a team improvement process and maintain positive momentum with virtual teams that span different time zones and global locations? In this article we examine five strategies for improving the processes of a global, virtual team.

1. Gather benchmark data
2. Commit to the process
3. Clarify expectations and outcomes
4. Create multiple ways to participate in the process
5. Integrate action steps into existing team goals and communication processes

Strategy #1: Gather benchmark data in a confidential, asynchronous format

It is important to begin the team improvement process with benchmark data: What are our team's strengths, weaknesses and priorities? Determine where you are now as a team, so that you can compare and see how you are doing at a later date.

Obtaining input from all team members ensures that different perspectives - not just the perspective of the team leader - are included in the team improvement process. Commitment and follow through on action steps will be greater if all team members have been a part of establishing the benchmark of the team.

Gathering benchmark data in a confidential manner typically provides more useful and honest feedback. Check with your HR department to see what resources are available to you. (Meridian's Global Teams Online web tool is an example of one such resource that you may be able to utilize.) Once this benchmark has been established, you will have a more concrete way to measure your performance moving forward.

Strategy #2: Commit to the team improvement process as a journey

Team members frequently complain, "We took a survey, the team leader asked for our input, we had a meeting, developed a plan, and now we're back to business as usual. Nothing has changed."

Results from the benchmark data are only a part of the team improvement process. Working with a team on the results is a multi-step process that includes:

• Discussing benchmark data/current team performance measures;
• Agreeing on where you want to be;
• Working on an action plan;
• Keeping the improvement process moving forward.

Providing time for frequent check-in meetings, updates, and re-visiting action plans is a critical element for a successful team improvement process. Teams that are geographically dispersed and meet infrequently need to pay close attention to the steps along the way since face-to-face meetings are typically infrequent. (See Strategy #5 for specific strategies).

Strategy #3: Clarify expectations and outcomes

Schedule a meeting to discuss how your team's performance compares to the benchmark data. In order for the team meeting to be most effective, it is important to prepare properly by setting expectations, asking for input prior to the meeting and developing clear meeting objectives.

A brief e-mail sent to team members prior to the meeting will open the door for team input in a way that works across time zones.

Here's an example:

In preparation for our meeting on Thursday, please answer the two questions below. Your input will ensure that our team meeting is productive and focused.

1. I think our initial team meeting will be most effective if ...
2. I think that some challenges/barriers to a productive meeting for our team include ...

Strategy #4: Create multiple ways to participate in the process

It is important to provide opportunities for all team members to participate in improving team performance in an ongoing way. This is especially true if the team is geographically and culturally diverse.

Most virtual teams will hold their team meetings via teleconference, sometimes in conjunction with net meeting software. At the beginning of the team meeting encourage the entire team to monitor the participation levels of team members. Another approach is to appoint one team member the role of monitoring and encouraging team participation. Establish a check-in order and pause frequently to check in with all team members. Things to check for include each participant's comprehension level, agreement with the decisions that are being made in the course of the call, and technological synchronization (expect that remote members will experience some delay).

Vary the ways team members may participate in the team meeting. Some team members will readily speak up when asked a question or to comment. Other team members will need time to reflect or time to translate their thoughts. Asking team members to write answers down, then to respond is one way to invite more participation. Another option for encouraging team participation is to ask team members to either pair up or gather into small groups and discuss an issue and provide a team answer.

In a teleconference situation, multiple dial-in numbers can be established so that when team members break up into smaller groups for discussion, they can hang up, then re-dial in to the new number for small group discussion, then return to the group dial-in number for the team discussion. If the team is using net meeting software, many packages have "Private Chat" capabilities allowing team members the opportunity to have small group discussion in a written format while the entire team remains online. After the small group "Private Chat" discussion, the team resumes verbal discussion.

Strategy #5: Integrate agreed-upon action steps into existing team goals and communication processes

When agreed-upon action steps are relegated to the side (or even worse, to the bottom) of already full "to do" lists, progress tends to be very slow. Suggestions for integrating team improvement action steps into existing team goals and communication processes include:

• Provide time for discussion of progress on action steps as a part of regularly scheduled team teleconference meetings.
• Establish an online format accessible to all team members for adding to and updating action items.
• Establish check-in points to reassess progress - depending on the workflow of the team it could be weekly, monthly, every two months or quarterly.
• Remain open and flexible to changes in your Action Plan based on team changes, including new team members and revised team goals.
• Re-assess your team utilizing the same survey tool in 3-6 months to check on the team's progress.

For more information on Meridian's global team services and web tools, please contact us.