Leading Global Virtual Teams: Strategies for Success
By Luiza Dreasher, Ph.D.
Leading teams with members across borders has become commonplace in today’s global economy. These diverse teams have been found to be more creative and innovative, and the different perspectives of team members enable companies to significantly expand their market reach.
However, managing global teams (GT) also presents challenges due to factors such as differing communication styles, relational dynamics, and different attitudes toward deadlines. In addition, some members might hesitate to participate in meetings due to concerns about language accents, while others might struggle to understand the conversation entirely. These factors can, indeed, make it difficult to mold the group into an efficient working unit.
Technological advancements such as video conferencing, email, instant messaging, project management software, and various online platforms have enabled these teams to operate virtually. Global Virtual Teams (GVTs), in essence, are groups of individuals located in different geographical areas, collaborating on the same project or working toward a common goal.
The Many Challenges of Global Virtual Teams (GVTs) and How to Overcome Them
GVTs have their own set of unique challenges. A complicating factor is the need for team interaction through conference calls where the added advantage of face-to-face communication is removed. In fact, while team members may be sharing the same platform while working on the same project, one cannot overlook the fact that members will bring diverse characteristics such as different attitudes toward deadlines, different interpretations of effective leadership, different communication styles, and likely, different levels of language proficiency.
Because of the complexity of working with people who come from various cultures and have different value orientations, all while using technology to communicate, the failure rate of such teams can be high. In fact, research shows that more than 50% of GTs fail to meet their full potential. So, leaders need to address the challenges such teams face head-on to create a productive team environment that transcends physical boundaries.
Below are some of the biggest challenges team leaders need to overcome to ensure the success of their GVTs.
1) Leaders must be prepared to address differences in language proficiency and communication styles.
Language proficiency is one of the biggest obstacles to a GVT. Given that English is the most common language used in global business interactions, non-native speakers will have to depend on their proficiency level to express their ideas in a clear manner. Unless they are extremely proficient, expressing thoughts in English will not only impact their confidence but also limit their contribution.
Paying attention to the power dynamics in the group is also important. Team members with a higher language proficiency will be more articulate and persuasive and, therefore, have more power in the group than those with a lower proficiency level.
It is also important to consider the many differences in communication styles. Direct communicators such as U.S.-Americans can be seen as rude and insensitive because of their more direct style. Leaders also need to understand that efforts to use humor to create a more lighthearted, informal environment may backfire. That is because humor rarely crosses boundaries. In fact, when used in emails or other forms of communication they can be interpreted as insulting, culturally insensitive, and even cruel.
2) Leaders must recognize the pressing need for establishing relationships despite the physical distance.
There is no denying that it is much easier to establish relationships when individuals see each other more frequently. In high-relationship cultures, members prefer establishing a relationship first and avoiding working with total strangers. This is harder to accomplish given the distance between team members in GVTs.
GVT leaders need to use different strategies to foster relationship-building and overcome the challenges posed by distance and lack of face-to-face interaction. For example, having regular and structured virtual meetings will help maintain consistent communication and create opportunities for team members to interact more frequently. Don’t limit these meetings to formal, business-related elements such as project updates. It is equally important to organize informal gatherings such as virtual coffee breaks where team members can chat about non-work topics. This helps recreate the casual interactions that occur naturally in a physical office.
Leaders should also encourage the use of video during meetings to make interactions more personal and engaging. Video calls help convey non-verbal cues and create a sense of presence. They can also encourage the use of instant messaging platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams for real-time, quick communication. This can help replicate the spontaneous, informal exchanges that happen in a traditional office setting. The key is for leaders to help team members establish strong relationships despite the physical distance. This can lead to improved collaboration and increased team performance.
Whatever strategies they use, team leaders must be mindful of cultural differences as well as time zones when scheduling meetings and choosing communication tools. Above all, ensure that all team members feel included and respected.
3) Leaders must understand that decision-making varies a great deal across cultures.
Reaching workable decisions is another difficult aspect of teams working across cultures, especially virtually. That is because many cultural dimensions influence decision-making.
In more egalitarian societies such as the United States, Canada, or Australia, team members participate fully in the decision-making process. They often speak freely and express their honest opinions, even if they disagree with the team leader. Once a decision is agreed upon, the team is then responsible for executing it.
In more hierarchical societies such as China, Japan, or Mexico, members expect the leaders to make decisions. In fact, a leader who seeks input or leaves decisions up to team members would be seen as weak and risk losing face with team members. So, it is important to remember that, in a meeting, certain team members will defer their decisions to the most senior person in the room, even if they are capable of participating in the process.
4) Leaders must be prepared to overcome logistical challenges.
Global companies face significant logistical challenges due to time zone differences, which can complicate coordination and communication across geographically dispersed teams.
Scheduling meetings that accommodate all team members becomes difficult, often requiring early morning or late-night calls for some participants. Additionally, asynchronous work requires clear documentation and communication to ensure that tasks progress smoothly despite delays in response times.
Time zone differences also complicate project timelines and deadlines, necessitating meticulous planning and the use of collaboration tools to maintain efficiency. Overall, managing these logistical issues requires strategic planning and flexibility to ensure seamless operations.
One effective strategy to address time-zone issues is to rotate the timing of conference calls or meetings. This practice is not merely courteous; it ensures that all team members experience and understand the challenges of participating in a meeting at inconvenient hours, such as late at night when individuals are spending time with family members, or very early in the morning, sometimes even before breakfast. This time rotation will sensitize everyone to the difficulties of operating in a global environment.
Final Thoughts
GVTs provide a unique environment for collaboration with members across geographic distances and time zones. Leaders who want to help their global team achieve their maximum potential need to be global-minded. That is, they need to have a clear understanding of their own cultural perspective (self-awareness) and recognize the perspective of all team members (other-awareness).
It is a big mistake to ignore the cultural differences present in the team. When leaders go into their interactions assuming that culture doesn’t matter, their default mechanism is to view others through their own cultural lens. They need to take the time to understand how different team members communicate and collaborate. This will help cultivate trust and a sense of teamwork among culturally diverse employees.
Understand that the ultimate goal is not to eliminate differences but to leverage them to enhance the team’s performance. When leaders understand cultural differences, they are more likely to avoid misunderstandings, needless conflict, and possible project failure. Above all, they need to adapt their leadership style so they can effectively mobilize and motivate team members who operate differently.
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