Team Development Practices

LDR 4303 Team Building and Leadership Unit VII

Virginia S Townzen 314741

Columbia Southern University

LDR 4303

Professor Donald Wicker

08/30/2023
 Team Development Practices

Part I Introduction of Article

In all industries the use of work teams has become the new norm throughout the entire world. A

team by definition is a group of people who collectively work together to accomplish a shared

goal. With the emergence of the internet came a growing popularity for virtual office meetings.

The pandemic changed life as we knew it in many ways and especially how we conduct

business. There is a growing need to attain the professional knowledge of virtual teams and how

to successfully lead them. For this assignment I chose an article titled “Leading a team virtually:

A manager’s perspective.” This article explains how important it is to understand how the virtual

workplace differs from the traditional workplace. It's of equal importance to have a learning

culture that specializes in professional development opportunities. Leadership has evolved into a

multifaceted role that needs ongoing development opportunities (Bailey, S., 2023). When team

members are clear about their role on the team and their responsibilities they are much more

productive and efficient. When leadership clarifies the purpose and ties it to each team members

role and responsibility this is known to enhance their potential and increase team engagement

Part II Article Summary

Leadership in an organization plays such a vital role, it is of the utmost importance that

we offer developmental opportunities to stay ahead of the competition. Leadership roles can lead

an organization straight to the top or to the pits of hell. Leadership roles in a virtual workplace

have many advantages but also a lot of challenges that must be overcome. Organizational
practices mold the company culture into what it will be (Poleac, D., 2023). A key benefit of

working virtually is leaders have the ability to hire a much more diverse talent of team members

(Shaikh, S., Chhabra, S., & Somayaji, A., 2022). Their team members can come from vast

geographical areas, cultures, expertise, and backgrounds; of which are all working towards a

common goal. The authors introduce the advantages, challenges, and how leadership should

approach virtual teams (Shaikh, S., Chhabra, S., & Somayaji, A., 2022). Effective leadership

roles understand the different platforms of communication and how to use them in the most

efficient way.

The challenges of working in a virtual environment include trust between leaders and

team members has eroded, team cohesion has reduced drastically, and there has been a decline in

employee engagement (Shaikh, S., Chhabra, S., & Somayaji, A., 2022). These challenges can be

mitigated by ensuring robust communications and new communication technologies being

implemented. For example leaders can increase their accessibility through the use of new

communication technology advancements, which in return results in a feeling of “us.” This us

feeling can assist building trust, respect, and bonding with the leader (Shaikh, S., Chhabra, S., &

Somayaji, A., 2022).

Part III Review and Evaluate

The authors credentials and backgrounds are inline with the research they have conducted

for the article. All three authors have a vast array of credentials, both individually and as a team

unit, and more than measure up to the tasks of a successful research study of virtual teams. All

three authors have extensive knowledge in the medical field as well as experience in writing
legal documents pertaining to the medical field. Their argument was logical and had the

necessary facts and details for the reader to draw the same conclusion.

Part IV Conclusion

My personal opinion, I agree with the facts included in this article and the findings of the

authors. I think the research performed to entail the advantages and challenges of virtual teams

and how leaders can mitigate them with ease, is more than enough to surfice their findings. I

agree with the authors and their belief that virtual teams and how to successfullygate these teams

to perform successfully is of great importance for leaders to understand and learn. Life as we

knew it will forever be changed because of COVID-19. Organizations now know virtual teams

can be very productive and beneficial for global teams, as well as local teams. The key factor

leading a virtual team to be successful and considered a high performer, is learning the

challenges leadership could face and provide training for them, that teaches how to best conduct

virtual team meetings (Dyer, W. G. Jr., Dyer, J. H. & Dyer, W. G., 2013). I think this article

includes some very insightful information for leadership roles and individuals interested in

working in a virtual team setting. I would recommend this article to family and friends, as well

as to anyone interested in working in a virtual team setting.

Part V Application

Leaders also began to realize that trust between their team members and themselves had

began to dissipate (Dyer, W. G. Jr., Dyer, J. H. & Dyer, W. G., 2013). Leaders no longer had the

option to view gestures and body language used by team members when communicating, which

caused gaps in communication. Working virtually produces a lack of human connections and
engagement began to decline, which made team members feel isolared. Leadership needs to take

advantage of the vast array of communication channels available to keep communication open to

its team members. Virtual team meetings need to take place often with a clear path of the

meetings agenda in a well organized and preferably distraction free manner. Video conference

meetings should be used as much as possible, to replace of the regular office face to face

meetings. Leadership needs to offer an open-door policy in the virtual workplace setting.

Collecting feedback during team meetings is of the utmost importance. It gives the team

members a sense of belonging and they feel like their opinions matter and that leadership has

their best interest at heart. Employee engagement will take more time and effort in the virtual

workplace setting, but is worth every bit of the extra effort. Leaders will need to find different

ways to be innovative that will provide ways for their team members to connect with their

colleagues. The innovation capacity of an organization can be measured by its ability to develop,

manage, and lead working teams (Poleac, D., 2023). The potential for miscommunication is

much greater for virtual teams (Dyer, W. G. Jr., Dyer, J. H. & Dyer, W. G., 2013).
 REFERENCES

Bailey, S. (2023). The Multiplying Effect Of Coaching On Leadership Development: The synergy
of learning programs and coaching experiences. Leadership Excellence, 40(7), 17–19.

Dyer, W. G. Jr., Dyer, J. H. & Dyer, W. G. (2013). Team building: Proven strategies for
improving team performance (5th ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Poleac, D. (2023). Assembling and Leading Mission Driven Teams A Strategic Design
Framework. Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence, 17(1), 976–
985. https://doi-org.libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/10.2478/picbe-2023-0089

Shaikh, S., Chhabra, S., & Somayaji, A. (2022). Leading a team virtually: A manager’s
perspective. Medical Writing, 31(3), 50–53. https://doi-
org.libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/10.56012/NJDD3467