A presentation for leaders and members of virtual teams on the most common failure points in virtual teams, warning signs to look out for and how to get the team back on track.

1. The 7 warning signs
your virtual team is
doomed to fail
Korrine Jones
OD Consulting
www.odconsulting.com.au

2. Overview
The most common
failure points in virtual
teams
The warning signs to
look out for
The key strategies to
recover your team in
time

3.  Academic research
 Micro businesses to large multi-nationals
 IT, banking, logistics, mining, direct sales, retail,
public sector, consulting firms, e-learning
providers
 VirtualTeam Reality:The Secrets to Leading
SuccessfulVirtualTeams and RemoteWorkers
My
Research

4. TheGrim
Reality
 Virtual teams will
increase by 21% in
2016 to 1.57 billion
people worldwide
(HBR, 2013)
 80% of virtual teams
are performing
significantly below
capacity (Esbin,
2014)
 66% are failing to
meet customer
needs (Deloitte)
 You need to
understand and
address the warning
signs to ensure your
team avoids failure

5. Warning sign
No. 1
Tasks are missed and team
members respond that they didn’t
realise it was their responsibility

6. The most
common
failure points
1. Lack of clarity around goals and roles

7. Clear Roles
and
Processes
High
Team
Performance
Low
DispersionLow (same floor) High (different continent)
Clarity of processes high
(Source: Siebdrat, Hoegl and Ernst, 2009)
Clarity of processes low

8. • Clearly articulated
vision, goals and
plans
• Clear roles

9. Warning sign
No. 2
Your remote team members are
telling you that they feel ‘out of
the loop’ or isolated from the
team

10. The most
common
failure points
1. Lack of clarity around goals and roles
2. ‘lost’ team members

11. ‘lost’ team
members
65% of virtual team
members feel that a lack
of personal relationships
cause problems
(www.playprelude.com)

12. Remote team
members
require a
different style
of
management

13. •Connect
frequently
•Focus on
those most
remote
•Social
conversations

14. Warning sign
No. 3
Team members seem to be
refusing to work together

15. The most
common
failure points
1. Lack of clarity around goals and roles
2. ‘lost’ team members
3. Lack of collaboration and teamwork between
team members

16. The team
doesn’t just
develop itself

17. Rituals and
symbols

18. Warning sign
No. 4 Your team members don’t seem to
trust each other

19. The most
common
failure points
1. Lack of clarity around goals and roles
2. ‘lost’ team members
3. Lack of collaboration and teamwork between
team members
4. Lack of trust

20. The truth
about trust
“…virtual teams can’t
function without trust...”
(Ferrazzi, Harvard Business Review, 2012)

22. Needs and
expectations
Trust
Expectations
•Regular meetings
•Holidays
•Fun workplace
Needs
•Financial
security
•Respect
•Belonging
(Hall, 2013)

23. Warning sign
No. 5 There is rising tension between
remote team members

24. The most
common
failure points
1. Lack of clarity around goals and roles
2. ‘lost’ team members
3. Lack of collaboration and teamwork between
team members
4. Lack of trust
5. Poor working relationships

25. Stages of conflict
Discomfort
Incidents
Misunderstandings
Tension
Crisis
Breakdown
act early to avoid
conflict escalating!
.
(Conflict Resolution Network)

26. Warning sign
No. 6
Email is your most frequently used
mode of communication between
team members

27. The most
common
failure points
1. Lack of clarity around goals and roles
2. ‘lost’ team members
6. Breakdowns in communication
3. Lack of collaboration and teamwork between
team members
4. Lack of trust
5. Poor working relationships

28. Interpersonal
communication
(Mehrabian, 1971)

29. • Agree on how to communicate
• Choose and use tools wisely
• Develop communication protocols
Develop effective communication strategies

30. Warning sign
No. 7
You haven’t had a virtual team
meeting in weeks and no one
seems to want to dial in for them
anyway

31. The most
common
failure points
1. Lack of clarity around goals and roles
2. ‘lost’ team members
6. Breakdowns in communication
3. Lack of collaboration and teamwork between
team members
4. Lack of trust
5. Poor working relationships
7. Ineffective or infrequent virtual team meetings

32. What do
your team
members get
up to in a tele
conference?

33. Short and
sharp
Agenda
Well chaired
Engaging
Protocols

34. The most
common
failure points
1. Lack of clarity around goals and roles
2. ‘lost’ team members
6. Breakdowns in communication
3. Lack of collaboration and teamwork between
team members
4. Lack of trust
5. Poor working relationships
7. Ineffective or infrequent virtual team meetings

35. Questions

36. If tasks are
being
missed…….
WEBINAR 1
Leadership – the key secrets to leading across distance
$us37

37. If your
remote team
members are
isolated and
disengaged
…….
WEBINAR 2
Individual performance – the indispensable formula for
getting the best out of your remote workers
$us37

38. If team
members are
refusing to
work
together…….
WEBINAR 3
Team performance – the essential steps to quickly and
easily develop a high performing virtual team
$us27

39. If your virtual
team
members
don’t trust
each
other…….
WEBINAR 4
Trust – the critical foundation for highly productive
virtual teams and how to build it
$us37

40. If there is
rising tension
between
team
members…..
WEBINAR 5
Collaboration – powerful strategies for getting people to
work together across distance
$us37

41. If email is your
‘go to’ for team
communication
WEBINAR 6
Communication – high impact communication
strategies for virtual teams
$us37

42. If your virtual
team meetings
are infrequent,
unproductive
or non-existent
WEBINAR 7
Meetings – getting 3 times more productivity out of
your online meetings
$us37

43. To register
Any single webinar $US37
www.odconsulting.com.au/webinars/
Full series $US150
admin@odconsulting.com.au
OD Consulting
odconsultingau
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