Part 1
Virtual team leaders face the challenges of leading teams that not only span time and distance, but often cross cultural boundaries as well as language barriers. One of the many difficulties confronted by leaders of virtual teams everywhere is the establishment of effective norms and protocols. Since norms and protocols provide a blueprint for a team and its project(s), they’re a crucial part of success. Bringing together a geographically scattered and diverse group of people is a difficult task. Establishing effective norms and protocols requires selecting the right leadership structure. A strong leader must not only demonstrate the skills to establish trust within his group, he must also inspire and bring individuals together to become a team while adhering to the established norms and protocols.
NORMS AND PROTOCOLS
The successful establishment of norms and protocols, which tell team members the acceptable standards of behavior and what is expected of them, plays an important role for traditional and virtual teams alike. Norms and protocols provide guidance for things such as “participation, communication, conflict management, project and task management, problem solving and decision-making, and how to pursue creative efforts” (Nemiro, 2004, p.234). Norms also address timeframes and accountability measures. Where timeframes clarify deadlines by which actions must be completed, accountability norms spell out necessary actions for on-time completion/delivery as well as what happens when deadlines aren’t met (Nemiro, 2004, p.258).
Leaders of virtual teams encounter the additional challenges of establishing and enforcing norms and protocols across time and space, varying cultures, and language barriers. When team members are spread across the country, or even the world, it’s up to the team leader to effectively bring them together as one cohesive and reliable group. When team members don’t deliver as expected it can affect the team’s ability to succeed. Missed deadlines and misunderstood expectations can add up to disastrous consequences. A team’s poor performance can have negative effects for the whole organization.
It’s imperative that a team’s leader not only establishes effective norms and protocols, but also finds ways to get team members to adhere to these rules. A successful leader will be able to cultivate relationships with group members. He will do so by reaching out to individuals, establishing trust, and inspiring team members. When each person follows the rules, the group runs more smoothly. A competent group can prove to be a valuable asset to any organization.
When individuals don’t understand or aren’t willing to follow the team’s norms and protocols, they’re unable to fully contribute. This automatically affects the team’s chances for success. A team whose success rate is questionable will not be valued by the organization.
Nemiro, J. E. (2004). Creativity in virtual teams: Key components for success. San Francisco: Pfeiffer.
