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The team is dead... long live the virtual team
Is one team better?
While some of us may miss the traditional team, the virtual team is here to stay. In fact, as staff turnover and staff shortage levels are now approaching those previously experienced in the late 1980’s; the incidence of Virtual teams will increase. Indeed, our anecdotal evidence shows that, within IT groups, Virtual teams are now the vast majority of teams.
In our opinion, a well-formed traditional team will outperform a Virtual team and will be a more pleasant and fun team to work with than a Virtual team. The leadership skills required for a Virtual team are more narrow and limited than those required for a traditional team. However, the leadership skills required to effectively manage a Virtual team need to be applied with a level of professionalism and expertise much higher than in a traditional team [where team members compensate for and support a lack of leadership skills].
However, Virtual teams can access precious skills and expertise that may not be available within traditional teams. In addition, from a corporate perspective, Virtual teams are more flexible [in terms of resourcing and support] and reflect a growing trend towards Virtual organisations.
Probably the safest conclusion is that Virtual teams are different – very different. You better get used to them.