Be Effective Within Virtual Workgroups

Be Effective Within Virtual Workgroups

Just like working with people face-to-face, virtual working demands the 3 ‘C’s of

• communication
• coordination
• cooperation

All three are much more difficult when you mostly can’t see or hear the people you are working with, so the first thing you and your virtual co-workers must do is work out and agree on the methods you are going to use to facilitate them. Here are some ideas:

Communication

Make sure you take full advantage of the resources at your disposal. Email, telephone, audio and visual conferencing, chat sessions and Online discussions can all play their part, but don’t rely on chance to get together:

• schedule regular real-time chat room meetings to keep each other up-to-date
• arrange Online posting discussions to solicit opinions from other team members
• email and phone each other regularly with your latest results.

Coordination

Be clear about what the group is trying to achieve, what each of your individual objectives are, and what sort of time frame you are aiming for. Take time to discuss this at the start, so that you are all working towards the same goal and each person knows as far as possible what he or she is expected to do. As work goes forward changes might have to be made, but good communication should enable you to discuss this and agree on necessary modifications.

Cooperation

Being a good team worker isn’t always easy, and the challenges of working virtually make it even more difficult than usual. Cooperation is the key, so help things along by getting to know your co-workers, being polite, patient and as helpful as you can.

Source: West Pole, Inc

Other Student Resources

Online Discussion Postings

Avoid Plagiarism

Making the Most of Online Chat Sessions

Avoid Isolation

Be Effective Within Virtual Workgroups

Researching Online