Team Success Factors 1

u02d1: Success Factors

Chenista Rae Straubel
July 12, 2005
BUS 4011: Virtual Teams
Prof. Gregory Gotches

Seven Success Factors for Teamwork

Duarte / Snyder (2000) list seven critical success factors that may affect
the level of achievement virtual teams and their members reach. These factors
include:
1. Human resource policies that “recognize, support, and reward”
(Ibid., p. 14) virtual teams and their leadership such as:
a. Fairly developed and implemented career-development
opportunities and challenging assignments.
b. Reward and recognition programs that clearly define
performance objectives for team members working across
traditional boundaries, development of shared information
systems, and “best practice” policies and procedures for
rewards and recognition.
c. Resources and support for the virtual working environment
including technical support, information access, and
communication and technology training encompassing
hardware, intranet, Internet connections, and related /
required software applications.
2. Initial training on how to use the “tools of the trade” as well as
continuing training including on-the-job education and
development. Team and leadership training skill development are
essential for a successful collaborative virtual environment and
culture. It is important to train individuals on the use of shared
cross-boundary/function/project/organization knowledge base
including databases, individual in-house expertise, document
repositories, chat rooms, etc.
3. Flexible and adaptable standardized processes “reduce[s] the time
needed for startup and may eliminate the need for necessary
reinvention of operating practices each time a team is chartered”
(Ibid., p. 17).
a. Requirements definition including preferred software for
major processes and project management.
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b. Cost estimates including resources such as time

commitments, budgets, materials, and associated project
fees.
c. Procurement: how to ask for resources, locate resources,
and finally secure the resources.
d. Team charters outline processes addressing “soft” areas
including “team norms, conflict-resolution procedures, and
communication protocols” (Ibid., p. 18) helping team
member’s understand mutual expectations and
accountability.
e. Project planning outlines the goal, mission, vision, and the
steps required to obtain “mission accomplishment” as well
as who is responsible for phase or task completion.
f. Documentation both initial and ongoing keeps the team “on
the same page”. Documentation must be kept in such a
way that each team member has equal access to this
information. Documentation tracks progress of the team as
well as team members and includes the project notes of
individual team members that may be pertinent to project
progression / development and other team member
application / interaction.
g. Reporting not only outlines the role of team members but
establishes a “chain” of command both within the team and
outside of the team as well. Reporting can also include how
and to whom the team interacts within a pre-defined
organizational hierarchy. Reporting provides the foundation
for the scope of authority and procurement requirements.
h. Controlling includes how the team success is defined and
determined and establishes the scope of empowerment,
accountability, and responsibility.
4. Communication and the use of electronic technology for
collaboration require organizational commitment and support of
leadership. Adequate and knowledgeable staff experienced in
electronic collaboration software and its use must maintain the
systems required to support the environment / virtual culture.
System upgrades must be regular and systematic and initiated in
such a way that progress, performance, and productivity is not
hindered.
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5. Organizational culture that focuses on legal issues, respect,

flexibility, and adaptability as well as the “free flow of information,
shared leadership, and cross-boundary collaboration” (Ibid., p. 19).
6. Leadership must support values that accommodate “teamwork,
communication, learning, and (…) diversity” (Ibid., p. 20).
7. Team-leader / members competencies including (Ibid., p. 22-23):
a. Team-leaders:
i. Coaching and managing performance without
traditional forms of feedback.
ii. Selection and use of electronic communication and
collaboration technologies.
iii. Leading in the cross-cultural environment.
iv. Development and transition of team members.
v. Building and maintaining trust.
vi. Networking capabilities including cross -functional,
-hierarchical, and -organizational boundaries.
vii. Development or adaptation of processes required for
teamwork and collaboration.
b. Team members:
i. Project management.
ii. Networking capabilities including cross -functional,
-hierarchical, and -organizational boundaries.
iii. Use of collaboration and communication
technologies.
iv. Setting personal, cultural, and functional boundaries
and time management.
v. Interpersonal skills and personal awareness.
Pilot Projects
Pilot projects help organizations per-determine the probability of success
for future and subsequent team assignments and assign risk factors. Properly
documenting team performance, etc., identifies critical issues and required
components that can help ensure the success of future team collaboration. Five
guidelines to follow when implementing a pilot project include (Ibid., p. 24):
 Team Success Factors 4

1. Select a highly visible problem that is difficult to resolve

traditionally.
a. Set expectations requirements for management, staff,
consultants, and information systems; and establish the
guidelines for expenses including equipment, software, and
travel.
b. Solicit stakeholder support and/or sponsorship that may
include upper level management who may have a vested
interest.
2. Keep it simple. Select teams with related or logical functions.
3. Maintain support making sure the teams have what they need to
succeed, that members understand objectives and the way in
which results will be measured, and to offer/solicit feedback.
4. Assign an information systems specialist to help address the need
for training including systems, software, and operations.
5. Evaluate effort with multiple measures.
a. Hard measures:
i. Costs of equipment, software, travel, consultation
time.
b. Soft measures:
i. How team members feel, how non-members react
and accommodate team members, issues or
problems encountered, and team cohesiveness.
Current or Recent Experiences
In a recent team assignment at Capella, the most important critical factors
to our team success included:
1. SUPPORT, RESOURCES, TRAINING, CULTURE, and
COMMUNICATION: Having the resources or tools to collaborate
virtually is essential. The knowledge and experience of team
members in with working in a virtual team environment including
skill levels and willingness or ability to collaborate using virtual
team tools such as chat rooms, postings in the team forum in the
classroom, individual email, etc.
2. COMPETENCIES. Team cohesiveness, dedication, and trust.
Creating personal ownership of the project as well as our individual
contributions to the project.
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3. PROCESSES / CHARTER. Establishing the ground rules for

participation, accountability, and responsibility.
a. PROJECT PLANNING. Knowing the work of the team
members and their individuals’ strengths and weaknesses
based upon past submissions, etc. Developing a project
plan based upon the strengths of individual team members.
Questions and Concerns
In prior teamwork environments, we have had problems with version
control. I solicited feedback and input from other team members and other
teams in our prior classroom to address this vital issue.
How do you ensure the proper and continuing motivation of team
members? I am especially concerned with team members who are traditionally
procrastinators or who may lack confidence in their own work and therefore wait
to submit their contributions until the last minute.
How do you teach time management skills while working subsequently on
a project when you are working across culture or organizational boundaries? Are
these issues defined or discussed in the team charter? Is this an accountability
issue?
How do you work with individuals who are uncooperative or lack respect
for the mission, purpose, etc., of the team, specific team members, or the project
as a whole. I suppose this is an attitude issue. You can’t really address attitude
issues in a team charter. How are these issues addressed? The devil’s
advocate can sometimes be useful in a team environment but often times in
cross-organizational / culture environments, these individuals bring other team
members down which effectively inhibits the performance and eventual success
of the team.
Reference
Duarte, D. L., & Snyder, N. T. (2000) Mastering virtual teams: Strategies, tools,
and techniques that succeed (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.