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GS, the engineering division of The BOC objectives. A year ago, we decided to investigate
Group, is one of BOC’s three global lines of this issue by seeking answers to the question:
business. It is headquartered in Singapore What are the factors critical to the success of
but its customers and employees are located in virtual teams? Identification of these issues would
over 60 countries around the world. Like most enable the organization to develop business
PGS is the
global organizations, PGS uses virtual teams processes and personal development programs to
engineering
division of the extensively in many areas of its business. It’s a help teams achieve their goals.
BOC Group, a highly matrixed organization with teams that Through research of current literature on the
worldwide cross functions, business units and geographies, topic, and interviews with team leaders and
industrial gases, tasked with carrying out everyday business members throughout PGS, we identified factors
vacuum
processes and unique projects. that determine the success or failure of virtual
technologies and
distribution My team, for example, is tasked with managing teams in three key categories:
services company. the organizational change aspects of implementing 1. Team formation
BOC serves two a global asset maintenance management system in 2. Trust and collaboration
million customers 35 countries. Our job is to ensure users know 3. Team communication
in more than 50
why, how and when the system will be
countries,
employs over implemented, how the related business processes 1. Team formation
43,000 people and will change, and what it will mean to them in Many authors writing about teams, both co-
had annual sales their various roles. But since the team is located and virtual, agree that this is the most
of over US$8.3 comprised of individuals based all over the world, important stage in the life of the team. Without
billion in 2004.
they’ve never actually met face to face. successful team formation, the goals and
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18 Volume 9, Issue 2 February/March 2005
© Melcrum Publishing Ltd. 2005. For more information, go to www.melcrum.com or e-mail info@melcrum.com
objectives are unlikely to be attained, or at best, Jenny Goodbody is a global change manager with the BOC Group.
will be partially reached through the efforts of Currently, she heads up a team responsible for the organizational change aspects of
individuals, removing the advantages inherent in implementing a global asset maintenance management system. Goodbody holds a master
teamwork. The following factors all contribute to of engineering degree and an MBA (Project Management). She has worked for BOC for
over 10 years in various engineering and business roles in the UK and US.
developing a strong virtual team.
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February/March 2005 Volume 9, Issue 2 19
© Melcrum Publishing Ltd. 2005. For more information, go to www.melcrum.com or e-mail info@melcrum.com
Critical success factors for global virtual teams
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20 Volume 9, Issue 2 February/March 2005
© Melcrum Publishing Ltd. 2005. For more information, go to www.melcrum.com or e-mail info@melcrum.com
Critical success factors for global virtual teams
efforts, either within the team or ensuring that everyone has enough information
organizationwide as appropriate. Team leaders to complete the work required, and inundating
should also send encouraging messages to people with irrelevant e-mails. This is something
mitigate the isolation that virtual team members the team leader should monitor and manage.
often feel.
Facilitate team meetings
Celebrate achievements Team meetings are effectively facilitated when all
In a virtual team – as in any team – it’s important objectives are met, and all members can
to celebrate milestones reached or improvements contribute. However, after speaking with team
made, and recognize and reward team members leaders and members throughout PGS, it’s clear
for achievements. In a virtual team, this also that this can be a challenge. Without facilitation,
helps build relationships and provides an meetings can be dominated by one or two
opportunity to communicate successes to the individuals, particularly in multicultural teams or
wider organization.
As it’s unlikely the virtual team can get together
for frequent celebrations, the team leader will “Communication is the final
probably need to find other ways to acknowledge
success or achievements. In the PGS change team,
we try to ensure sponsors and managers are
element that will ensure
aware of individual efforts, and have used the
company intranet and internal publications to the success of the team.”
broadcast achievements.
teams where members are not all speaking in
3. Team communication their first language.
Given that the right people have been selected to My team has found that sharing information
join a virtual team, and their goals and objectives prior to a meeting is invaluable. Each member
are clear, communication is the final element that prepares a 6-10 bullet-point overview of
will ensure the continued success of the team. progress, issues and action plans to be circulated
Here are success factors critical to maintaining 24 hours before meetings. This enables the group
effective communication within virtual teams. to concentrate on the important issues in the
actual meeting. As team leader, my job is to make
Select appropriate technology sure no one dominates the discussion, and
Try to keep the selection of technology as simple everyone plays an active role.
as possible. Select communication channels and There is a strong tendency in virtual teams for
technologies that are appropriate both for the everyone to be included in decision-making
task being undertaken, and the level of meetings, whether appropriate or not.
infrastructure available to all members. Pure Clarification of which tasks need input from the
information sharing obviously requires a much whole team, and which do not, is a critical step
lower complexity of technology. to avoid this problem.
My team uses weekly teleconferences, e-mail,
ad hoc telephone calls, and a central document Mixed success
repository, all very simple and widely available. PGS has had mixed success with virtual teams in
the past, often throwing teams in at the deep end
Share information proactively and assuming they will survive and perform well.
This is particularly important for teams where Paying attention to the factors listed in this
members don’t all speak the same first language. article is starting to help some teams, including
Team members must develop a mutual mine, to perform more effectively. This improved
understanding of what knowledge or information performance makes it far more likely we will
to share and when, to enable the team to make achieve, or exceed, our goals. scm
decisions or draw conclusions.
Of course the transfer of information is only
the first step. Members must be sure that
communication has been successful, in that the CONTACT
Jenny Goodbody
message has been understood. This is particularly
BOC Group
important within multicultural teams.
There is also a balance to be found between e-mail: Jenny.Goodbody@boc.com
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February/March 2005 Volume 9, Issue 2 21
© Melcrum Publishing Ltd. 2005. For more information, go to www.melcrum.com or e-mail info@melcrum.com