Virtual Teams: Behavioral Norms and Action Plan

Virtual Teams: Norms and Action Plan
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17 May 2022
Virtual Teams: Norms and Action Plan
There are several behavioral norms that teams set to boost their interaction, guide their conduct and improve their communication in the workplace. However, advances in technology changed the dynamics of the workplace. Working in a virtual environment demands rethinking the team dynamics, including norm-setting. This paper begins by identifying ten behavioral norms that are effective for task execution and communication within a virtual workspace. It further details why these norms are critical for these teams and conclude with a proposal of an action plan that virtual teams can implement in their quest to set communication and task norms.
1 Behavioral Norms for Virtual Teams
The following list of norms will help streamline the interactions of a virtual team and boost its performance and effectiveness.
Communication Norms
* Listening to others- Team members strive to understand what other members are saying and are slow to offer their individual opinions. Listening to the perspectives of others helps team members to avoid drawing wrong conclusions or causing conflict within a team. Team leaders are also expected to be great listeners because it is an essential communication skill (Cleary, Slattery & Flammia, 2018).
* Seeking clarification from a speaker in case something is unclear- often technology fails, and speakers may use vague language to some team members. Therefore, one must respectfully seek clarity of what was said by the speaker using the tools available in the technology the group decided to use (Moser & Axtell, 2013).
* Handling disruptions during virtual meetings- such as telephone calls or children in the background. One of the team norms should be to agree on how the team can handle disruptions during a session. There should be a consensus on the ground rules for preventing such disturbances so that everyone is actively engaged.
* Replying with an acknowledgment message on receiving emails and other electronic messages. A norm of a ‘5-sentence rule” can help minimize time wasted while making lengthy responses to inquiries. Such an email message contains five sentences responding to: Who is the sender? What do they want? Why has the email been sent? Why should the recipient respond? And what action must they take?
* Communication of a ‘negative’ concern or a disagreement- Essentially, team members should be able to express any issue or dispute that they may have to others in a way that demonstrates respect.
Task Norms
* Promptness- How can I communicate an apology message to other members if I cannot be present? Should the norms specify the start and end times of the meetings?
* Selection and use of technology- The team agrees on which piece of technology they are more comfortable using? Settling which part of technology to use for tasks will ensure that no one is locked out and everyone is ready for work (Cleary et al., 2017).
* Trust and Relationship building- During virtual interactions, do the team members get to the task right away, or should they first establish a rapport. Establishing good relationships and trust is essential to accomplishing a job effectively (Sharp Voith, 2021).
* Making commitments- Team members should strive to make commitments that they can keep. Otherwise, they must notify the responsible party that they will not be ab...