As business becomes increasingly global, so does the workforce. The necessity of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic sparked an uptick in the number of virtual teams—and the ability to work and lead while being physically apart is still crucial.
Not only is the world increasingly global and digital but volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA).
“To move from traditional management to managing in a VUCA world requires adopting a new mindset,” Harvard Business School Professor Amy Edmondson says in Dynamic Teaming, part of the Credential of Leadership, Impact, and Management in Business (CLIMB) program. “Today’s world requires cross-functional and dynamic teaming. It’s your job—the leader’s job—to move your team and organization toward that mindset.”
Free E-Book: How to Become a More Effective Leader
Access your free e-book today.
DOWNLOAD NOWThe flexibility of virtual teams is useful for tackling challenges as they arise and bringing together a diverse range of people across geographic borders.
One way to build the skills needed to lead and work with virtual teams is by taking an online course. Here’s a breakdown of virtual teams’ advantages and challenges and how online education can help you gain the knowledge to excel.
Advantages of Virtual Teams
While remote work was necessary to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s quickly become a norm for many companies and is considered a perk by employees.
Benefits of working on a virtual team include:
- Increased flexibility
- Opportunities for diversity
- Time and money savings from not commuting
- The ability to travel or live anywhere
Because teams can have members from around the world, you can build yours with diverse perspectives and backgrounds—and your hiring pool isn’t limited to just those who can commute to the office.
Common Challenges of Virtual Teams
Despite its benefits, remote work comes with challenges, including:
- Relying on technology to collaborate
- Communicating across time zones, languages, and cultural differences
- Establishing team culture, trust, and a sense of belonging
According to GitLab’s Remote Work Report, 45 percent of employees worry about not interacting with colleagues in person, and 34 percent are concerned about collaborating effectively in a virtual setting.
So, how can you sharpen your skills to overcome those challenges? Here’s how taking an online course can help.
Related: Should You Take an Online Class? 9 Things to Consider
4 Ways Online Education Can Help You Work with Virtual Teams
1. Practice Using Technology to Communicate
Online courses not only provide vital business skills but the technological savviness that comes from hours of practice. HBS Online courses, for example, are hosted on a proprietary platform that features interactive learning elements, discussion forums, and a peer help section.
As you progress through your course, you can gain familiarity and confidence with new-to-you technology and use it to communicate with fellow learners. After being presented with real-world business examples, you’re prompted to convey your opinion in writing. After submitting your response, you can read others’ and comment on and “star” your favorites.
These online education elements can help you feel comfortable communicating and engaging in productive discussions with people worldwide.
2. Work Toward a Common Goal
Whether leading or engaging with virtual teams, you must work toward a common goal. One way to practice is by enrolling in an online program that offers peer learning teams.
One example is CLIMB, which comprises seven courses over a yearlong period. In CLIMB, you’re sorted into a new team each term based on your time zone, availability, and gender. This helps create a diverse group with similar schedules. You then collaborate with your team to synthesize learnings from the program and work toward completing a capstone project.
The first team project you encounter is the Mount Everest simulation, in which you must reach the summit during an imaginary expedition. You’re assigned a role and work with your peers to analyze information, tackle challenges, and make decisions—learning about team dynamics and leadership in real time.
Through simulations like this, you can learn about virtual communication’s challenges and how to overcome them.
Related: How to Foster Employee Engagement When Your Team Is Remote
3. Forge Connections in a Virtual Setting
Creating connections and a sense of belonging can be challenging for virtual teams. According to GitLab, 37 percent of employees report being concerned about not feeling connected to their peers when working virtually, and 30 percent about not having a sense of belonging within their company.
If you enroll in a course with an online learning community, like the HBS Online Community, you can practice making connections with other business professionals before, during, and after it.
Beyond peers from your course, you can forge connections with those who share common interests, work in your field, or live in your geographic area.
You can also join a team for the annual HBS Online Community Challenge to practice working toward a common goal while building a sense of belonging. In the challenge, HBS Online partners with a nonprofit to help solve a pressing business challenge. This year, teams from around the world are creating proposals to help Oxfam’s Global Innovation Lab for Equality (aGILE) address systemic inequality.
4. Be Open to Upskilling
In an increasingly digital world, being open to learning new skills and ways of operating as a team is critical to success.
Leading or working on a virtual team likely means breaking from traditional working methods related to communication, project management, processes, and team bonding.
By taking an online course, you can maintain an agile mindset to innovate consistently and adopt new skills.
If you aim to manage remote teams, consider taking a course or program featuring content on how to lead in the digital age—for instance, Leading in the Digital World, which is part of CLIMB and taught by HBS Professor Linda Hill.
Practicing Virtual Collaboration
When researching online education options for improving collaboration with virtual teams, prioritize those offering interactive learning features, peer teams, and an online community where you can network and find belonging.
By exposing yourself to new technology, committing to developing your skills, and practicing connecting and working with others around the world, you can feel confident in your ability to tackle remote work’s challenges.
Are you ready to upskill and work with virtual teams? Explore our yearlong Credential of Leadership, Impact, and Management in Business (CLIMB) program comprising seven courses for leading in the modern business world. Download the CLIMB brochure to learn about its curriculum, admissions requirements, and benefits.
