Email has become part of our everyday communication both in the office and at home. Correspondence that use to take place via the phone or in person are now being done virtually via email or webmail. Because of the unique nature of email contact and the prevalence of email in our everyday communication, a new set of challenges have arisen when it comes to the rules of email etiquette. One such rule is saying “thank you” via email.
Without a doubt, technology plays an important role in the modern workplace. In most organizations, employees must have certain technology skills in order to complete their work. Most people in office jobs need to demonstrate proficiency with a word processor or spreadsheet; in some positions much more specific software proficiency is required. We seem to assume that proficiency with a… Read more →
The unexpected results from our studies comparing virtual team collaboration in virtual worlds to that in instant messaging (see previous post in which we discussed this) have prompted me to rethink the value of virtual worlds for virtual team collaboration. I have so far been focusing on the potential of virtual worlds to add value during the collaboration event itself…. Read more →
Recently the Leading Virtually team came across an article by several academic researchers that broadly discusses whether virtual teams have potential for organizations. Their discussion was based on a research study they conducted. The authors found that virtual teams of short duration have lower performance, lower satisfaction, and a lower results-to-effort ratio. Meanwhile, one can find new articles each week… Read more →
Betsy’s last post on the power of self-efficacy perceptions reminded me of a recent study by Professor Ellen Langer of Harvard University. I am fascinated by Prof. Langer’s ability to conduct provocative research and have used her ideas in my research on the illusion of control in spreadsheet-based decision making. Prof. Langer’s recent study, which showed that perceptions can be… Read more →
Fittingly, “Leading Virtually” has been operating as a virtual team over the past several weeks. I am currently in New York City, while each of the other team members are located in various parts of New York State and Pennsylvania. The whole team has not had a chance to get together for some time as everyone works on their own… Read more →
When the rest of the LeadingVirtually.com team asked me to contribute to this blog, I was initially at a loss as to what I should write about. There was not much, I thought, I could say about virtual teams. As an officer in the Korean military, I thought, “I am a military man who is trained to fight.” My team… Read more →
People in organizations have known for a long time that trust is an important antecedent of effective teamwork. So it would make sense for this to hold true not only in face to face groups, but also for virtual teams. This week the Leading Virtually team came across a posting by Bridge the Distance offering help in building trust in… Read more →
I recently heard from a virtual team leader facing challenges in building ownership in his team. It got me reflecting on my own experience with virtual work and the importance of ownership. I have found that when team members think of the project as “their project,” they have a positive attitude towards it and they put in a lot more… Read more →
Being that English is considered the language of commerce and most businesses require us to interact with people from different parts of the world on a daily basis, it is important to realize how what we say can be interpreted differently by dissimilar cultures. Proper business communication skills are becoming even more vital to an organization’s success with the growing emphasis on virtual teamwork, cross cultural learning, and working from home.