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The beginning of a project sets the tone for the team and has the potential to motivate members to deliver their best – but it’s not enough.
The OnPoint Consulting study mentioned previously shows that excellent lines of communication from the leader are strong predictors of team performance.
Anthropological studies show we’re not the only primates who rely heavily on communication from the leader: Baboon troops glance at the dominant male every 20 to 30 seconds on average for cues.
This is also true for chimpanzees and gorillas. Unfortunately, senior managers frequently make the mistake of assuming that sending email updates and holding weekly conference calls is enough to sustain the momentum generated by the kickoff.
It’s not. In the absence of visual and body language signals, misinterpretations and misunderstandings often arise, especially on larger teams. And worse, team members feel disconnected and reduce the level of engagement and contribution to the project.
Here’s where leveraging technology can be a huge asset. I know of one company that uses an always-on, wall sized video screen to stay in touch in with team members in Beijing, building relationships virtually and increasing the frequency of collaboration.
Another important way to keep a virtual team focused on its goals is to celebrate small wins along the way. Dan Ariely, professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University, has shown through his research that people are irrational in remarkably predictable ways.
Among other findings, his research suggests that public recognition is far more important than financial incentives in the workplace. Despite this, many managers do a poor job of recognizing their people.
I’m sometimes amazed by how difficult it is to persuade some executives of the importance of publicly celebrating an employee who exemplifies the behaviors senior management wants to cascade throughout the organization.
Whether you’re on-boarding new executives or launching a newly formed virtual team, people need the time and the permission – no, the mission – to develop relationships within the team and within the company.
While it may sound more cost-effective to rely on collections of reading material and org charts to get people up to speed, their understanding both of the project and the company’s goals will suffer, decreasing their effectiveness.
Written by: Unify
