Reference no: EM132289601

One of the most important challenges facing managers today is their ability to lead in a virtual world. Toward this end, the Association for Talent Development (ASTD) explored the challenges facing leaders in a workshop for members in India. Virtual work environments can take many forms—from employees telecommuting on a part-time or full-time basis to a geographically dispersed workforce that crosses cultures and time zones. For the purposes of this workshop, ASTD conducted a survey to determine the most important leadership skills for a “co-located environment.” The top responses included the ability to do the following: ? Set clear goals and measurements for projects. ? Provide a consistent focus on the big picture. ? Operate in a highly complex environment. ? Stimulate organizational commitment. Some of the challenges facing virtual leaders include the potential feelings of isolation for remote workers. Lack of face-to-face contact can limit the clarity of communication and also can act as a barrier to organizational commitment. Isolation becomes even more of an issue when employees are spread across multiple time zones, challenging the ability of a work team to collaborate effectively. In spite of the special challenges associated with virtual leadership, some things remain the same. One interviewee for the ASTD study made this clear, stating, “Leadership is leadership. Being authentic, connecting with others, promoting inclusiveness, networking, and all of the interpersonal skills that build relationships and trust are always important.” Leaders cannot rely upon frequent, casual contact to build a shared vision in a virtual environment. Instead, leaders must be planned, disciplined, deliberate, and intentional about reaching out to employees on a regular basis. The ASTD concluded that several best practices are associated with virtual leadership. First, and most important, effective communication is essential. Virtual leaders must learn to use multiple channels to communicate, including phone, e-mail, instant messaging, and video conferencing, and they must appropriately match the media channel to the message. In addition, communication must be part of a two-way process that includes active listening. The second best practice identified by ASTD was team building. When your team is geographically dispersed, it’s essential that leaders plan intentional team-building activities, including structured work-related events as well as more casual social events, if possible. Finally, leaders must establish the ground rules for their organizations. The unwritten rules of corporate culture are harder to communicate in the virtual world, so it’s important to be clear about work-hour expectations as well as risk tolerance. The authors of the ASTD report arrive at a very important conclusion: “While at first glance it may seem that all the same leadership skills are needed, it may be that leaders in a virtual environment need just a little more of everything: more knowledge of technology, more knowledge of how to work with team dynamics, stronger communication skills, and, of course, a little more patience.”

Think It Over 1. Do you think virtual leadership requires a different skill set than traditional leadership? Why or why not?

2. How would you feel about working for a boss who lives half way around the world? How might this affect you as an employee?