Reflection on Virtual Team Experience

Reflection on Virtual Team Experience

The virtual team gives the members the freedom to choose their working environment as they continue working as a group. In a virtual team, effective communication helps in eliminating misunderstanding and confusion among members (Wieland & Wolf, 2019). Our group completed the assignment within the stipulated time because of collaboration and commitment in the job. The purpose of the paper is reflecting on the experience with the virtual team.

The team comprised of three individuals and I was the team leader. I was responsible for organizing the meetings and ensuring the completion of the tasks within the stipulated time. Mark John was a presentation compiler of the team and compiled the whole work. Afterwards, he emailed us the final copy to review before submission. Sarah Olivia had the responsibility of publishing and editing the presentation. Sarah made sure the performance was error-free and well arranged. Similarly, Mark was responsive to emails and answered any question within 24 hours, and this was strength to our group. Our team finished the work very early, and our presentation was very successful. As a team leader, I did not have trust that the other members would do great work which became a weakness. We held a meeting to discuss how we would carry our duties, and they promised to do their part. Effective communication was the key to the success of the presentation.

The communication channel used by the team members was email as well as video conferencing. Communication was straightforward, and we could discuss our work without problems. In the feedback, the team did well, and members asked questions where they did not understand. Moreover, the team built collaboration by organizing for a meeting first, and after we met, the members were comfortable with one another. We shared our goals during the session, and each member felt that completing the course would help him or her. Emails, video calls and instant messages made collaboration easy. Furthermore, our team did not experience conflicts, but we had planned in case of any issue, we would meet and discuss it as a group. If the dispute could not be solved, we could have consulted the course mentor on the differences. The decision-making process for the team entailed consensus method. Every member participated very well, and we all had equal power. We shared ideas and worked together for the success of our course. On the other hand, our team went through various stages. First, forming step where we met, shared our background and interests. During this stage, we also discussed the goals of the projects, roles and duties for every person and timelines. Second, performing scene entailed, motivating one another and making sure all the tasks are completed within the stipulated time (Marlow, Lacerenza & Salas, 2017). The goals established in the forming stage were achieved. Lastly, the adjourning stage where team members departed after completing assignment. However, in our team, there was no struggle for power and the team was motivated to work hard. Regardless of the task assigned, the power was equally distributed.

Additionally, the greatest strengths of our team were role ownership as well as excellent communication skills. For effective communication, our team used emails, phone calls and videos. The grouping was based on the team zone, which made our communication easier. Role ownership kept the team members committed and did their best to complete tasks. Besides, the weakness of the team was decision making issue and attention to the detail. Nonverbal channels of communication are sometimes challenging, especially when the decision that affects every member should be made (Maynard et al. 2019). Pertinent information at times was overlooked since the non-verbal channels of communication were used. Furthermore, the overall performance of the team could be improved through the implementation of a virtual meeting rather than emails or phone calls. In a virtual session, the team members can discuss their matters effectively. Another way to improve performance is by setting standards for communication. The rules help in eliminating misunderstanding and confusion.

In conclusion, the success of the virtual team relies on the commitment and cooperation of the members. Our team did their job very well, and the entire presentation was successful. Overall performance of the group can be improved through setting a proper channel of communication and implementation of virtual meetings where members could discuss their issues.