Virtual team leader communication
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- Critical Analysis of the Article "Virtual Team Leader Communication: Employee Perception and Organizational Reality" Introduction
- What Employees Consider to be Effective Communication
- Challenges of Leading a Virtual Team
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Critical Analysis of the Article "Virtual Team Leader Communication: Employee Perception and Organizational Reality" Name
Course Instructor Date Critical Analysis of the Article "Virtual Team Leader Communication: Employee Perception and Organizational Reality" Introduction The article "Virtual Team Leader Communication: Employee Perception and Organizational Reality" mainly discusses the communication style and techniques of a virtual team leader and how this impacts the team members that he or she is leading. The main argument of this article is that if team members consider that their leader is using effective communication, they will be more inclined to have a positive perception of their leader and also improve their performance. The article also gives an overview of what employees consider to be effective communication and the challenges that leaders experience when leading a virtual team. This essay will, therefore, analyze the main arguments of the article. What Employees Consider to be Effective Communication The authors have given an overview of what employees view as effective virtual communication. To begin with, employees appreciate when their leader is able to employ frequency in communication. This means that a leader should remain in constant communication with the team where he or she checks on their progress or gives feedback on the work done. Secondly, employees also value when communication with a leader is predictable (Newman, Ford & Marshall, 2020). A leader should not be inconsistent when communicating with his or her virtual team but should instead create a routine where the team is aware of when communication will happen. This, as shown in the article, is key to establishing trust between the leader and his team. Thirdly, employees value responsiveness, and this is where the leader takes time to respond to their issues and is also keen to cater to their needs. A leader who is responsive is able to ensure that even though the team is working virtually, their well-being is catered for. Fourthly, virtual employees also value clarity. This, as explained in the article, is meant to avoid a situation where an employee has to keep contacting a leader to clarify, and the leader is unavailable and is busy. This means that when leading a virtual team, a leader should make sure that any important message they send or any instruction they need to be issued is comprehensive and clear to avoid any doubt or confusion (Newman, Ford & Marshall, 2020). Finally, employees also measure the effectiveness of virtual communication through the mode used, and this basically means that a leader should use agreed-upon modes of communication in order to make sure that his or her team receives the message. Challenges of Leading a Virtual Team One of the major challenges that leaders face when leading a virtual team is communication. This is because, unlike working in the office where a leader can pass information easily, virtual teams are scattered in different areas, and hence, even communication that is most effective when it happens face to face may not be possible (Newman, Ford & Marshall, 2020). Leaders, therefore, face the challenge of coordination and also ensuring that every team member receives the required information. Another challenge that leaders face is performance management. When working in the office, employees are given tasks that they should complete within a given time range. However, when working virtually, leaders must take into consideration that employees may be unable to work uninterrupted for a whole day. Performance management, therefore, becomes a big problem as it is challenging to determine what standard should be used in determining the performance of employees (Newman, Ford & Marshall, 2020). Virtual leaders, therefore, have to go above and beyond in order to formulate a performance management program that will be suitable for their virtual team. My Views on the Points Raised in the Article I agree with the views of the author regarding virtual communication. This is because, I'd employees perceive the communication of their team leader as effective, they are more likely to be highly responsive to such communication and also work towards delivering on instructions given. Employees also value leaders who give clear instructions, as this also reflects on how well they will carry out their responsibilities. Without clear communication, a virtual team will be confused as to the next cause of action to take, and this may be detrimental to their performance. This is, therefore, the reason why I agree with the argument the perception that virtual employees have of the communication of their leaders determines how well they will be productive. Conclusion In conclusion, virtual team leaders have a major role in ensuring that they maintain effective communication between them and their team members. This is what will, in turn, ensure that the team is able to maintain maximum productivity. It is also through communication that virtual team leaders are able to establish and maintain a connection with their team members. Such a connection is what a leader uses to establish trust with the team members, which, as discussed in the article, is highly important in maintaining a virtual team. The performance of employees is also determined by how well they feel that their leaders are communicating. References Newman, S. A., Ford, R. C., & Marshall, G. W. (2020). Virtual team leader communication: Employee perception and organizational reality. International Journal of Business Communication, 57(4), 452-473. Download 14.59 Kb. Share with your friends:
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