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As the business world becomes increasingly more global everyday many professionals may find themselves working on a virtual team. A virtual team is composed of members who do not necessarily work side by side. The team members could be anywhere in the world, and many times members of a virtual team may never see each other person. Virtual teamwork is really about collaboration. Team members communicate through the telephone, internet, intranets, and extranets to achieve the tasks and objectives of the group.

The advantages of virtual teams are many and can include cost savings since team members that are geographically dispersed do not need to travel to meet each other. There can be more flexibility in meeting terms, since much communication is done through email there does not need to be set meeting times as team members can respond when appropriate, however this can also be a disadvantage. Virtual teams can also tap a broader skill pool by incorporating individuals that may not necessarily participate in traditonal office teams such as someone with technical skills in the company's particular industry.

There are also many disadvantages to the virtual team however. They can be difficult to manage since there can possibly be less recourse for team members failures because of geographic dispersions. It may be had to envision the team project since there are no definite meetings and often times there can exist a lack of good communication. Coordination among team members can also be difficult because of language barriers across global teams and time differences. When one member of a team is working, another member around the globe may be sleeping. Working on a virtual team also requires a moderate level of technical proficiency that some team members particularly older team members may be lacking.

Some tips for overcoming the challenges of working on a virtual team are: hold team members accountable for the tasks and actions, just because a team may be dispersed doesn't mean they should be able to disregard their responsibilities. Make sure there is a system of rewards and punishment governing the virtual team. Just because an advantage of being on a virtual team is not having formal meetings doesn't mean they are not necessary. Set up definite meeting times, whether it is conference calls, instant messaging, video, or in-person definite meetings can ensure that all team members are on the same page and that information has not be misunderstood. Make sure all team members have the adequate resources to be successful on the virtual team, if team members lack resources very often the group as a whole will fail, provide training if necessary.

Some additional information about working on a virtual team is available at the following links:

http://content.talentmarket.monster.com/workyourcareer/virtualteams/

http://workplaceculture.suite101.com/article.cfm/working_with_virtual_teams

http://www.cioinsight.com/c/a/Trends/Four-Ways-to-Make-Virtual-Teams-Work/