One of the most useful things I learnt about groups and teams while studying for B628 was the concept of the virtual team. I had been managing a small virtual team myself, and was experiencing many problems.

The section on virtual teams in chapter 8 of the B628 course book was invaluable for me in learning how to avoid similar problems in the future, and in fact my second TMA for B628 was about resolving a virtual team problem.

Some of the key needs of a virtual team:

• Building an maintenance of trust between members.
• Accountability of individual team members.
• Clear and distinct team identity.
• Multicultural considerations.

There are lots of tips in the chapter on how to address these key needs. Well worth revising on a regular basis.

I’m hoping that one of my next courses, B325 Managing across organisational and cultural boundaries, will go into this in much more detail – making me something of an expert in managing virtual teams!