Grant Todd

Managing Virtual Teams

October 13, 2017
A. Introduction and Summary
Karl Henderson is a senior manager at Metrionic Systems, a Santa Clara based
multinational networking company. He has been working at the company for five years
and is trusted and well-respected by his peers. Henderson has held a variety of roles with
the company, ranging from product design to quality assurance. Recently, Henderson was
assigned with the task of developing an advanced network-security device for the British
market. He asked his boss (the VP of network products) to assist him in selecting a team
of quality individuals who possess the potential to complete the project in an efficient and
timely manner.

A few days later, Henderson received an email from his boss containing
information on the individuals that were assigned to his team. The team members are
located in various countries across the world, including India, Brazil and Taiwan. One
team member (Sarah McGraw) is also caring for her ailing father in Australia. Henderson
is concerned with how he can effectively organize the team due to their geographical and
cultural separation; this includes questions on how/when to schedule meetings, in what
manner to send the initial contact email, and how interpersonal communication should be
handled.

B. Statement of the Problem

a. The assigned team members are spread across the globe. This has complicated the
process of establishing an effective team that can develop and launch a state-of-
the-art device in a limited time frame.
i. Symptoms
1. Henderson is unsure about how the team will communicate
effectively.
2. Henderson is concerned about when to schedule meetings.
3. There is concern about the differing technological databases that
the companies use and how they will be integrated.
ii. Root Causes
1. Geographical separation introduces complications in building
effective teams.
2. Cultural differences that can possibly result in misunderstanding
and miscommunication.
3. Time differences that make it difficult to schedule meetings during
local business hours.
4. Sarah McGraw is preoccupied with caring for her ailing father; this
adds increasing complexity to the situation.
5. Differences in the vendors and Metrionic’s database technology.
iii. The decision facing Henderson is how to ensure his team is effective so
that it can design and launch the device in the given time frame.
C. Decision Criteria and Alternative Solution
a. A solution is effective if it allows the team to effectively design and launch the
product within the given five-month timeframe.
b. Alternative Solutions
i. Henderson can work to establish an effective communication system and
team culture that will allow the virtual team to be as effective as a
traditional one
ii. Henderson can request that the team members move to the headquarters in
Santa Clara, CA, for the duration of the project.
iii. Henderson can select new team members that are less geographically
separated.

D. Recommended Solution
a. Karl Henderson must work to establish an efficient communication system and
team culture that will allow them to function as a single entity, despite being
located around the world. First, Henderson should send out a single email to all
team members, welcoming them and informing them of their goals. In this email,
Henderson should seek to establish a sense of unity between the team members
and remind them that they share a common goal. In addition, he should establish a
norm of open communication between him and his team members. Next,
Henderson should also hold a session of in-person meetings at Metrionic’s Santa
Clara, CA offices (with Sarah McGraw calling in using Skype due to her father’s
illness). This will build a sense of belonging and rapport between the team
members that would be difficult to accomplish using only videoconferencing
technologies (especially given the time differences). Moving forward, Henderson
must work to ensure that every team member is contributing towards the
accomplishment of the goal by acting as a central figure to communication (this
will in part help with the database issue). This will require flexibility, as the team
members are located around the globe; as a result, Henderson may be required to
take calls at odd hours to accommodate the needs of his team. This solution does
require more effort and resources than simply emailing his colleagues, but it will
be fruitful, as it will increase the team’s efficiency and output.