Yangon University of Economics

Department of Management Studies

Organizational Behavior

Assignment I

1. Suppose you are put in charge of a virtual team whose members are located in different
cities around the world. What tactics could you use to build and maintain team trust and
performance, as well as minimize the decline in trust and performance that often occurs
in teams?

Many virtual team leaders lack strategies to build and maintain trust among virtual team
members, which affects performance and productivity. Two major thematic categories are (a) the
need for effective organizational and leadership skills and (b) strategies for building and
maintaining trust among virtual team members. Recommendations include reevaluating the hiring
processes of virtual team leaders and members, providing adequate cross-cultural training to
virtual team leaders and members, creating effective strategies for interpersonal relationships, and
investing in communication technologies that foster face-to-face collaboration. Building and
maintaining trust among virtual team members helps increase team performance and productivity.
Implications for social change include promoting social stability, reducing projects’ failure, and
improving the bottom line.

Every business is eager to build a group of high-performing professionals, but the task is
much more challenging if running a remote team. After all, this type of work eliminates everyday
face-to-face conversations and quick chats that help most managers solve minor issues and discuss
major projects on the go. According to the report, 84% of respondents claim virtual communication
is more difficult than in-person communication, while nearly 90% of online teams typically include
at least two cultures. It means that the primary task of virtual team leaders is to enable uninterrupted
and effortless communication. While working remotely allows to build teams with the very best
talent regardless of location, it also presents unique challenges. Establishing trust and building
relationships with remote employees are two of the biggest for managers and team leaders.

To run a successful remote team, it’s crucial to build an environment of collaboration,

transparency, communication, and trust for every single team member. If I were a in charge of
virtual team, I will make seven best ways to build trust in our virtual team,

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 1. Hire the right people

Full-time remote employees must be self-directed and independent, as well as skilled at

communicating across virtual channels. When interviewing candidates, treat telecommuting as a
skill and ask candidates about their work style and any previous experience working on a remote
team. Learn about their work style, home office situation, time management skills, and approach
to collaboration and conflict resolution. By hiring candidates who work well remotely, I can start
to put together a team that will function well together, no matter where its members are located
around the world.

2. Get to know each other virtually

Employees are more likely to trust each other when they feel a sense of connection.
Develop a robust on-boarding process for new hires, encourage team members to share tidbits
about their lives, and create opportunities for frequent socializing. Social media, video calls, chat
are great ways to get to know one another. During meetings, consider setting aside 10 minutes at
the beginning where people can share weekend plans or highs and lows from the past week.

3. Set clear Goals and Objectives

By making everyone a stakeholder in the company’s goals, as well as putting everyone on

track toward a shared mission, you’ll achieve your goal of building trust in your virtual team.

4. Embrace Transparency

Managers must lead by example and being transparent should be top of your priority list.
Keep everyone in the loop by providing easy access to team information. Project progress, work
schedules, and task statuses should be publicly available to all members of the team. Total
transparency can be one of the best ways to build trust in virtual teams and make sure everyone
has clarity on company policies and goals.

5. Keep the lines of Communication open

Regular communication drives motivation, accountability, and demonstrates everyone’s

commitment to the team. Whether it’s a Monday morning call, daily status emails, or collaboration
in a project management tool, find a way to bring the team together and keep employees engaged
regularly. Ensure that team members can get in contact with each other and set realistic
expectations for response times, especially when working across multiple time zones.

At the same time, honor your employees’ schedules as much as possible. If I allow
employees to work a 9 to 5 schedule in their own time zone, avoid setting up calls outside of their
individual work hours. Although scheduling meetings that work for everyone could be tricky,
trying your best to do so will send a message that you respect everyone’s time and work-life
balance. In return, your employees will have greater trust in and commitment to me.
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 6. Offer Thoughtful Feedback

I will not wait until there’s a problem to talk to my employees. Get into the habit of
regularly providing feedback on team members’ strengths, accomplishments, and performance. I
won’t be afraid to remark on areas for improvement either, as long as I do so in a constructive and
supportive way. By demonstrating knowledge of my employees’ talents and contributions and my
willingness to help them grow. A thoughtful performance feedback process might also boost
employee retainment. I’ll help employees grow and hopefully, allow for upward mobility within
the team.

7. Give trust from the get-go

I Don’t expect employees to earn my trust over time. Instead, give them trust right away. I
can communicate this trust through eliciting feedback on big projects, encouraging them to take
initiative, or providing opportunities for professional development. This “positive psychology”
approach will help our employees flourish in their role and rise to meet its challenges. By creating
positive experiences for our employees right off the bat, I’ll build a team that’s motivated, trusting,
and happy.

As a virtual team leader, I allow my virtual team members to give their input on any issue.
Each team member brings a different thing to the table. I would rather have to listen to my team
members give their perspective than me being the overall boss. I am transparent in my decisions,
and I do not give biased treatment because I do not want to lose me credibility. I tried to explain
the organizational approach as well as allowing different approaches to decision making as the
team progresses. I tried to be flexible and to adapt to different ways of doing things. I treat my
team members equally because I do not want them to discredit my leadership. I will allow the team
members to participate in decision-making. Be open and willing to accept vulnerability.
Accommodate each person’s opinion and make him or her feel appreciated. The moment team
members know that you are biased they will never trust you. as a virtual team leader, I am aware
of the challenges facing virtual teams like culture, language/accent barrier, different time zone and
many more. I have to be flexible and open in my leadership skills. I have to take into consideration
the individuality of my virtual team members and change my leadership approach when necessary.

Managing a diverse team has its own challenges and also since the team is virtual the efforts
and tactics have to be put in a manner which helps the team value each other and work towards
the common goals.