Challenges in Virtual Project Management

As I thought about the current project management methodologies, I assumed they would not apply to virtual team project management. But in hindsight (for lack of a better word), they should apply because projects are the same irrespective of the type of team, furthermore, the end goal is the same for all types of projects (virtual or not), i.e. deliver solution/project in time and within budget.

Over and above project planning, stakeholder management, managing risks and budgets, resource planning, project managers of virtual teams face unique challenges which may result delays of projects if not addressed up-front. These are:
- Trust: how does the project manager trust the work of the people s/he has not met? Cultural differences if they exist can further add to this challenge;
- Group Identity: this is a result of having shared experiences with the people you work with, but in the case of virtual team, this is absent;
- Information Sharing: according to Robbins (1994), most individuals define a team as a “group of individuals interacting and interdependent, who come together to achieve particular objectives”. The essence of working in a team is the ability to share information, however in a virtual team this can be a challenge. Due to differing time-zones, and the added burden of not having opportunities for informal chats, the project manager for a virtual team has to find other ways to ensure that the entire team is on the same page with regards to the project and the organisation.
- Clear Structures: efficiency in any team is important, in my view it must be one of the top priorities for a project manager who manages a virtual team. To do this, the project manager has to define and communicate the teams’ work structure. This includes roles and responsibilities of team members, meeting formats, frequency etc.
- Managing Cliques: cliques in any type of team are inevitable, but in a virtual team they become particularly difficult to manage as the project manager is not necessarily at the same site as the team members. Therefore team members on the same site are likely to form a clique. Cliques have potential to create antagonism and competition in a team. So on top of managing stakeholders, the project manager has to manage the cliques to ensure they do not jeopardize the project
- Communication: although I have listed this last, it is definitely not the least. It is normally said “less is more”, but this is one of the saying that does not apply to virtual teams. In fact the “more the merrier” is more like it. However the project manager has to guard against information overload, this sounds like a contradiction, but a balance is required between frequency and communication tool.

This post references the following authors:
Roebuck D.B, & Britt A.C. 2002. Virtual Teaming Has Come to Stay—Guidelines and Strategies for Success. Southern Business Review, Fall 2002.