This document discusses maintaining teamwork in a virtual environment. It outlines the importance of teamwork, challenges of remote work, and strategies to execute teamwork virtually. Some key points include: the objective is to understand how to maintain teamwork remotely; challenges include lack of common vision, visibility, and feeling unappreciated; strategies include defining vision, encouraging informal interactions, and focusing on strengths.

1. Mastering Team Work
in a Virtual Space
Nwakerendu Ike

2. Objective
The main objective of this course is to
understand how to maintain team work
while working remotely.

3. Outline
• Introduction
• Understanding Team Work
• Essence of team work
• Team Work tools in the virtual space
• Challenges of achieving team work in the virtual space
• Strategies to maintaining team spirit while working remotely
• How to execute team work in a virtual work environment
• Conclusion

4. Introduction
• As the work environment shifts from bricks and mortar to the virtual space, it becomes
necessary that the values which held sway and helped work succeed in the physical
environment are maintained.
• While in a physical environment, it is easier to share tasks, monitor tasks and ensure
compliance.
• However to achieve these in the virtual space requires doing a bit more than you would
normally do in the physical work environment.
• There are advantages to be harnessed and limitations to be improved on in both work
environments, and there are human relations issues that also need to be handled in order to
achieve the desired result.

5. What is Team Work?
• This is the act of collaborating in an
effective and efficient manner towards a
common goal in an organised system.
• It is the interdependence of units and
individuals within a whole in
accomplishing a given task.
• Collaboration
• Effective
• Efficient
• Common goal
• Organised system
• Interdependence

6. Essence of Team Work in the Virtual space
• To create a network of activities
• To ensure efficient use of resources
• Monitoring and evaluation
• Redistribution of tasks
• Ensure compliance to values
• Enhance interdependence
• Promote collaboration
• To ensure appreciation

7. Team Work Tools for the Virtual space
• Investing in technology is essential while
members are working remotely. The
following tools should apply:
• Laptops
• Functional e-mail systems
• Chat tools like whatsapp group
• Audio/video meeting tools like zoom
• File repository like dropbox or google
drive
• VPN

8. Challenges of Team Work in the Virtual space
• Lack of common vision
• Lack of visibility
• Feeling alone
• Feeling unappreciated
• Communication challenges
• Not seeing the end result
• Peculiar environmental challenges
• Tendency to work independently

9. How to Execute Team Work in the virtual space
• Define the vision
• Clarify purpose
• Communicate empathy
• Encourage informal interactions
• Recognize and reward
• Focus on strengths
• Accept differences
• Encourage collaboration on projects

10. Conclusion
• Achieving and maintaining team work in the virtual space require deliberate
actions that cut across leadership, human resources and communication.
• Besides providing the required tools, communicating and encouraging empathy is
essential to ensure team spirit among members of the team.