SONATAnotes
Sonata Notes: Beyond “Virtual Teams” – Promoting Remote Collaboration at Scale
A recent study found that, while virtual teams are 5-8% more productive, remote workers spend 25% less time communicating with peers outside their immediate group. This has some leaders worried that remote work will undermine the kind of cross-functional collaboration that drives innovation. For instance, an internal study by Microsoft concluded that, “firm-wide remote work caused the collaboration network of workers to become more static and siloed, with fewer bridges between disparate parts.”
So is cross-functional collaboration really that essential for innovation? And is there any way for remote workers to overcome barriers?
While it is difficult to quantify “innovation”, here are a few things we know:
So, if cross-functional communication and collaboration are the bedrock of innovation, how can organizations support this dynamic in a virtual workforce?
Innovation is another area where things that occur spontaneously in an on-site setting are possible remotely, with some thoughtful planning and effort. But the upside is that doing the things that are good for innovation in a remote workplace are good for innovation, generally.
Emil Heidkamp is the founder and senior learning strategist at Sonata Learning. He works with NGOs, corporations and government agencies to implement training and knowledge management initiatives impacting thousands of learners in over 50 countries.