Question

Which of the following statements about virtual teams is true?
1. It is important for team members to get to know one another.
2. As long as team members are getting assignments completed, there is no need for members to get to know one another.
3. If a problem within a team arises, team members should get to know one another to determine who caused the problem.
4. Virtual team members should only communicate during scheduled meetings.

Answer 1

1 is true.

Getting to know one another builds trust, rapport and shared understanding, which improves communication, coordination and problem-solving in virtual teams. The other statements are false: working relationships still matter even if tasks are done (2), building relationships shouldn't be just for assigning blame (3), and communication should not be restricted to scheduled meetings—ongoing and informal contact is important (4).