Analytic Memo: Week 04

Heather Gennette

LDRS807: Leadership in Teams and Collaborative Environments

The readings this week discussed communication in virtual teams and trust in work

teams. I think these two topics go hand-in-hand. I find that it is essential to have an open line of

communication to build trust in a team. When information is not being shared appropriately in

work settings, it can cause one to lose trust. Where I work, this happens far too often. Trust is

lost if you are not willing to openly share information with your staff. I understand that “closed-

door” conversations must happen, but it would be helpful for those individuals to add a

discussion item to decide how they will communicate their discussion to the rest of the

employees.

Communication is challenging to master in large group settings. It can also be very

complex in virtual teams. In order to effectively communicate, it seems as though all of the stars

have to align to be a high performing team. The communication frequency and quality of

information shared plays a significant role in team success.

Establishing frequency norms can happen in the initial team meeting by deciding when

and how they will communicate by identifying what technology will be used and how the team

will stay connected. The quantity of how often a team corresponds may differ on what the task

is, the level of interdependence, and how familiar the team is with one another (Marlow, S. L.,

Lacerenza, C. N., & Salas, E. 2017). My team established communication frequency norms at

our first meeting. We talk to one another on an almost daily basis and meet once a week face-to-

face utilizing Zoom.

I agree with Marlow et al. (2007) when they argue "that high quality communication, regardless

of quantity, leads to a clarification of what and how events and contributions to interdependent

tasks should take place, allowing for smoother overall functioning and better performance.”

Team members must be mindful of the information they share and make sure not to overload.

Knowledge sharing can be a beautiful thing if done right (Marlow, S. L., Lacerenza, C. N., &

Salas, E. 2017).

Works Cited
Marlow, S. L., Lacerenza, C. N., & Salas, E. (2017). Communication in virtual teams: A
conceptual framework and research agenda. Human Resource Management Review, 27(4), 575-
589.