1.

The eight characteristics of team excellence are clear, elevating goal, results-driven
structure, competent team members, unified commitment, collaborative climate,
standards of excellence, external support and recognition, and principled leaders.
Which of the eight characteristics of team excellence are lacking in this team?
 This team shows to lack results-driven structure, collaborative climate, external support,
and principled leadership. Results-driven structure can be challenging for virtual teams
due to the lack of face to face contact. For virtual teams to achieve success in their
projects, more virtual meetings should be called for to carry out expectations, scheduling,
decision making, deadlines, and effective communication. In this case study, a deadline is
not discussed, and communication between members through email becomes
overwhelming when copies of emails are sent to one another which is a poor way to
communicate. Collaborative climate in this project is lacking because team members
have never worked on a project together. This can already form some distrust since it’s
challenging as it is for virtual teams to work together. In this case study, there are
members who have been with the company for a long time and others who have recently
joined, therefore it’s necessary to communicate effectively and determine each team
member’s roles and task responsibilities and how they can be achieved as well as
supporting one another. Lacking collaboration will bring the team further apart and
accountability may not be held. This case study discusses there is one half-time secretary
in New York that is in charge of travel and meeting for team members. External support
is significant for this project because team members and the secretary in charge must
meet half ways in order to still work together on the project as well as being able to
attend meetings and travel. Communication is also the key here, team members must
appoint everyone’s task and how they can support each other on it when travel times and
meetings take place. Lastly, principled leadership is lacking in this team. It seems that in
this case study the only form of communication between the leader and team members
occurred only twice in a face to face setting, however, doesn’t state how frequent virtual
communications are among team members. When assigning the project to the team, a
deadline is not clearly defined and team members must think about how they can work on
the project while having to stress about attending other meetings. To improve team
performance and collaboration, the virtual leader must make extra efforts to discuss with
team members the processes of improvement. 

Along with discussing the process of improvements the team should also come together
to discuss the issues that they are all facing. If some of them are experiencing the same
difficulties it may be easier to brainstorm solutions as a group. 

2. Jim should most definitely intervene at this time. Members of his team are facing
massive obstacles and the group as a whole is only falling further and further behind. He
should intervene internally and be very task oriented. Calling an in-person meeting and
making sure to come up with more effective ways of keeping the entire group on track
would have to be the number one priority. The team has shown excitement for the
project so they should be able to come together as a whole and generate some
productive solutions for their group issues.
3. Jim should begin by implementing accountability within his team. Things such as making
sure emails are read in a timely manner and there being one designated team member
to send emails to the rest of the group. If accountability is being enforced most of the
group members will naturally fall in line. Also, Jim should enforce a strong collaborative
climate in order to get the group brainstorming ideas for the future, as well as, solutions
to fix any issues affecting team performance and results.