The virtual team

I recently saw "Up in the Air", the film billed as the perfect dark comedy for a recession. A subplot of the film deals with the proposed usage of a virtual system where human resources officers, via webcam, will inform employees that they are being laid off. The underlying theme throughout the film is that E-communications lose a real element of the workforce; however, the film also glosses over what is gained with virtual teams.

While you do lose a certain element of real life contact when using virtual teams in an office place, with webcams and telecommunications in place of direct contact, a lot of things are gained. As "Up in the Air" readily admits, virtual teams are less expensive, more time-efficient, and generally more relaxing in a lot of situations. I can't count how many times I've been able to manage more work much more effectively without three people talking in the same room - something about having your own space makes the process much smoother.

Virtual communications and teams may never quite replace real life interaction, but they give us something as well. Beyond convenience and cost-efficiency, they give us a sense of easiness about our work and the way we do it - not to mention, from home we can grab a cup of coffee or maybe put a movie on silently in the background.