The Dynamics of Today's Virtual Team
             Although the advantages of today's "virtual" workgroups are considerable, these teams also face unique challenges which require effective solutions and ongoing cooperation from their members as well as their managers if the team is to be successful in reaching their goals.
             For some time now, organizations of all types; large, small, profit, non-profit, private enterprise, public, social and educational institutions, to name but a few, have relied upon the formation and utilization of specialized "workgroups" or "teams" to be successful in reaching many of their goals. Teams have been used effectively for problem solving, quality control, increasing production lines, fund raising and many other activities. It seems today teams are formed for virtually any purpose, and with good reason, they work. Add global communications and the availability to send and receive messaging, 24/7, 365 days a year, via email, teleconferencing, cell phones, voice mail and the like; and the opportunities are astoundingly limitless.
             This brings us to the purpose of this paper, the concept of the "virtual" team. How can it work, with members spread far and wide? "Virtually" dealing with different locales, time zones, cultures and even languages is no easy task. To begin, teamwork, in any form, relies on the management and communication skills of its members to be successful. But, the "virtual" team is faced with not only the routine problems of all teams, but many unique to the virtual environment itself. Therefore, it is essential for team members as well as managers to be aware of the issues. One of the biggest benefits of the "virtual" team is an obstacle in itself, the constant advancement in communications and computer technology. Understanding the magnitude of that advancement and how it affects team dynamics will help construc...