In this episode, Mark Ridley and Andrew Maclaren explore the evolution and challenges of virtual teams. Inspired by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s recent call for employees to return to the office, our hosts discuss what defines a virtual team, the importance of trust and shared context, and how physical environments impact team dynamics. 

Historical examples, from Byzantine smoke signals to Apollo missions, illustrate that remote teamwork has been around longer than we may think. They also discuss what defines a virtual team, the importance of trust and shared context, and how physical environments impact team dynamics. 

Topics include:

• Andy Jassy's memo to Amazon employees
• The definition and variations of virtual teams
• Historical examples of remote coordination
• Challenges in building trust and common ground remotely
• The impact of shared environments on teamwork
• Communication challenges and the importance of consistency

Coming Up in Part 2: Andrew and Mark will explore more on communication strategies, protocols, and actionable recommendations for enhancing virtual team collaboration.

Chapters

• 00:00 Virtual Teams Part 1
• 00:43 Intro
• 02:37 Andy Jassy's message to Amazon Staff
• 04:30 Executive Comms and the Return to Office message
• 07:47 Amazon Web Services & Stanford article on hybrid working
• 10:40 Defining a virtual team
• 21:43 The virtual team on Apollo 7
• 26:49 Trust in teams
• 34:22 Common Ground in teams
• 39:25 Rhythms of the environment
• 42:37 Next Episode

Thanks for listening!

Music by Tom Farrington