When the rest of the LeadingVirtually.com team asked me to contribute to this blog, I was initially at a loss as to what I should write about. There was not much, I thought, I could say about virtual teams. As an officer in the Korean military, I thought, “I am a military man who is trained to fight.” My team encouraged me to reflect on my military experience to relate it to virtual teams in my post. After the nudging, I reflected on my military background, and I was able to see how my military experience was relevant to virtual teams. Just as in the business world, the militaries of many countries are now executing peacekeeping or humanitarian operations in different parts and cultures of the world. The coalition forces from many countries including U.S., UK, Korea, etc. in the Iraq Peacekeeping and Reconstruction Activities are one example. When carrying out these operations, the militaries of different countries often have to work together as is the case with virtual teams consisting of individuals from different organizations.

So what is critical for a military team’s success in these operations? First of all, communication among military commanders from different countries is critical. For instance, to execute combined activities effectively for common goals in Iraq, teams have to communicate regularly and collaborate with one another. In virtual teams, when you have members representing different divisions or organizations, there are always some undercurrents in those divisions or organizations that don’t come to the surface either because the members have not been given the permission to talk or they are simply afraid that they might say something that is not appropriate. One lesson from the military is that the sponsors of a virtual team project from the different divisions or organizations should have a regular conversation to appraise each other of major happenings that could affect the project. If possible, the project leader should be a part of these conversations. At the very least, the project leader should be informed about the main points that were discussed. This prevents surprises for the team leader, who may be proceeding as if things are fine but does not realize that there are some undercurrents that threaten to derail the project. Military commanders’ regular communication is important in the case of military teams.

Second, making the team’s mission and objectives clear is also important. One of the most remarkable characteristics of military teams is that they always have clear and attainable objectives to achieve the overall mission. Each military team in Iraq has its own objective according to its level and country under the common and overall mission of “Peacekeeping and Reconstruction in Iraq”. Evident goals motivate them to align their energy and efforts with the desired direction of the team, and ultimately would lead to goal attainment. In recent virtual team research, we notice that although team members tend to lack group identity and cohesion in virtual teams, a clear objective enables the virtual team’s activities to work well and makes team members collaborate effectively toward its desired direction.

Finally, it is very critical for military teams to understand the culture of the host country as well as other teams’ country. For example, culture appreciation of other military teams from diverse countries as well as of local governments in Iraq would facilitate military teams’ operations or activities in less favorable military environment. Military teams in Iraq have conducted peacekeeping operations and reconstruction activities based on an awareness and respect toward other cultures and customs (especially indigenous). These attempts to appreciate others’ culture can help people to have open minds and encourage them to participate actively in their operations. Virtual teams in the business world often experience cultural problems in their activities around the world. Because culture affects team members’ values, beliefs, and behaviors as well as work routine or norms, virtual teams cannot execute their activities effectively and efficiently without understanding others’ cultural background. Military teams’ efforts to appreciate cultural difference in Iraq are becoming another precious lesson for virtual teams’ activities in the business world.

The joint operations carried out to reach specific goals in military teams mirrors the situation faced by virtual teams elsewhere. Whereas military teams might be performing a joint operation among different units or country’s military, in other organizations, departments and divisions might be trying to coordinate activities and achieve team or organizational goals. Military virtual teams can offer invaluable lessons about communication, coordination, and other important elements necessary for a successful team operation.