Employers are all too aware that it is important to control costs and think creatively, but they can be slow off the mark in both respects. Just consider the number of air miles that executives clock up to attend routine meetings around the region. Or notice how brainstorming sessions tend to rely on the same people around the same table as a main source of new ideas.
Such scenarios, though, can quickly change, according to Adam Kingl, director of learning solutions for executive education at the London Business School (LBS). 'Virtual teamwork' is the way forward, and Generation Y members, in particular, are using the concept to transform long-held assumptions about work patterns and business practice.
'They see things differently,' says Kingl. 'For example, they don't assume a conversation has to be verbal, in real time, or synchronous. They are used to discussion boards and online meeting rooms created for a purpose, where tools can be added as needed to achieve objectives.'
For senior executives, such methods may be unfamiliar. But to perform effectively in a global economy, companies must be able to draw on ideas and expertise from around the world, actively encouraging diverse viewpoints and making it easy to give input on specific projects.
Kingl has seen the advantages of virtual teamwork in LBS research with companies and emerging leaders. Using a technology platform to 'meet', rather than the usual face-to-face format, was found to enhance innovation and elicit more diverse solutions. Participants from different countries, cultures and functions were more prepared to question standard assumptions. And once the ground rules were clear, contributors answered more quickly than in a traditional forum and felt freer to be creative.
'When discussing virtual teamwork, people get hung up on the technology,' Kingl says. 'It simply has to be fit for purpose. First, decide who you would like on the team, and then what applications are needed to exchange comments and information - attachments, voting capability and so on.'