Do Virtual Teams Ever Need to Meet Face-to-Face?

Abstract

In the prologue of this book, we asked the question, “Do virtual teams ever need to meet face-to-face?” Certainly, conventional wisdom has it that successful virtual teams need to meet face-to-face from time to time for things like project kickoffs, milestone meetings, and project celebrations—we’ve captured that viewpoint in earlier chapters of this book. But going forward, is it really a requirement, or as virtual teams become the norm, will the need fade? There is some evidence that in many organizations, meeting face-to-face is no longer a requirement for virtual teams.