S5-Ep17: Improve Virtual Team Success by Leveraging Paradox

Featured Guest: Jean Brittain Leslie

Organizations and the people working in them find themselves in environments that are increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA). Under these conditions, tensions that are ongoing, and seemingly overwhelming can be difficult to understand, much less easy to address. These tensions show up in all facets of organizational life including leadership (control vs. empowerment), teamwork (task vs. relationships), strategy (competition vs. collaboration), structure (centralize vs. decentralize), and in the individual (work vs. home). These conflicting demands, when pursued jointly, are often referred to as paradoxes. Reframing these tensions beyond either/or problems in need of a single solution enables us to produce an outcome that is superior to tackling one demand at a time. Jean explains how to work with paradox and apply these tools to improving virtual team success. She draws on the rich research she conducted to provide solutions.