Predicted Changes to team collaboration, following the surge of new businesses in the Metaverse
The advent of teams working in virtual worlds and Metaverse is revolutionizing team collaboration, presenting opportunities and challenges. This article delves into the predicted changes to team dynamics following the surge of virtual-world-focused business teams; including real-world teams that expand to working in the Metaverse and Metaverse-native teams of avatars who met in virtual-worlds and decided to work together. These findings are a short summary of a research thesis submitted by our founder Manuel Bolognesi which followed qualitative research based on interviews conducted within these virtual-world working teams. Because of the qualitative and explorative nature of the study, the research design is built on grounded theory, open-ended interviews, and a coding-based analysis of theories that emerge from triangulation.
By examining existing research and incorporating practical insights, we explore key areas that are expected to undergo a transformation; including globalized team culture, payment satisfaction, fictional identities, and training and learning. Understanding these changes is crucial for businesses to adapt and optimize team collaboration in the ever-evolving Metaverse landscape. An environment where innovative offices are already developing assets like:
1. Wellness rooms
2. Collaborative layouts
3. Sustainable offices
4. Neurodiverse workspaces
5. Smart, immersive offices
Globalized Team Culture: Embracing a New Reality
In the Metaverse era, team members must be prepared to transcend the boundaries of time and space. Seamlessly blending work and social life across virtual dimensions will become the norm, demanding a delicate balance that optimizes team productivity. Creating a balanced private, personal, dimension of virtual life may be necessary for the well-being of each team member, allowing them to visit different parcels, form virtual families or friendships, and rejuvenate during virtual breaks. Empowering individuals to take charge of their work-life balance and encouraging authentic self-expression through clothing and avatar appearance choices will foster a sense of ownership and satisfaction within the virtual-working context.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) will be important, with companies needing to demonstrate that they are “a force for social good” in order to attract people of Generation Alpha.
Payment Satisfaction: Redefining Value in the Metaverse
The notion of payment satisfaction in the Metaverse will undergo a paradigm shift. While financial security remains important, and the divide between real-world payment rates and the Metaverse’s may eventually meet, “Metaverse-native team” members primarily seek fulfilment and unique experiences out of their virtual jobs. Fulfilment that may be unattainable for them in the real world due to a lack of experience, courage, age, or health . Second Life or ROBLOX have plenty amateur developers, customer support personnel, who mostly work for virtual-world specific currency and personal validation, to satisfy their avatar’s virtual-world specific demand without investing real-life money in the purchase of the platform’s currency (namely Lindens or Robux, in these cases). This pursuit of fulfillment revolves around the creation of virtual-life demand. Consequently, businesses should not necessarily anticipate lower payments for Metaverse-native team members compared to their real-life counterparts, but focus on conveying the right levels of purpose, fulfilment and commitment. Addressing payment, it is also essential to move beyond a singular focus on cryptocurrency and explore alternative methods of payment that address the volatility and uncertainties associated with digital currencies. Companies aiming to build a metaverse-native team will have to have strong social and ethical policies in place to attract the younger workforce and craft the right job for the right individual, based on the the passions and personal goals that the individual already pursues in his/her free/gaming time within virtual worlds.
Fictional Identities: Establishing Trust and Professionalism
Navigating fictional identities is a critical aspect of Metaverse team collaboration. Building a Metaverse-specific reputation will become paramount, ensuring professionalism and trust in an environment where real-life identities and work experiences are often undisclosed. While verifiable real-life work experience may still hold value, Metaverse-specific reputation and the demonstration of verifiable abilities will be the foundation of professionalism. In the long run, we predict that the focus is expected to shift towards enhancing real-life services, emphasizing the importance of real-life experience and discretion, like in the real world. As more and more companies turn to virtual offices, knowing and trusting the staff is vital.
Training and Learning: Bridging Virtual and Real-Life Scenarios
Training and learning in the Metaverse will play a crucial role in enhancing both virtual and real-life scenarios. Virtual training will not only improve services within the Metaverse but also serve as a powerful tool for enhancing real-life skills. Entrepreneurship in the Metaverse, connecting people solely based on passion and their willingness to work during their “gaming time”, proves to be a very challenging and valuable building ground for real-world leadership skills. The highly graphic and interactive nature of the Metaverse also provides a unique learning environment that can be leveraged to optimize real-life service quality. However, it is vital for team leaders and trainers to exhibit understanding and adaptability when working towards the well-being of individuals, as the Metaverse introduces new challenges and needs that may impact staff turnover rates:
· Build inclusive Learning programs
· Offer flexible working
· Look at pay equity by job and level, not tenure.
· Bring age diversity into your DEI programs.
· Give older workers managerial roles, supervisor roles, and mentor roles.
· Invite them back to work from retirement, by offering them greater social contact and a new skill.
· Coach recruiters not to discriminate by age and instead how to engage by age.
· Teach younger leaders about reverse mentoring and how it can expand the workforce.
Solutions:
- Introduce and use messaging tools. Encourage their use by using them yourself.
- Have a “fun” or non-formal channel for team members to share interesting information from their virtual and real life so as to get to know each other better.
- Before group conferences keep up to 10 minutes at the start to chat informally (though be sure to avoid people using this as an excuse to be late).
- Set up a chart with applicable members’ time zones and work out an acceptable time for meetings, this may mean some members will have to log in outside of a standard 9-5.
- For those that absolutely can’t attend, use a communication tool with a recording function so they can listen back to what has been discussed and add their input.
- Build a culture where team members feel free to ask each other about “jumping on quick calls” through the day while also feeling confident in knowing when to reject doing so.
The work tone for the team should be set by you, finding as close as possible to a happy medium between the team members involved and your expectations.
- On a more informal channel, ask team members to introduce themselves and their country or region and list some ways that they think their culture works differently. This will help them to familiarize each other with potential differences in approach.
- Where possible, use simpler terms and expressions
- Make objectives and deliverables clear to all team members at each project stage.
- Move away from an hourly work system and towards a results-based one. Let your team know that the most important thing is getting deliverables in by their due dates; everything else is up to them.
To conclude, the rise of virtual businesses in the Metaverse transforms team collaboration. By embracing globalized team culture, redefining payment satisfaction, navigating fictional identities, and investing in training and learning, businesses can adapt to the evolving Metaverse landscape. It is crucial for organizations to recognize the unique dynamics and opportunities that the Metaverse brings to team collaboration. By doing so, they can leverage the power of this new digital frontier and foster thriving and productive teams.
