Interaction associates webinar_leading_virtualteams

Leading Virtual Teams

and

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#Virtual_Teams

Housekeeping

3 © Interaction Associates Inc. 6/18/2013

Purpose of this Webinar i.e., what will you get?

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10 Tips for Leading Virtual Teams

4 © Interaction Associates Inc. 6/18/2013

DEFINITIONS


What is a Virtual Team?

• People who work in concert to achieve a shared goal

• Communicate primarily via electronic media

• Live in different parts of the region/country/world

• Across time zones

• Rarely or never see each other


When does a TEAM become virtual?

The level of virtuality

correlates to how much

communication is

electronic.

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CHALLENGES SOLUTIONS

Individuals

CHALLENGES

Teams & Work Groups

Leaders

CHALLENGES Teams &

Work Groups

73% Managing Conflict

69% Making Decisions

64% Expressing Opinions

48% Producing Quality Deliverables

47% Generating Innovative Ideas

Source: Forrester

Individuals

94% Inability to read nonverbal cues

85% Absence of collegiality

81% Difficulty establishing rapport & trust

77% Difficulty seeing the whole picture

68% Reliance on email and telephone

CHALLENGES

Source: Forrester

• “How do I get/keep people on the same page?”

• “How do I build rapport and trust?”

• “How can I increase involvement without losing control?”

• “How do I encourage people to give direct feedback?”

• How can I effectively manage performance from afar?

• “How do I manage (even leverage) differences?

Leaders

CHALLENGES

How Can We

Begin to Get a

Handle on

These

Challenges?

Virtual group leaders & managers

spend 90+ percent of their time

preparing for, holding, and following

up on e-based conversations.

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CHALLENGES SOLUTIONS


LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE:

Where To Focus My Attention

We interact mostly

online or on the phone.

I can’t assess the

situation or people’s

needs like I can when

I’m face-to-face. Neither

can others.

16 © Interaction Associates Inc. 6/18/2013 16 © Interaction Associates Inc. 6/18/2013

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Balance your

Attention: Results, Process,

Relationship

How people experience their

involvement and connection to

each other.

How a conversation is managed.

E.g., how a group moves through

an agenda & uses time.

What the conversation

accomplishes: decisions,

plans, agreements, etc.


Δ +

Using the Dimensions of Success:

An Example

What’s Working

• Using WebEx instead of just

phones in our meetings is more

efficient. (process)

• Were enjoying getting to know

each other. (relationship)

• We all met our deadlines this

week. (results)

How We Could Improve

• Get clearer on everyone’s area of

responsibility. (process)

• Post everyone’s picture on our

team portal. (relationship)

• Said we’d shrink proposal process

to two weeks and we’re not there

yet. (results)



Getting People on the Same Page

Not all members on my

team have the same

idea of what we’re here

to do. I spend a lot of

time reminding people,

but seem to be pushing

this cart up the same

hill every few weeks.


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Build a Plan & Operating Agreements

Together


Elements of a Plan


Elements of a Plan


Elements of a Plan


Elements of a Plan


Elements of a Plan



Building Trust & Rapport

Trust is a necessary

aspect of working

collaboratively and

motivating the team.

How do I develop

people’s trust when I

don’t have face-time

with my people?


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Foster Trust Based on

Performance


I ASKED FOR

A,B,C.

YOU GAVE ME

A,B,C.

TIMELY

RESPONSIVE

STRAIGHT-

FORWARD

CONSISTENT

Qualities of Communication that Meet Our Needs


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Externalize Your

Thinking


What to Externalize

Decisions

Concerns

Issues

Options


1 Describe the situation

2 Say Why It s Important

3 Articulate

What s My Thinking

4 Make A Request if

Appropriate

How To Externalize Your Thinking

Decisions

Concerns

Issues

Options

Effective leaders:

• Demonstrate Moral Character

• Move People Emotionally

• Give Solid Reasoning for Actions

How you

Ethos Pathos Logos


TRUST TOOLKIT:

Strategies for Building

Trust and Involvement

Something for You



Inclusion & Engagement

I want to get more

involvement and make

more decisions with my

group/team, but I get

concerned about

handling conflicting

opinions, wasting time,

and losing control.


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Seek

Maximum

Appropriate

Involvement

in Decision-

Making

The Simple Discipline

1.What’s the decision?

2.Who are the stakeholders?

3.What level of involvement will

each have?

4.How will I communicate the

decision-making approach to

them?



Complaining & Indirect Criticism

I sometimes get

backdoor complaints

from one person about

another person’s

behavior. How can I

improve relationships

and encourage direct

feedback when

everyone is virtual?


Errors in SLT

deck. Dont

send.

NO WAY

Yeah bad. U

scrwd up.

ME? NOT

LIKELY.

YEAH. U

The possibilities for misunderstanding: ENDLESS!


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Model Direct and Respectful Feedback


Effective Virtual Feedback

Voice-to-Voice

Timely & useful for receiver

Focus on behavior

Use a collaborative approach

Offer assistance

1 “This is what happened…”

(the facts)

2 “This was the impact on me on

others…

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“What’s your

perception of what

happened?”

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“Here’s my request…”

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BUILD AN AGREEMENT

Feedback Steps



Managing Differences

There are so many different styles on my team some work alone and are more analytical. Others are creative and social.

There s a big gulf between them. How can I bridge the gap?


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Teach a Common

Collaborative Language &

Skillset


Desired Outcomes


Open-Narrow-Close


Seek to understand before trying to convince.



Virtual Meetings

Our face-to-face

meetings aren’t the

best, but some of these

virtual meetings are

downright painful! How

can I engage people in a

way that satisfies needs

for accomplishment and

connection?


The Leader Often Tries To Do It All

• Set up the logistics

• Define the purpose

• Create the agenda

• Clarify the process

• Facilitate discussion

• Define the issue

• Analyze the issue

• Generate options

• Weigh the options

• Resolve conflict

• Make decisions

• Build action plan


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Share Responsibility

for Virtual Meeting

Management


Five Key Functions

Decision Making

Participation

Information Management

Process Management

Logistics Management


Leader

Attendees

Recorder Facilitator

Technologist

Blend Functions & Roles

Decision Making

Participation

Information Management

Process Management

Logistics Management



People Feel Isolated & Disconnected

There are people I lead

who say they don’t feel

connected to their

colleagues, or part of

the ‘bigger mission.’

How can I reduce

isolation and increase

interaction in a way that

isn’t artificial?

The leader s job is to create a place where everyone can have access to each other and involvement in things that matter.

The virtual leader s job is not to change people.


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Partner People On

Short Assignments


• Solve a problem

• Map a work process

• Develop a proposal

• Plan an event

Types of Assignments


How to Do It

1 Create logical sub-groups

(pairs, trios).

2 Delegate with clear constraints.

3 Build agreement on timeframe

and your own involvement.

4 KEEP IT SIMPLE.


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Set Time Aside for

Learning & Socializing


SINGLE POINT LESSONS

1 LATEST INSIGHT ABOUT OUR WORK

2 CELEBRATIONS & UPDATES

15-45 MINUTES


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Balance your Attention:

Results Process

Relationship


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Build a Plan & Operating Agreements

Together


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Foster Trust Based on

Performance


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Externalize Your

Thinking


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Seek

Maximum

Appropriate

Involvement

in Decision-

Making


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Model Direct and Respectful Feedback


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Teach a Common

Collaborative Language &

Skillset


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Share Responsibility

for Virtual Meeting

Management


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Partner People On

Short Assignments


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Set Time Aside for

Learning & Socializing

Write in Chat:

WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU LEARNED TODAY THAT YOU CAN APPLY BACK ON THE JOB?


TRUST TOOLKIT:

Strategies for Building

Trust and Involvement

Something for You

Leading Virtual Teams

Please watch for our email, and give us feedback.

THANK YOU!

© Interaction Associates 74

For over 43 years, Interaction Associates (IA) has been an innovator of

collaboration tools and techniques that help leaders and teams in global

organizations to build high-involvement cultures and achieve superior

business results.

In both 2012 and 2013, IA was named one of Training Industry‘s “Top 20

Leadership Training Companies.”

… is a strategic partner of Interaction Associates

that helps leaders and teams tackle their most

challenging assignments – in person and across

distances – with virtual instructor-led training

and skills application coaching.

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Interaction associates webinar_leading_virtualteams