Introduction

Learn to master new competencies to meet the challenge of leading a virtual team. You need to build a team identity and process; balance technical and social systems within your team; and facilitate the development of long-distance relationships and trust among your team members. Communication takes on a whole new meaning when you’re not face-to-face with your direct reports and team members. You need to understand the channels of communication open to you as a virtual team leader and then choose the right channel for the tasks at hand.

You will be able to:

• Define and apply a proven and successful virtual team process model
• Learn how to utilize unique virtual team members’ characteristics to promote productivity
• Create a truly cohesive team
• Build trust in your virtual team and enhance risk-taking and creativity
• Apply effective communication channels to achieve desired team relationships and goals
• Become a successful virtual coach

Who Should Attend

All team leaders, supervisors and managers. In fact, anyone who has to communicate with remote and virtual teams will find this seminar beneficial.

Learning Objectives

• Identify the Roles and Concerns of Virtual Team Leaders
• Define and Apply a Proven and Successful Virtual Team Process Model
• Review and Plan How to Utilize Unique Virtual Team Member Characteristics to Promote Productivity
• Recognize the Value of Creating a Virtual Team Identity and Connectedness
• Apply Strategies for Unifying the Virtual Team’s Culture and Relationships around Team Purposes
• Identify Strategic Ways to Build Trust in Virtual Teams to Enhance Risk-Taking
• Define and Apply Communication Channel Choice-Making to Achieve Desired Team Relationships and Goals
• Identify the Strengths and Weaknesses of Various Electronic Communication Options, Defining When/How to Use Each to Build Productivity
• Express What You Mean, Both Content and Emotion, through Effective Use of Voice, Phrasing, Vocabulary, Style and Form
• Identify and Analyze Others’ Sensory Preferences for Taking in and Processing Information in Order to Implement Complementary and Adaptive Virtual Team Communication
• Review Effective Virtual Communication Behaviors to Model in Order to Facilitate Virtual Team Longevity, Productivity and Goals
• Review and Practice Effective Use of Listening, Voice, and Action That Is Demanded by Various Virtual Technologies
• Identify and Apply Strategies and Techniques to Enhance Execution of Key Virtual Team Performance Management Tasks
• Define and Practice the Skills Needed to Become a Successful Virtual Coach
• Set a Plan for Ongoing Virtual Team Leadership Skill Development

Seminar Outline

Virtual Team Leadership

• Define Effective Leadership of Virtual and Remote Teams
• Define and Manage the Place, Time and Culture Paradigm and Its Impact on Virtual Team Interactions
• Identify What Virtual and Remote Team Members Need and Expect from Team Leaders
• Recognize and Associate Avoidance of Virtual and Remote Team Busters through Effective Team Leadership Practices

Leading Virtual and Remote Team Development

• Define the Remote/Virtual Team Process
• Identify the Appropriate Team Membership to Achieve the Team Assignment
• Establish the Remote and Virtual Team’s Identity and Sense of Connectedness
• Balance the Social and Technological Needs of the Team
• Establish and Maintain Networks That Build a Sense of Relationships and Mutual Interdependence amongst Team Members

Trust and the Virtual Team

• Define Trust within the Culture of the Team
• Understand, Use and Encourage Virtual Team Trust-Building Behaviors
• Understand, Avoid and Discourage Virtual Team Trust-Eroding Behaviors
• Utilize Trust to Build Virtual and Remote Team Creativity
• Utilize Trust to Build Reasonable Risk-Taking amongst Virtual and Remote Team Members

Leading and Facilitating Virtual Channels of Communication

• Understand and Assist Others in Meeting Human Communication Needs in Virtual Team Settings
• Choose Virtual Communication Channels, Knowing Each Channel’s Strengths/Liabilities
• Identify and Facilitate the Use of Members’ Communication and Thinking Style Preferences to Build Trust
• Identify and Facilitate the Use of Members’ Communication Preferences to Build Team Productivity
• Understand the Impact of Cross-Cultural Needs on Team Performance

Successful Virtual Team Communication Practices

• Demonstrate an Ability to Express and Encourage Both Content and Feeling in Virtual Team Communication
• Understand and Use Multi-Channel Listening in Achieving Remote Teamwork
• Use Vocal Consideration Effectively When Using Audio-Based Technologies
• Use Verbal and Nonverbal Considerations Effectively with Audio-/Visual-Based Technologies
• Use and Encourage Effective E-mail Etiquette/Form

Managing the Performance of Virtual Teams

• Establish and Maintain Virtual Team Focus on Goals, Objectives, and Tasks
• Define Virtual Team Members’ Roles and Responsibilities
• Coach Members to High-Level Performance
• Apply Effective Virtual Motivation/Recognition Skills
• Identify and Use Effective Strategies to Address Virtual Team Performance Issues

Integrating Virtual Team Leadership Skills

• Synthesize and Apply New Skills for Successful Leadership in the Virtual and Remote Team Setting

• Setting a Plan for Ongoing Virtual Team Leadership Skill Development
• Develop an Achievable Plan to Implement Professional Personal Leadership Skills for Successful Virtual and Remote Team Performance