cooperative collaboration: the virtual team approach conversation–awareness–coordination ‘a...

Cooperative Collaboration: The Virtual Team Approach

Conversation–Awareness–Coordination‘A Shared Commitment’

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Teams of Few

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Teams of Many!!!

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Overcoming Major DisconnectsEven when co-workers are in the next cubicle, ‘taking

care of business’ can be challenging enough. Now, add

the variable for when your co-workers are in the building

next door or across the street. Finding things becoming

just a bit harder to keep within reach? Well, how about if

co-workers are located in another city, another state,

another country, or, as it may seem when things become

really disconnected, on another planet?

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Overcoming Major Disconnects (cont.)

Although our working relationships may not seem like

‘virtual’ ones, they very well could be. But what if they

weren’t meant to be? Then, there are those situations

where working relationships are meant to be

geographically dispersed, where it’s all about working

together apart. You’ll need a strong, well-thought-out

foundation to make it successful.

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Blue Print for Building a Virtual Team

• What IS a Virtual Team & what is its PURPOSE?

• Are YOU Virtual Team ‘material’ — the self assessment.

• The framework for the alliance — establishing a Team’s

identity or defining the Team’s ‘mission statement’ or

‘vision’.

• Determine, understand, and ‘practice’ best practices.

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Blue Print for Building a Virtual Team (cont.)

• Best Practices will provide guidance to achieve ‘one voice’ for ‘many voices’.

– Based on trust and commitment.

– Agreement on the need for a common purpose.

• Team member skills inventory—strengths, contributions

members feel they can make to the team, identifying

areas for improvement.

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Blue Print for Building a Virtual Team (cont.)

• Address conflict management—what potential conflicts

might arise and how do team members plan to resolve

these conflicts.

• Determine who is to be the lead member.

• Obtaining team members' contact information.

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Blue Print for Building a Virtual Team (cont.)

• Handling team meetings and conference sessions.

• How to exchange information (text files, graphics, etc.).

• Maintaining productivity to achieve results.

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Blue Print for Building a Virtual Team (cont.)

• Tools & methods to avoid ‘communication breakdown’.

– Basecamp, SharePoint, GoToMeeting, Skype,

WebEx.

– Learn properly & then properly utilize.

– Used in corporate environment/individual use.

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Blue Print for Building a Virtual Team (cont.)

• BaseCamp – focus on communication & collaboration to

assign tasks, share files, show activity, track time to

meet deadlines; cost - Max Plan ($149/month, top-of-

the-line, unlimited projects , 50 GB storage, unlimited

users, time tracking, enhanced security); Plus Plan (most

popular, $49.00/month, 35 projects, 10 GB storage,

unlimited users, time tracking, enhanced security).

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Blue Print for Building a Virtual Team (cont.)

• SharePoint – widely used for collaboration and social

computing; connects people with line-of-business data,

other experts, and business processes across the

organization; listed in numerous job requisitions (on

DICE); cost – Server: $4,424,00; Client access license:

$94.00.

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Blue Print for Building a Virtual Team (cont.)

• GoToMeeting - demonstrate, present, collaborate from your PC or Mac®.

– Free VoIP and integrated phone conferencing.

– Hold as many meetings as you want for as long as you want – for one low rate.

– ‘The easiest and most affordable’ Web-conferencing

solution available.

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Blue Print for Building a Virtual Team (cont.)

• Skype – main features

– Free Skype-to-Skype calls (unlimited world use:

$12.95/mo.).

– Call phones and mobiles, send short message service

(SMS), forward calls to a phone when you're offline.

– Free instant messaging & voicemail.

– Free video call.

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Blue Print for Building a Virtual Team (cont.)

• WebEx

– Communicate as if you are "face-to-face" with people

anywhere.

– Share documents, make presentations, demonstrate

products and services, collaborate, start a secure web

meeting from the comfort of your desktop instantly.

– No software to install and no hardware to purchase.

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Blue Print for Building a Virtual Team (cont.)

• OTSP establishes a Virtual Team of Cal Poly students

for marketing collateral projects.

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

The Ultimate Virtual Team Environment

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

A Frustrating Experience!!!

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Acquiring Projects

These apply more to those who work independently,

perhaps having one’s own business. However, if you find

yourself heading in more of an ‘independent direction,’

you might want to keep them in mind.

• Determining prospective clients.

• How to approach prospective clients.

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Acquiring Projects (cont.)

• Focus on the 'right types' of projects and achieve

agreement.

• Creating a formal letter of engagement or contract (also,

what 'boilerplate' provisions a contract should contain).

• Promoting one's service through a Web site, resume,

networking, various marketing approaches, and so forth.

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Acquiring Projects (cont.)

• W-2 or 1099 (if W-2, chances are you will be working

through a recruiter or type of job shop; if 1099, ensuring

the budget is there and getting a purchase order).

• Bid types (fixed vs. hourly).

• Billing for services (possibly securing a retainer,

invoicing, net terms, etc.).

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Fulfilling the Obligations (to each other and, if working independently, to a client)

• You want to show responsibility, maintain accountability,

and exhibit due diligence.

• Who’s ‘in charge’ (perhaps the client, and if so, how

much control will there be?).

• Common agreement on responsibilities, tasks, activities,

and so forth.

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Fulfilling the Obligations (cont.)

• Work closely with the Virtual Team to develop a tailored,

not a ‘boiler plate,’ approach.

• Preliminary project plan—as a minimum, identify the

tasks involved, responsibility for each task, completion

date for each task, defining responsibilities to achieve

goals, identifying the client's key contact(s) &

responsibilities.

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Fulfilling the Obligations (cont.)

• Communication Plan – phone, E-mails, conference calls,

exchanging information (text files, graphics, business

correspondences, etc.).

• Provide timely status on a regular basis that includes

objectives, accomplishments, and any issues to keep the

project on track (this could include reporting time spent

on particular activities) & send to everyone.

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Fulfilling the Obligations (cont.)

• Maintain continual and timely communication, feedback,

Team support, and assistance, especially in situations

where clarification is required.

• Determine methods for performing research and using

the client's products to source the most adequate and

accurate information for the specified audience(s).

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Fulfilling the Obligations (cont.)

• As required, schedule, and participate in, on-site

meetings, design reviews, and training sessions (also,

determine who will participate in these). This will depend

upon the proximity of the client to where your Virtual

Team members are located.

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Fulfilling the Obligations (cont.)

• When conducting virtual meetings, make them effective -

provide everyone a copy of the agenda and of any

materials to be discussed ahead of time so Team

members can prepare to participate in the conversation.

If appropriate and/or necessary, at the end of each

virtual meeting conduct a brief evaluation to find out how

you can continuously improve the meeting process.

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

A Somewhat Humorous Experience

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Productivity and Results

• Primary factors for making the Virtual Team approach

successful.

• Successful when participants contribute creative

techniques to develop relationships and build trust

through a geographically dispersed team.

• Measuring the results

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Productivity and Results (cont).

• Measuring the results

– You know you’re successful when the Virtual Team

wants to work with you again!

– You know you’re successful when you’re selected (by

colleagues, peers, and associates) to lead the next

Virtual Team!

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Productivity and Results (cont).

– You know you’re successful when your client provides

you with more work AND a purchase order number!

– You know you’re successful when……………

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Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams

Everyone says, “WAY TO GO!!”