SIKM Leaders CommunityMarch 19, 2013

Leading EffectiveVirtual Teams

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“Virtual Teams” –•Telecommuters?•Project teams?•Contract workers?•Geographically distributed organizations where all or some work from a distance

Different flavors of “virtual teams”

ABCs of Virtual Leadership3

Essential building blocks of a successful virtual team

• Doesn’t trust what s/he can’t see

• Questions progress - constantly

• Plays favorites with those closest

• Limits communications channels

• Brushes off cultural differences

• Holds untested assumptions

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Attributes of ineffective virtual team leaders

Attributes of effective virtual team leaders• Great facilitator – communications, knowledge

• Knows what questions to ask, and how to listen

• Understands how collaboration tools are best used

• Knows how to create trust

• Socially-minded

• Energetic, charismatic

• Culturally adaptable

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Building a strong foundation• Start face-to-face when you can• Optimum blend of skills and styles• Shared goals, principles, norms – all achingly explicit • Let the human dimension shine through, frequently

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Cultivating trust, virtually

Creating a level playing field

• Minimize power differential• Everyone virtual!• Inform all @ same time• Dole out coveted projects evenly• Shift power, roles from time to time• Accommodate differences

– Cultural, communication styles, functional representation, etc.

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Building social capital - Constantly

• Ask a simple question• Post photos• Show videos• Check-in group chat• “Breakfast bunch”• Create a place for

serendipitous online gatherings

• Celebrate milestones• Reward, recognize

achievements• Create tangible team

identity

• Consciously create a learning organization– Allocate time and space for cross-pollination, sharing

• Build a sense of community among team members• Identify interdependencies

– Assign tasks deliberately

• Leverage diverse perspectives

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Creating collaborative relationships

Keeping in touch – routine and “unusual”

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Make every (real-time) conversation count

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Design for 80%+

active, 20% passive

Content review,

“think about” in advance

Questions? Comments? Ideas?

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nancy@guidedinsights.com   www.guidedinsights.com

978.263.2545/Skype nsmurphy2545/twitter @nsettlemurphy Author of Leading Effective Virtual Teams – new book by CRC Press