LEADING FROM A DISTANCE: A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR HIGH IMPACT VIRTUAL LEADERSHIP

August 3, 2011

“Out of sight, foremost in mind. How do you manage people whom you

don’t see regularly?" - Charles Handy, Harvard Business Review

Agenda§ Research Snapshot§ RAMP Model§ No Trust, No Team§ How Do You Hold People Accountable

Remotely?§ Motivation in a Virtual Setting§ Process: High-Impact Communication§ The Bottom Line

Research Snapshot

§ Conducted extensive research study in 2003 to look at the role of technology on virtual teamwork§ Conducted global research study in 2004 (with 21

virtual teams in 10 companies) to assess barriers and success factors§ In April 2008, we surveyed 305 virtual team

members/leaders to examine key aspects of virtual teamwork§ Conducted global study in October 2009 to understand

what differentiates high performing intact virtual teams and virtual team leaders

2009 Virtual Team Study Participants§ A total of 48 virtual teams participated in the study:

□ 427 team members and team leaders completed the team survey□ 99 stakeholders completed the team performance assessment

§ 16 organizations from a variety of industries, including:□ Pharmaceuticals□ Financial Services□ Consumer Products□ Hospitality & Leisure□ Manufacturing□ Insurance□ Professional Services□ Telecommunications□ Technology□ Non-Profit

Key Findings§ More than 25% of virtual teams in the study were

not fully performing.§ MIT research found that up to 82% of virtual teams

were not effective.§ OnPoint’s research also found that HALF of

stakeholders and one third of the team members rated the virtual leaders as less than effective.§ Many organizations simply recycle practices for

co-located teams without really considering what makes virtual collaboration unique.

"It's scary. A lot of organizations create virtual teams with almost no understanding of the unique

implications of that decision." - Margaret A. Neale,

Professor, Stanford Graduate School of Business

How Prepared is Your Organization?

SYSTEMS & PROCESSES ü

Our technology supports virtual teamwork ¨

We have adequate resources to support virtual teams. ¨

Our performance management system is set up to measure team and individual team member performance. ¨

We have reward/recognition systems that can be used for virtual teams. ¨

We have systems and metrics to assess virtual team/leader performance. ¨

PEOPLE ü

Team leaders and team members have the skills necessary to work from a distance. ¨

We have practices in place that help us select virtual team leaders and members based on the situation. ¨

We have skills-based training for virtual teams. ¨

We have technology-based training for virtual teams. ¨

Senior leaders support virtual teamwork. ¨

The Profile of Success: What Good Looks Like

§ Team Composition□ Stable Team Membership□ Smaller in size□ Functional teams□ Team members are on fewer teams□ Longer tenure as a team

§ Communication and Training□ Face-to-Face meetings□ Effective “V-Meetings”□ Well-leveraged technology□ Skill Development

§ Effective Leadership

RAMP Model

§Relationships

§Accountability

§Motivation

§Purpose and Process

No Trust, No Team§ Top-performing virtual teams had significantly

higher levels of task-based trust (a belief that team members will do their job) than did low-performing teams.

§ Interpersonal-based trust is more difficult, but not impossible, to achieve in a virtual setting.

Signs of Distrust

§ Team members do not refer to themselves as “we” § Silos develop among sub-groups§ Lack of information sharing§ Micromanagement by the team leader or team

members§ Conflicts that are not resolved§ Team members are openly negative§ Team members do not regard the commitments of

others as credible§ Low levels of productivity or missed deadlines

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What Do You Do To Increase Cooperation And Trust?

A. During the next team meeting, clarify how information will be shared within the team.

B. Establish a bi-weekly team video conference with a clear agenda.C. Schedule a “fun” virtual team building exercise to help build

relationships.D. On the next team call, ask each team member to share their

background and experiences so the team can learn about their colleagues’ track record of success.

E. During the next team call, ask team members for ideas on how to enhance collaboration to identify a few practices that the team can implement moving forward.

The Trust Quotient

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TruthfulnessCredentialsI can trust what she says about…

DependabilityPredictabilityI can trust him to…

DiscretionEmpathyI can trust her with…

ActionsActions SecuritySecurity FocusFocusWordsWordsCredibility Reliability OrientationIntimacy

I can trust that he cares about…

MotivesAttention

Four Factors of Trustworthiness

Tips for Building Trust

§ Meet face-to-face early on in the team’s formation to build relationships and learn about team members’ capabilities§ Develop a team page where people can share information

and informally build relationships§ Build a “resource bank” where people share ideas§ Be sure team members feel empowered to make and act on

decisions§ Help people manage conflicts, not avoid them§ Partner team members at different locations and rotate these

partnerships

What Do You Do To Address The Situation With David?

A. Call Pamela Jones, David’s boss, to explain the issue with David’s performance and explore what she can do to help enhance his accountability.

B. Send David an email to ensure that he understands the impact of missed deadlines on the team and its customers.

C. Ask David what he will do to get the projects back on track, what he will do to keep from missing deadlines in the future, and what he might have done that contributed to the problem.

D. Clarify your expectations for David’s performance and for his current projects agree on periodic check points when you and he will discuss progress and anticipate potential problems.

E. Hold a team v-meeting to discuss the importance of meeting deadlines and identify solutions to existing barriers that are getting in the way.

Four Accountability Mistakes

1. Talking about an idea, but not agreeing to actions and accountability by people’s names, and people thus assuming someone else is going to do something

2. Agreeing on an action, but without any discussion of a completion date, so the end date is open to interpretation and differing opinions

3. Waiting until the completion date to check on the results, or not even checking in at all

4. Not holding people accountable for missed commitments after the fact

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Before The Fact Accountability Booster: Setting People Up For Success

Action

Timetable

Checkpoints

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After The Fact Accountability Booster: Three Accountability Questionsq Past: “What could I have done to prevent the

problem? What, if anything, did I do that might have possibly contributed to the problem”?

q Present: “What can I do NOW to get on track?”

q Future: “What can I do to prevent this problem from happening again in the future?”

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Tips To Enhance Accountability Remotely§ Communicate team goals, OVER and OVER§ Set up processes for monitoring progress and follow

up without being overly persistent§ Set people up for success by clarifying expectations,

who is accountable, and deadlines (use action plans)§ Have regular v-meetings to review progress§ Periodically collect feedback from stakeholders to

assess the team’s level of performance§ Ensure each team member understands their role

related to team decisions and activities§ When a deadline is missed, encourage people to

focus on solving the problem instead of placing blame

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Motivation: Virtual Engagement§ Proactively look for signs of disengagement:

□ Team members are not contributing to projects□ Team members do not attend meetings or do not participate□ Team members are overwhelmed or frustrated□ There is conflict among team members

§ Create a sense of purpose§ Create a high-touch environment§ Periodically rotate “leadership” or facilitator roles§ Find ways to challenge and develop team members§ Virtually recognize individual and team member

success

Process: High Impact Communication

§ Determine when and how information will be shared, as well as with whom§ Leverage synchronous tools (e.g., IM) to

increase spontaneous interaction § Create a shared sense of space (e.g., e-

bulletin boards)§ Match technology to the task§ Conduct high-impact “v-meetings”§ Be aware of cultural differences when

communicating and collaborating remotely

Cross Cultural Considerations § Avoid metaphors, similes, regional sayings, and idioms.

If you do use them, be prepared to explain their meaning§ Use short simple words and phrases.§ Pace your speech to the needs of the audience. In

general, speak slowly and clearly. Ask for feedback on the pace and clarity of your verbal communication§ Avoid using sarcasm and humor until relationships have

been established. Both can be misunderstood.§ Continually test for comprehension. Ask questions and

use paraphrasing frequently.

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Cross Cultural Considerations§ Allow more time to make a point or cover an agenda item.§ Some cultures tend to break in frequently to ask questions,

challenge ideas or disagree while others prefer to maintain group harmony by never disagreeing. Probe gently if you think others are holding back their opinions. Consider the reaction of others before you interrupt. § Some cultures are more or less formal. Ask how team

members would like to be addressed (e.g., are first names OK). If unsure, be more formal. § Some cultures place great value on the speed of decision

making while others place greater importance on the need to be inclusive. Build in time for multiple approval process if needed or agree on a decision making process that balances cultural sensitivity and efficiency.

The Bottom Line

§ Future workplace trends point to the continued growth and reliance on virtual teamwork

§ Remember that virtual teams are unique and should not be treated the same as traditional face-to-face teams -- they require an investment of time and resources

§ Virtual leadership is essential to team performance --organizations should invest in selecting and developing leaders who can manage from a distance

Participate in Leading From a Distance Simulation and Receive Feedback and Development Guide

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For Additional Information

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