WELCOME Managing Virtual Teams Work Anywhere Learning Resource Center Quick Start Series

Managing Virtual Teams Quick Start Guide Learning Objectives This Quick Start Guide is intended to provide you with the key concepts and management fundamentals associated with Managing a virtual team, After this course Identify the 5 management fundamentals associated with leading virtual teams Apply virtual team management fundamentals back in your everyday work environment Approximate time to complete this Quick Start Guide: 10 – 15 minutes

Learning Objectives

This Quick Start Guide is intended to provide you with the key concepts and management fundamentals associated with Managing a virtual team,

After this course

Identify the 5 management fundamentals associated with leading virtual teams

Apply virtual team management fundamentals back in your everyday work environment

What Is A Virtual Team? A Virtual Team is a group of individuals who work across time, space, and organizational boundaries. Virtual teams typically have complementary skills and are committed to a common purpose, have interdependent performance goals, and share an approach to work for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. Successful virtual teams leverage advances in technology and organizational practices to enable employees to work seamlessly across an integrated network of places including: home, satellite offices, telework centers, customer / partner sites or any other workplace outside the main office. :: :: Managing Virtual Teams – Quick Start Revision A - 2008

A Virtual Team is a group of individuals who work across time, space, and organizational boundaries.

Virtual teams typically have complementary skills and are committed to a common purpose, have interdependent performance goals, and share an approach to work for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.

Successful virtual teams leverage advances in technology and organizational practices to enable employees to work seamlessly across an integrated network of places including: home, satellite offices, telework centers, customer / partner sites or any other workplace outside the main office.

Enabling the Virtual Organization Fact: There is no silver bullet to successfully manage virtual and dispersed teams. Instead, success is largely dependent on purposeful, disciplined implementation of many good practices, most of which are already part of skilled managers’ competencies. Fact: The quality of the manager becomes increasingly important as the team becomes more virtual. :: :: Oct 2008

Fact: There is no silver bullet to successfully manage virtual and dispersed teams. Instead, success is largely dependent on purposeful, disciplined implementation of many good practices, most of which are already part of skilled managers’ competencies.

Fact: The quality of the manager becomes increasingly important as the team becomes more virtual.

Five Fundamentals There are five Management Fundamentals that every manager should have in their toolbox to help bridge the distance when leading virtual teams Proactive management Respect and trust Rigor and discipline Ownership and accountability Fun Oct 2008 :: ::

There are five Management Fundamentals that every manager should have in their toolbox to help bridge the distance when leading virtual teams

Proactive management

Respect and trust

Rigor and discipline

Ownership and accountability

Fun

Proactive Management The difference between ‘just’ managing and ‘successfully’ managing is being proactive Clearly establish team vision and goals Align with company strategy and goals Use face-to-face meetings to communicate new elements or key changes Develop and nurture team relationships Emphasize importance of team members getting to know one another Expand relationships; include personal interests along with professional Encourage input and dialogue; respect for one another Establish team protocols and processes and manage diligently Coach and mentor Get to know your employees and treat them as individuals Give unexpected rewards when employees have performed extraordinarily Send handwritten notes thanking staff for their work Find opportunities to understand what really matters to your employees Oct 2008 :: :: 1

The difference between ‘just’ managing and ‘successfully’ managing is being proactive

Clearly establish team vision and goals

Align with company strategy and goals

Use face-to-face meetings to communicate new elements or key changes

Develop and nurture team relationships

Emphasize importance of team members getting to know one another

Expand relationships; include personal interests along with professional

Encourage input and dialogue; respect for one another

Establish team protocols and processes and manage diligently

Coach and mentor

Get to know your employees and treat them as individuals

Give unexpected rewards when employees have performed extraordinarily

Send handwritten notes thanking staff for their work

Find opportunities to understand what really matters to your employees

Developing Respect and Trust Foster a culture of two-way communication. Communicate frequently and in different ways. Respect and trust erode when employees do not interact or talk with each other. Optimize employees’ strengths and motivations Get to know your employees Leverage their strengths by assigning tasks that optimize their skills Acknowledge accomplishment; verbally, figuratively and financially Value the individual Follow through with commitments. Honor the sanctity of the 1:1. This may be the only time your employee has to talk with you. Don’t take it lightly. Practice authenticity. Read and comment on routine reports. Make your employees feel their work matters. Write personal, handwritten notes to show interest and understanding Go out of your way to visit with employees where practical. You need to stay sufficiently ‘in touch’ with your team. Oct 2008 :: :: 2

Foster a culture of two-way communication. Communicate frequently and in different ways. Respect and trust erode when employees do not interact or talk with each other.

Optimize employees’ strengths and motivations

Get to know your employees

Leverage their strengths by assigning tasks that optimize their skills

Acknowledge accomplishment; verbally, figuratively and financially

Value the individual

Follow through with commitments. Honor the sanctity of the 1:1. This may be the only time your employee has to talk with you. Don’t take it lightly.

Practice authenticity. Read and comment on routine reports. Make your employees feel their work matters.

Write personal, handwritten notes to show interest and understanding

Go out of your way to visit with employees where practical. You need to stay sufficiently ‘in touch’ with your team.

Managing with Rigor and Discipline Document team output Establish routine for capturing output from team discussions Formalize a team archive for easy storage and retrieval of information Establish and enforce protocols and etiquette Proactively negotiate team rules that are equitable to all and meet the majority of your team’s needs, not just the outspoken individuals Document and communicate to all Rigorously enforce all team rules Manage meetings in efficient, disciplined manner Establish fixed times for routine team meetings allowing members to adjust their schedules Periodically or as appropriate, consider alternating call times to align when employees in other time zones are ‘fresh’ Keep conference calls interactive, never more than 60 minutes Don’t be afraid to end early if finished; don’t waste your team’s time Use technology (e.g., IM) to enhance effectiveness of meetings Engage employees on calls asking questions in the middle of presentations :: :: 3

Document team output

Establish routine for capturing output from team discussions

Formalize a team archive for easy storage and retrieval of information

Establish and enforce protocols and etiquette

Proactively negotiate team rules that are equitable to all and meet the majority of your team’s needs, not just the outspoken individuals

Document and communicate to all

Rigorously enforce all team rules

Manage meetings in efficient, disciplined manner

Establish fixed times for routine team meetings allowing members to adjust their schedules

Periodically or as appropriate, consider alternating call times to align when employees in other time zones are ‘fresh’

Keep conference calls interactive, never more than 60 minutes

Don’t be afraid to end early if finished; don’t waste your team’s time

Use technology (e.g., IM) to enhance effectiveness of meetings

Engage employees on calls asking questions in the middle of presentations

Establishing Ownership and Accountability Consistently assign action item ownership to specific individuals Make assignments clear and avoid group ownership without individual accountability Assure clear visibility of ownership and progress using team processes and collaboration tools Use a ‘scrum’ process for meetings asking each member on a routine timeframe; what have you accomplished, what do you plan to accomplish and do you need any help? Use collaboration tools like wikis to show individual progress on assignments Understand and address root cause under-performance Get to the bottom of an issue; understand the details before taking action Take action early, not necessarily immediate termination Consider the possibility of alternative assignments or roles as there may have been a miss-match of skills or abilities from a capable, motivated employee Oct 2008 :: :: 4

Consistently assign action item ownership to specific individuals

Make assignments clear and avoid group ownership without individual accountability

Assure clear visibility of ownership and progress using team processes and collaboration tools

Use a ‘scrum’ process for meetings asking each member on a routine timeframe; what have you accomplished, what do you plan to accomplish and do you need any help?

Use collaboration tools like wikis to show individual progress on assignments

Understand and address root cause under-performance

Get to the bottom of an issue; understand the details before taking action

Take action early, not necessarily immediate termination

Consider the possibility of alternative assignments or roles as there may have been a miss-match of skills or abilities from a capable, motivated employee

Importance of Having Fun Memorable events, even if low budget, cement relationships and make being part of the team fun and invigorating Carefully plan events to balance work and fun activities Include spouses or significant others, where appropriate Encourage employees to extend their stay, if possible, to make the most effective use of travel and stimulate other interests Encourage employees to interact outside of work in special organized activities such as: Sports Days where employees jointly attend events Cultural Days where employees share in artistic type activities Cultivate a culture of fun and making jokes Develop traditions like special event songs or virtual celebrations; don’t be afraid of being creative Oct 2008 :: :: 5

Memorable events, even if low budget, cement relationships and make being part of the team fun and invigorating

Carefully plan events to balance work and fun activities

Include spouses or significant others, where appropriate

Encourage employees to extend their stay, if possible, to make the most effective use of travel and stimulate other interests

Encourage employees to interact outside of work in special organized activities such as:

Sports Days where employees jointly attend events

Cultural Days where employees share in artistic type activities

Cultivate a culture of fun and making jokes

Develop traditions like special event songs or virtual celebrations; don’t be afraid of being creative

Check Your Understanding Check your understanding of the essentials managers need to employ to successfully manage remote and dispersed teams by matching fundamentals with the correct action listed in the adjacent box. Oct 2008 :: :: Actions Documenting team output, enforcing protocols and etiquette and managing meetings Optimizing employee strengths and motivations and valuing the employee Rigorously assigning ownership to specific individuals, providing clear visibility for ownership and progress and understanding root-cause under-performance Conduct memorable events, encourage employee interaction outside work and establish traditions Setting goals, nurturing team relationships, coaching and mentoring Fundamentals Proactive management Developing respect and trust Managing with rigor and discipline Establishing ownership and accountability Importance of having fun

Check your understanding of the essentials managers need to employ to successfully manage remote and dispersed teams by matching fundamentals with the correct action listed in the adjacent box.

Actions

Documenting team output, enforcing protocols and etiquette and managing meetings

Optimizing employee strengths and motivations and valuing the employee

Rigorously assigning ownership to specific individuals, providing clear visibility for ownership and progress and understanding root-cause under-performance

Conduct memorable events, encourage employee interaction outside work and establish traditions

Setting goals, nurturing team relationships, coaching and mentoring

Fundamentals

Proactive management

Developing respect and trust

Managing with rigor and discipline

Establishing ownership and accountability

Importance of having fun

Quiz Results Oct 2008 :: ::

Conclusion Although challenging, remote, dispersed or virtual teams can be successfully managed Virtual management is not accomplished by a single, comprehensive action Instead, implementation of many good, however small or seemingly insignificant, management practices in a rigorous, disciplined manner is the key to success Oct 2008 :: ::

Although challenging, remote, dispersed or virtual teams can be successfully managed

Virtual management is not accomplished by a single, comprehensive action

Instead, implementation of many good, however small or seemingly insignificant, management practices in a rigorous, disciplined manner is the key to success

Congratulations You have successfully completed the Managing Virtual Teams – Quick Start. Oct 2008 :: :: Available Quick Start Courses Managing a Virtual Team Performance Management for Remote Staff Building Effective Teams Effective Virtual Meetings Managing Team Communications Setting Expectations Building & Managing Team Affiliation Additional Telework Resources Work Anywhere Program Site Regional Work Anywhere Policies Manager’s Forum Manager Quick Start

You have successfully completed the Managing Virtual Teams – Quick Start.

Available Quick Start Courses

Managing a Virtual Team

Performance Management for Remote Staff

Building Effective Teams

Effective Virtual Meetings

Managing Team Communications

Setting Expectations

Building & Managing Team Affiliation

Additional Telework Resources

Work Anywhere Program Site

Regional Work Anywhere Policies

Manager’s Forum