Communica)ng 
in 
the 
Virtual 
World! 
Lars 
Sudmann 
mail@lars-­‐sudmann.com 
@LarsSudmann 
!
Flickr/Andy_Magee
Audiences 
„Virtual 
Led“ 
Virtual 
Leader 
Leadership 
Lecturer 
Organizational 
Advisor
Why 
should 
I 
care 
about 
the 
‘remote’ 
environment?
More 
than 
200 
million 
people 
work 
in 
remote 
environments 
Source: Manpower
Virtual teams can 
outperform co-located 
teams 
Source: Siebdrat, Hoegl, Ernst 2009
…but…
How 
does 
it 
feel 
to 
meet 
like 
this?
Like 
this? 
Flickr/jerrybunkers
Or 
more 
like 
this? 
90% 
of 
virtual 
team 
members 
complain 
in 
the 
beginning 
about 
insufficient 
possibility 
to 
build 
rela)onships 
and 
trust* 
*Source: 
e.g. 
RW3 
study 
report 
hCp://rw-­‐3.com/VTSReportv7.pdf
Google 
Powerpoint 
Karaoke
Explore
10 Tips & Tools
mail@lars-sudmann.com 
@larssudmann
Foundation #1
2x2 place ‘Remote 
Mindset’ 
‘Leveraging 
technology’ 
Focus 
needed 
Tech 
overload 
Under-­‐ 
u)lized 
Full 
remote 
power
Foundation #2
Do you remember 
your last phone 
conference?
Mute 
all
Foundation 
Know Your 
Technology by Heart
#1 
Don’t share your 
desktop
#2 
Visualize 
everything
Topic Time Who? Next 
Step Until 
when?
#3 
Make Mini-Movies
TV
Change
Change
Integrated Pest Management - the 
three step pest situation 
assessment 
In a first step we need to analyze info 
from scouting and pest identification. 
The second step is the cost benefit 
analysis, where we need to assess 
the control cost vs. damage cost. 
After that, we should in a third step 
determine the exact need for pest 
control.
Pest Situation Assessment: 
A 3-step approach 
n Step 1: Analyze 
info from scouting and pest identification 
n Step 2: Cost Benefit Analysis 
control cost vs. damage cost 
n Step 3: Determine 
need for pest control
Pest Situation 
Assessment
3-step 
approach
Analyze 
info from scouting and pest 
identification 
1
Compare 
control cost vs. damage cost 
2
Determine 
need for pest control 
3
#4 
Speak like a 
Radio DJ
Radio
#Intermezzo
“Alright, 
let 
me 
send 
this 
email”
“Now 
the 
phone 
call…”
“I 
will 
just 
update 
the 
micro-­‐blog 
of 
the 
company”
“Let’s 
do 
a 
video 
conference 
with 
my 
new 
team”
“Ok…that 
is 
done…work 
went 
well 
today”
“She 
was 
typing 
all 
the 
Ume 
while 
on 
the 
phone 
– 
he 
does 
not 
care!” 
“’Do 
that!’ 
as 
email 
text 
How 
rude 
of 
him!” 
E-Mail Phone 
Video Blog 
“Did 
you 
see 
that 
funny 
picture 
in 
the 
background? 
Was 
he 
in 
his 
kid’s 
room?” 
“How 
banal 
-­‐ 
here 
surely 
is 
somebody 
who 
cannot 
blog… 
and 
even 
spelling 
mistakes….hahaha”
…
#Intermezzo 
Reflect on your 
virtual Image
#5 
Be a video star
#6 
Scribble
#Intermezzo 
Virtual Audience 
Retention
#7 
Interact
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 
Yes 
No 
Who 
cares?
www.polleverywhere.com
#8 
Break out
#9 
Co-Create
Advantages Disadvantages 
Work from 
home 
24/7 project work in 
global teams 
Communica 
tion issues 
Not so 
personal 
Best practices No No’s 
Proactive 
reaching 
Interactout 
ive 
meetings 
Making 
assumption 
Expecting s in emails 
that ‘they 
will notice it’
Strength Weaknesses 
Opportunities Threats
#10 
Do virtual 
teambuilding
Teambuilding
Games 
Relax 
Insights 
Human 
Fun 
Non-­‐work 
Play 
Stories 
Work/Life 
bond 
Geng 
to 
know
25000 
20000 
15000 
10000 
5000 
0 
# 
Tech 
Manuals 
in 
Companies 
# 
Read 
Tech 
Manuals 
in 
Companies
25000 
20000 
15000 
10000 
5000 
0 
# 
Tech 
Manuals 
in 
Companies 
# 
Read 
Tech 
Manuals 
in 
Companies
5 minute tips
#6 Scribble 
#1 Don’t share your desktop 
#7 Interact 
#8 Break out 
#9 Co-create 
#10 Virtual teambuilding 
#2 Visualize everything 
#3 Make mini movies 
#4 Radio DJ 
#5 Video star
Happy 
Birthday 
Robert
Communica)ng 
in 
the 
Virtual 
World! 
Lars 
Sudmann 
mail@lars-­‐sudmann.com 
@LarsSudmann 
!

Communicating in the virtual world