10 essentials for developing virtual leaders

About the Author

Kathy Sherwood is the Director of Leadership and Organizational Development for InfoPro Learning. Prior to InfoPro Learning, she was the founder and senior partner of a global leadership development company for more than 20 years.

Kathy’s specialty is creating a customized blend of workshops, coaching, simulations, and e-learning tools to provide leaders and managers with a competitive advantage, while also maximizing the return on training investment for their organizations

10 Essentials for Developing Virtual Leaders

The number of virtual teams is growing in every organization

as technology and communication make it easier for team

members to collaborate and work together across regions,

diverse geographies and time zones.

http://www.infoprolearning.com/blog/how-to-identify-culture-of-accountability-infopro-learning/


There is a strong business case for augmenting your

leadership development programs with training targeted

for virtual team leaders because of the special challenges

they face.


10 Essentials for Developing

Virtual Leaders


1. Leadership Differences

Made Explicit



1. Leadership Differences Made Explicit

What is the same and what is different when leading virtual teams? The

essential leadership difference can be summed up in one word – planning.

Whether someone has been a virtual leader for some time or is new to the

role, making the leadership framework differences explicit is essential to help

those assume the role and see leadership in a new way.


2. Team Kick-off



2. Team Kick-off

The essential components of getting to know one another in the all-

important face-to-face kick-off sessions is often overlooked in a virtual team.

Because of time constraints and the task focus when communicating, how do

team members build the engagement, the camaraderie and the commitment

to one another that support not only employee engagement, but also getting

the work done on time and within budget?


3. Team Processes



3. Team Processes

Virtual leaders need to pay far more attention to the details of internal

processes and practices and make these far more explicit. Taking the time to

plan these processes and gain agreement in advance will save time, and make

the group far more productive and the discussion time more focused.



3. Team Processes

Such processes that need to be outlined and agreed to include:

• Shared leadership

• Meeting Agendas/ Notes

• Communication Charters

• Task Clarification

• Decision Matrixes

• Conflict Resolution

• Deliverable Dashboards

4. Communication Is the Key



4. Communication Is the Key

Less Is More –Virtual leaders often assume that it is critical to continually

engage team members with e-mails, instant messaging, etc. to ensure they stay

focused. One of the keys to the communication charter is to come up with a

protocol so information overload does not lead to people tuning out. Having

a way to bundle updates, and then make clear when decisions need to be

made or a return e-mail is required, is an important element of that charter.


5. Virtual Water Cooler




Everyone has a vision of people gathering around and talking about their

weekend, whether their favorite team won, or who is getting married next

month. With virtual teams, how do you create this kind of ongoing dialogue

that provides team engagement while the tough work of the project is

getting done?




Some ideas include starting each WebEx or call with a few minutes of “what’s

happening in your world” updates as well as using social media. While time is

essential, consider the 50 percent decline of on-time performance results of

virtual team members when they are not truly committed to one another.


6. Teambuilding



6. Teambuilding

The virtual leader is in an ideal position to observe the team, know the work

that needs to be accomplished and detect gaps in performance, engagement

and collaboration. The virtual leader wants to clarify roles and at the same

time allow the group of professionals to find their own way to accomplish

work most productively.



6. Teambuilding

Work with internal OD, HR or training professionals and creating short,

targeted training sessions – especially on the essentials of collaboration,

innovation and managing the project – can be very effective.


7. Check-ins and Celebrations




Having a systematic approach to calls with smaller teams, or with larger

teams, sub-groups and individuals, is an essential part of the work of the

virtual leader. Having a rotation of who to check in with each week is

important when leading multiple team members or even leaders of several

teams.




When people work in isolation from one another, these check-ins are so

important to ensure there is a process to recognize milestone achievements,

brainstorm when people “get stuck”, and celebrate not just the larger

accomplishments but also day-to-day achievements.


8. Provide Cultural

Awareness Training



8. Provide Cultural Awareness Training

If team members have not worked with people from other countries, have a

global diversity expert spend time providing insights about cultural

differences and similarities plus potential challenges that this team might face.

Continue to bring up these differences periodically during regular meetings

and ongoing teambuilding.


9. Agree on a Shared

Language



9. Agree on a Shared Language

Especially when the work is very technical and problem solving needs to be

done by small groups of people, there may be need for sub-teams to agree on

a different language to optimize their capabilities. Take the time to be explicit

about common words and phrases that may have different meanings in

different cultures, such as “yes.”


10. Balance Time Zones



10. Balance Time Zones

When virtual meetings need to take place at “off hours” for a segment of the

team, change the meeting time so mornings or late evenings are shared

among team members.


If you are looking for help developing Virtual Instructors

in your Organization, don’t hesitate to call us!

Infopro Learning’s Leadership offerings are customized to

meet your training needs with 20 years of experience

developing virtual leaders of the future.


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http://www.infoprolearning.com/blog/10-essentials-for-developing-virtual-leaders-leadership-development-programs/


http://www.infoprolearning.com/blog/10-essentials-for-developing-virtual-leaders-leadership-development-programs/

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10 essentials for developing virtual leaders

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