five core essentials for leading virtual and remote teams

Five Core Essentials for Leading Virtual and Remote TeamsJennifer Britton, MES, CHRL, PCC, CPT

www.potentialsrealized.comVisit us online @teams365

Hosted by Jennifer BrittonPotentials Realized Host of the Teams365 BlogVisit us online at www.PotentialsRealized.comwww.CoachingTeamLeaders.comwww.GroupCoachingEssentials.com

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Welcome from Jenn

www.potentialsrealized.com, Jennifer Britton, ©2017

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Overview of the session

• Explore the similarities and differences with virtual and remote team leadership

• Identify core skills required by exceptional virtual and remote team leaders

• Discover best practices for developing and supporting virtual and remote team leaders

• Develop an action plan of resources and next steps for your organization


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Myriad of Teams


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The Context Today…Increasing interest in mobility

• 78% of 1700 North American full-time employees surveyed – highly value the ability to access work outside of the office

• 86% value being able to choose where and which hours they work

• 70% said they would quite their job for one that gives them more control over workday structures

Death of the Desk Job – Softchoice - 2015


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How do we create enabling environments for virtual teams?

• CAA – January 2017: “Bottlenecks cost drivers 11.5 million hours and 22 million litres of fuel each year” -https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/01/11/toronto-dominates-list-of-worst-traffic-jams-across-canada.html– Cost on productivity, cost of living, quality of life

• Study by Ferrazzi Greenlight : 79% reported working always or frequently in dispersed teams (HBR, Getting Virtual Teams Right, Ferrazzi, December 2014)

• 2001 study – Vijay Govindarajan and Anil Gupta found virtual teams 82% fell short of their goals and 33% rated themselves as largely unsuccessful (http://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/building-an-effective-global-business-team/)

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/01/11/toronto-dominates-list-of-worst-traffic-jams-across-canada.html

http://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/building-an-effective-global-business-team/

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http://cdn.culturewizard.com/PDF/Trends_in_VT_Report_4-17-2016.pdf



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Findings include:

Training Participation:• 22% of respondents have participated in virtual team

training,• 34% in formal global leadership training.

Challenges:• 68% reported that cultural challenges were the biggest

hurdle to global virtual team productivity. • 18% of respondents reported that their companies have lost

business opportunities because of cultural misunderstandings

• http://cdn.culturewizard.com/PDF/Trends_in_VT_Report_4-17-2016.pdfwww.potentialsrealized.com, Jennifer Britton, ©2017


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From CultureWizard 2016 Report:

o Colleagues who do not participate (79%) o Pace of decision making (79%) o Time required to make decisions (75%)o Different role expectations held by team members (74%),o Follow-through of team members (74%).

Lack of face-to-face contact has the greatest impact on productivity in the following areas:• understanding the full context of what people communicate (51%), • managing conflict (48%), • and establishing trust and building relationships (45%). http://cdn.culturewizard.com/PDF/Trends_in_VT_Report_4-17-2016.pdf (pp 5)

Biggest Challenges for Global Virtual Teamwork:



Team Performance Virtual and In person

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Context Today…



Six Factors of High Performing Teams

• Shared purpose or mission• Shared performance goals• Shared behavioral norms• Shared team practices• Shared Commitment• Clear Roles

- Katzenbach and Smith, The Wisdom of Teams



Core Essentials

Trust Connection Clarity

Relationships Influence and Liaison

What do you do to build these in your virtual teams?



Similarities – Foundations of Great Team Leadership

• Communication• Influence• Decision Making• Delegation• Project Management and Planning• Emotional Intelligence• Working Across Differences



Differences – Virtual Leadership

• Cross-cultural understanding• Creating virtual relationships• Matrix Management• Comfort with “not knowing” - VUCA



Core Characteristics – Virtual Leaders


Five core focus areas for virtual and remote team leaders

• Global • Regional• Organizational

Culture

Multiple levels of leadership

Autonomy

Matrix

Building trust and connection

Virtual Relationships

• Self-Awareness• Styles• Flexibility• Comfort with

Not Knowing

Adaptability

Working through others

Influence



That was then….

There are five core categories of effective leadership skills in virtual project team or distance-management situations:• Communicating effectively and using technology that fits the

situation• Building community, based on mutual trust, respect, fairness

and affiliation, among project team members• Establishing clear and inspiring shared goals, expectations,

purpose and vision• Leading by example with a focus on visible, measurable

results• Coordinating/collaborating across organizational boundariesQuality digest in September 1 2000 http://www.qualitydigest.com/magazine/2000/sep/article/leading-virtual-teams.html

Joyce Thompsen, 2000 - Leading Virtual Teams


http://www.qualitydigest.com/magazine/2000/sep/article/leading-virtual-teams.html


Building Trust and Connection –Virtual Teams (From Teams365 Blog)

• Regular virtual team meetings - focused and rotating• Where feasible face to face meetings, even once or

twice a year• Regular one on ones with team members continue to

be important. • Knowing each individual team members preferences

and styles continue to be important with virtual teams.(http://www.potentialsrealized.com/teams-365-blog/teams365-588-key-activities-when-leading-in-the-global-domain)

PLUS Reminder of the Six Factors of High Performing Teams


http://www.potentialsrealized.com/teams-365-blog/teams365-588-key-activities-when-leading-in-the-global-domain


This is now…

• Clarity – Around community, roles/responsibilities (matrix as well), goals

• Building trust and connection in the virtual space• Cross-cultural/global competencies• More developed communication• Leading remote – influence• Building relationships virtually• Comfort and agility around technology

Core competencies


Developing and Supporting Your Leaders


Best Practices – Developing Virtual Leaders• Provide experience and exposure to different

parts of the business• Intercultural understanding• Self-awareness

– Styles work– Coaching

• Peer Support– Group Coaching

• Mentoring



Best Practices for Developing Virtual Team Leaders/Ideal Remote Team Leader

• Look for comfort in working remotely –independent

• Comfort with ambiguity• Self-awareness• Intercultural/global skills• Clear communication• Comfort in building relationships virtually • Troubleshooting


26TeamLeaderU |Copyright 2016, Jennifer Britton | Potentials Realized | Teams365

Best Practices for Support of Virtual Leaders

• Coaching and Mentoring• Peer Support• Feedforward loops: What’s

working? What’s possible?• Resources to bring teams

together• Understanding and

recognition of the differerences

• Policies and procedures which recognize virtual complexities

• Understanding of Strengths and Styles

• Support for matrix management – Time to meet

• Support for face-to-face meetings

• Clarifying roles and responsibilities

• Clarifying process flows and responsibilities



Support for New Virtual Team Leaders

• Mentoring• Identification of additional skills training• Provide range of experience – new skills and

cultures• Development opportunities – working remote

themselves• Support for enhanced self-awareness – biases,

assumptions, – Coaching – individual or group



What’s Next For You?



Resources:

1. Penny Pullan - Virtual Leadership: Practical Strategies for Getting the Best Out of Virtual Work and Virtual Teams, 2016. Kindle Edition\

2. Trends in Virtual Teams – Culture Wizard: http://cdn.culturewizard.com/PDF/Trends_in_VT_Report_4-17-2016.pdf3. Managing a Remote Workforce - Proven Practicesor Successful Leaders - The Future of Work's White Paper.

http://www.thefutureofwork.net/assets/Managing_a_Remote_Workforce_Proven_Practices_from_Successful_Leaders.pdf

My own writing:Team and Virtual Remote Team Leadership Series – Teams365 blog at Potentials Realized.com

Virtual Chapters in From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching, Jossey-Bass, 2013 – Check out part 3 regarding building a coaching culture

Downloads at http://www.potentialsrealized.com/virtual-teams

LinkedIn Pulse Posts: 4 Tips around Virtual Team Leadership

Virtual Teams: Creating the Foundation for Success.: http://ezinearticles.com/?Virtual-Teams---Creating-The-Foundation-For-Success&id=934167




http://www.thefutureofwork.net/assets/Managing_a_Remote_Workforce_Proven_Practices_from_Successful_Leaders.pdf

http://www.potentialsrealized.com/virtual-teams

http://ezinearticles.com/?Virtual-Teams---Creating-The-Foundation-For-Success&id=934167


Connect with Us

Connect : (416)996-TEAM (8326) OR [email protected] Blog: http://www.potentialsrealized.com/teams-365-blogPinterest: jennjbrittonTwitter: @jennbrittonFacebook: PotentialsRealizedAlso: CoachingTeamLeaders.com

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five core essentials for leading virtual and remote teams

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