The secrets to leading virtual or dispersed agile teamsKorrine Jones

OD Consulting

Overview

Capabilities of successful virtual team leaders

The importance of creating shared vision and values

Tips for managing individual performance

Techniques for building trust

Ideas for leveraging tools and processes to develop a strong sense of team

Tips on using communication tools wisely

Real Leadership (Virtually)

Secrets to successfully combining agile and virtual teams

Top notch leadership

Clear goals and objectives

Periodic face to face meetings

Frequent communications

Decoupling of distributed sites

Minimisation of time differences

Careful attention to cultural differences

Maximised communication quality

(Source: Frico, 2013, Eckstein, 2013)

Capabilities of successful virtual leaders

Excellent communicator across a wide range of media

Very good listener

Skilled in encouraging open dialogue

Focused on clarifying goals and guidelines

Focused on team development and aware of virtual team dynamics

Culturally sensitive and flexible

Results focused and relationship oriented, nurturing trust across the team

Comfortable and skilled at identifying and handling conflict

A skilled facilitator who can engage all team members, even at a distance

(Ferrazzi, 2014; ASTD, 2013; Caulat, 2006; Johnson, 2008; O’Neill, 2012)

Self-awareness

Self-regulation

Empathy

Social skills

Developing a shared vision

Developing a social contract

Leadership Model corporate vision and values and these

team values

Responsibility and integrity Do what you say you’re going to do

Respect Acknowledge electronic communication within

agreed timeframes

Teamwork Connect with other team members regularly

Creativity Think outside the square

Social contract

Application Health Social Contract - “We will...”

Actively make continuous improvement part of our way of working and seek automation opportunities to reduce cost, increase simplicity, reliability, scalability, flexibility and self-service.

Eliminate waste, unnecessary actions, interactions, meetings, processes and tasks and focus on must and should haves.

Ensure we engage more with our customers and SMEs (Don’t assume. Understand the problem and manage expectations)

Maintain close and positive relationships with our Stakeholders, Partners and Vendors

Embrace our strategy, leadership profiles and WOW values, principals and processes.

Be accountable! (JIRA, Wall, Remedy, Admin and compliance, our activities)

Raise blockers and seek assistance to ensure we, as a team, deliver on all work that we have committed to

Be conscious of remote staff/partners and flexible hours within the team when planning meetings or communicating team decisions and news.

Attend on time, be prepared and contribute at all meetings.

Ensure everyone has the opportunity to present their point of view and be heard when making team decisions.

Be professional, positive and constructive, work together on challenges and then support team decisions with unity.

Be flexible and adaptive to change. See all change as an opportunity.

Take ownership of our own development and performance.

Follow the Bank’s hot desk policies including storing you belongings, cleaning up each day and booking your desk

Comply with all policies and guidelines when working from home.

• Clearly articulated goals, plans and processes

• Clear roles

• Solid induction

Clear processes

High

Team Performance

Low

DispersionLow (same floor) High (different continent)

Clarity of processes high

(Source: Siebdrat, Hoegl and Ernst, 2009)

Clarity of processes low

Select the right people and integrate them

•Self starters

•Tech savvy

•Autonomous

•Actively reach out to collaborate

Manage by outcomes

GROW coaching process

•WHAT COULD YOU DO?

•WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE?

•WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU?

•WHAT WILL YOU DO?

•WHEN WILL YOU DO IT?

•WHAT SUPPORT WILL YOU NEED?

•WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW?

•WHAT HAVE YOU DONE SO FAR?

•THE HARD, COLD BRUTAL FACTS.

•WHAT IS YOUR DESIRED OUTCOME?

•WHAT DO YOU WANT?

•WHAT’S THE LONG TERM OBECTIVE IN MIND?

Goal Reality

Options

What, when,

The WILL

(Whitmore, J. 2009)

GROW Coaching

model

GROW coaching process

•WHAT COULD YOU DO?

•WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE?

•WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU?

•WHAT WILL YOU DO?

•WHEN WILL YOU DO IT?

•WHAT SUPPORT WILL YOU NEED?

•WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW?

•WHAT HAVE YOU DONE SO FAR?

•THE HARD, COLD BRUTAL FACTS.

•WHAT IS YOUR DESIRED OUTCOME?

•WHAT DO YOU WANT?

•WHAT’S THE LONG TERM OBECTIVE IN MIND?

Goal Reality

Options

What, when,

The WILL

(Whitmore, J. 2009)

GROW Coaching

model

GROW coaching process

•WHAT COULD YOU DO?

•WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE?

•WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU?

•WHAT WILL YOU DO?

•WHEN WILL YOU DO IT?

•WHAT SUPPORT WILL YOU NEED?

•WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW?

•WHAT HAVE YOU DONE SO FAR?

•THE HARD, COLD BRUTAL FACTS.

•WHAT IS YOUR DESIRED OUTCOME?

•WHAT DO YOU WANT?

•WHAT’S THE LONG TERM OBECTIVE IN MIND?

Goal Reality

Options

What, when,

The WILL

(Whitmore, J. 2009)

GROW Coaching

model

GROW coaching process

•WHAT COULD YOU DO?

•WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE?

•WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU?

•WHAT WILL YOU DO?

•WHEN WILL YOU DO IT?

•WHAT SUPPORT WILL YOU NEED?

•WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW?

•WHAT HAVE YOU DONE SO FAR?

•THE HARD, COLD BRUTAL FACTS.

•WHAT IS YOUR DESIRED OUTCOME?

•WHAT DO YOU WANT?

•WHAT’S THE LONG TERM OBECTIVE IN MIND?

Goal Reality

Options

What, when,

The WILL

(Whitmore, J. 2009)

GROW Coaching

model

Build one on one relationships

•Deliberate regular contact

•Focus on those most remote

•Purely social conversations

Needs and expectations

Trust

Expectations•Regular meetings•Holidays•Fun workplace

Needs•Financial security•Respect•Belonging

(Source: Hall, V., 2013.)

Replicate water cooler conversations

Face to face……if possible

• Speeds up trust building

• Develop shared vision, values and plans

• Include social interaction

Meet often - virtually

Virtual wall

Virtual stand ups

Virtual celebrations

Create rituals and symbols

• Agree on how to communicate

• Develop communication and meeting protocols

• Choose and use tools wiselyLeverage communication tools

Consider the richness of your communication channels

RICHNESS TOOLS

Low Policy documents

Guidelines and procedures

Email

Moderate Teleconference

Telephone

Document/desktop sharing

Discussion boards

Instant messaging

High Video conference

Face-to-face

Overview

Capabilities of successful virtual team leaders

The importance of creating shared vision and values

Tips for managing individual performance

Techniques for building trust

Ideas for leveraging tools and processes to develop a strong sense of team

Tips on using communication tools wisely

Questions

Additional Resources

For whitepapers, blogs, newsletters and more information

www.odconsulting.com.au

OD Consulting

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