1  

Leading a virtual team

Some principles

Hands on tips

Tools

   

 

  2  

ep 1: the basic right eam e e iveness

Virtual working is v Independent work activities v Physically separated by time & space v Interaction primarily electronically

Team needs v Complementary skills v Agreed performance goals v Agreed team rules v Shared accountabilities v Group dynamic

  3  

1) Mission: Sense of purpose + team and individual performance objectives 2) Roles and responsibilities: clarity + expectations/deliverables 3) Communication: Methods and way of working principles 4) Group dynamic: Interpersonal & team relationship

Step 2: Team needs clari y and consensus on

  4  

1. Agree on how you will communicate: * Blend of structured and informal rules for how and when you will communicate

- Electronically, F2F, phone… - Team, 121

* Agree on timeframe for responding to emails * Agree on: frequency of meetings in order to provide updates and swap ideas include

F2F meetings periodically for - Performance review - Kick off / closure big project - Celebrate team success

* Agree on reasonable guidelines about when to call 2. Identify methods for sharing knowledge and work so it is easily accessible

ep 3: Build community

Communication plan

 

  5  

Developing and Integrating a Communication Plan- Example

Key Tasks

Face-to -Face

WebEx

Telephone Tele-

conference

E-mail Minimum

Frequency

Team Meetings

Best ☺

OK D

OK D

For budget and details

Monthly but face to face at least 2x a year

Regular Reporting

For detailed discussion

Best ☺ Monthly or

other agreed period

Regular catch up with individuals

Best ☺ (be available for calls)

OK D

1 or 2 times weekly

Regular catch up with team

Best ☺ Best ☺ OK D

1 or 2 times weekly

Unstructured time available

Good for wandering around

Best ☺

Schedule 'unstructured time'

Appraisal and career feedback

Best ☺

At least 3 times annually

Objectives kick- off

Best ☺

Annually at project launch

 

  6  

* Starting with you Do what you say you will do be available Handle sensitive issues with discretion (phone-F2F) Touch your team everyday in a variety of ways Visit your team members a couple of times/year

* Build your team by establishing strong relationship /create a sense of “we”:

Understand how team members operate (MBTI-Belbin)* T e a m members understand each others styles / preferences Strengthen with team building activity especially at beginning of the year

* Manage by results:

Define and track metrics to ensure goals are achieved R eview on regular basis deliverables via coaching sessions Celebrate success when team achieves goals

* Cultural awareness

Cultural differences are a nuisance at best and often a disaster Geert Hofstede cultural dimensions site gives you insights into o t h e r cultures so that you can be more effective when interacting with people in other countries (www.geert-hofstede.com)

ep 4 Create trust in your team

Interpersonal  &  team  relationship,  cultural  awareness  

 

  7  

v Be available. When you absolutely cannot be reached, reply a.s.a.p. v Sometimes good to use the technology tools your team members prefer v Communicate sensitive or complex issues over the phone… v Communicate daily via email, phone, in person, WebEx’s, IM etc. v Maximize each opportunity to build relationship with the team v Do 121 conversation around Performance settings and reviews

Kick off and finishing big project Celebrate success (individually and or team)

v Do 121 for period of time if: tasks are very operational with lot of changes v Do formal team meetings for - Planning and decision making reasons

o Sharing and align objectives (team) v Minimum on a quarterly bases (more if team is new) v Create a blogging network - make yourself highly visible and accessible

 

  8  

v Build and recognise the team on the strength of their differences (MBTI-Belbin) v Let team members work in pairs for a couple of weeks to help your team ‘gel’ v Encourage team members to keep in touch with one another v Have minimum twice a year team gathering - find something that everyone will

appreciate v Encourage team members to use Instant messaging (IM): it gives them the

feeling they working in the office v Focus on the results: tangible (what) and intangible (how) v Show interest in the individual personal life v Use 360º tool as a formal development tool v Give regular verbal feedback v Put full address, job title and numbers in all your e-mails

 

  9  

1.MBTI: Myers-Briggs Type indicator: This tool helps people to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and how they interact with others, helping them improve how they communicate, work and learn. This is all due to basic differences in how people take in information and make decisions about it. Sample: See back up slide.

2.BELBIN: This test was developed to determine your preferred team roles easily. Sample: Please find the team role profiles at the end of the presentation

3. 360º Tool Self-assessment online tool related to competencies, behaviors, attitudes or opinions on revised leadership capabilities.

4.Team effectiveness questionnaires This questionnaire is designed to identify team strength's and weaknesses Sample: Please find the questionnaires at the end of this p r e s e n t a t i o n .

Tools available - Team dynamics

 

  10  

E Extraversion Introversion I Energized primarily by outer world of people and events

Energized primarily by inner world of ideas

S Sensing Intuition N Work primarily with known facts

T Thinking

Base decisions primarily on impersonal analysis, logical and principles

J Judging Prefer a planned, decided, orderly way of life

Look primarily for possibilities and

relationships between facts

Feeling F Base decisions primarily

on personal values

Perceiving P Prefer a flexible, spontaneous way

of life

[Source: Peter Briggs Myers and Katharine Myers]

 

 

Co-Ordinator Personal Characteristics

▪ Mature ▪ Confident ▪ Trusting

Team Role Contributions ▪ Clarifies goals and

priorities ▪ Promotes decision

making ▪ Controls and co-

ordinates the team Allowable weaknesses

▪ Not markedly creative

Plant Personal Characteristics

▪ Intelligent ▪ Imaginative ▪ Unorthodox

Team Role Contributions ▪ Creates

original ideas ▪ Solves

difficult problems

▪ Takes a radical approach

Allowable weakness

Monitor - Evaluator Personal Characteristics

▪ Analytical ▪ Intelligent ▪ Objective

Team Role Contributions ▪ Evaluates and

questions ideas ▪ Seeks options ▪ Judges likely

outcomes accurately

Allowable weakness

Team worker Personal Characteristics

▪ Friendly / warm ▪ Accommodating ▪ Empathetic

Team Role Contributions ▪ Listens ▪ Builds team

harmony ▪ Encourages others

Allowable weaknesses ▪ Not comfortable

with friction

Shaper Personal Characteristics

▪ Highly strung ▪ Outgoing ▪ Dynamic

Team Role Contributions ▪ Ensures action ▪ Takes a lead ▪ Finds way around

obstacles Allowable weaknesses

▪ May suppress others’ views

  Resource Investigator Personal Characteristics

▪ Extrovert ▪ Enthusiastic ▪ Net worker

Team Role Contributions ▪ Explores new

possibilities ▪ Develops contacts –

knows “a man who can”

▪ Brings in ideas

Implementer Personal Characteristics

▪ Disciplined ▪ Reliable ▪ Well

organised Team Role Contributions

▪ Organises ▪ Turns ideas and

plans into action ▪ Carries out detailed

Complete - Finisher Personal Characteristics

▪ Painstaking ▪ Conscientious ▪ Anxious

Team Role Contributions ▪ Ensures details

are covered Keeps self and others

to schedule

BELBIN ROLES

 

 

Please complete the questionnaire below. Key: 1. Strongly disagree 2. Tend to disagree 3. Undecided 4. Tend to agree 5. Strongly agree Attract & Align 1.The purpose of the team is clear to me. 1 2 3 4 5 2.The right people are on the team to enable it to achieve it’s purpose. 3.People have the skills necessary to the success of the team. 4.Everyone on the team shares the same p u r p o s e . 5. The team is about the right size.

Build Productive Relationships 6. Team members know and trust each other. 7. I can rely on my colleagues in the team to do what they say they will do. 8.Our team has about the right level of diversity it needs to be effective. 9.We value a range of styles and types of people and behaviour in the team. 10.Reporting structures and relationships in the team are clear to me. 11.I feel I have the authority I need to get my job done within the team.

Team questionnaires - How are we doing 1 2

 

 

Team questionnaires – How are we doing 2 / 2 Manage Yourself / Add Value to Others 18. The amount of travel we have to do is ok. 1 2 3 4 5 19. I see other team members as often as I need to. 20. I see my manager as often as I need to. 21. I think the activities of the team are visible to the organisation. 22. I am clear about the expectations that other members of the team have of me. 23. I get about the right level of performance feedback from my manager.

Improve connections 24. We communicate well in the team. 25. We use the available communication technologies effectively in the team. 26.Language and culture are not barriers to communication in the team. 27.The members of the team have the right level of communication skills. 28.We work together well as a team

Facilitate Learning 29.Members of the team learn effectively from one another. 30.The team is good at continuously improving its performance. 31.We regularly review the process of how we work as well as the content of what we do. 32.The team has good contacts with the rest of the o r g a n i s a t i o n . 33.Team members are generally receptive to outside ideas and new initiatives.