Leading Virtual and Remote Teams

You Will Learn How To

Build and lead virtual and remote teams to create success in the global workplace
Adapt your leadership approach to meet the unique demands of working globally
Foster key relationships that develop and maintain collaboration and successful team performance
Facilitate effective and productive teams using a variety of communication technologies
Diagnose and manage the risks and benefits of distance and cultural diversity
Design an action plan to optimise your team's effectiveness

Course Benefits

Whether communicating with a colleague in the next office or across the world, virtual and remote working (VRW) is the norm of the twenty-first century. In this course, you gain the skills to lead teams that deliver results across multisite and multinational environments. You learn to manage the collaboration of virtual teams via e-communications and enhance productivity by balancing technological and human communications.

Who Should Attend

Managers, project managers, directors and anyone who leads or collaborates with virtual, remote, third-party or international teams.

Workshop Course

Interactive, small-group workshops reinforce the concepts presented in the class. Activities include:

Quantifying the effects of separation
Creating a team vision and success criteria
Evaluating communication technologies
Mapping and analysing the team environment
Analysing stakeholder priorities
Identifying actions to optimise virtual working effectiveness

Course Content

Introduction and Overview

Defining virtual and remote working
Dealing with the realities of effective global teamwork
Identifying the benefits and impacts of separation factors

Creating a Leadership Model for the Virtual World

Overcoming the challenges of working in virtual teams

Planning to meet the challenges of a 24-hour world
Unique characteristics of virtual and remote leadership

Analysing the impact of distance on collaborative working

Comparing working together with working apart
Factoring in the effect of trust among team members

Establishing the foundation for effective collaboration

Defining "team" in a wider and more productive sense
Providing what team members need to be successful

Developing Your Virtual Team

Evaluating your readiness

Assessing organisational and management capabilities
Recognising team potential

Building and maintaining a successful virtual team

Identifying key staff competencies and qualities
Establishing trust across your virtual teams
Mapping the key relationships to enhance team success
Investing in virtual team effectiveness

Building networks and relationships with key influencers

Analysing the perspectives and priorities of stakeholders
Implementing the most effective factor for VRW success

Managing the dynamics of virtual teams

Generating team ground rules to enhance effectiveness
Orienting new remote team members
Running effective virtual team start-up sessions

Working across Organisational Boundaries

Collaborating inside and outside of your organisation

Navigating organisational and political complexities
Creating strategies for building relationships

Applying best practices to outsourcing

Practical tips for building productive relationships
Assessing key risks associated with outsourcing

Technology, Communication and the Virtual Workplace

Enhancing the benefits of virtual collaboration

Distinguishing the six key communication content areas
Addressing key behaviours unique to virtual workers
Generating structured processes for selecting the right medium for key team activities

Leveraging key virtual technologies

E-mail
Intranets/Extranets
IM
Blogs
Wikis
Social Networking
Conferencing and collaboration tools
Tips for using e-mail efficiently
Evaluating virtual tools to maximise communication

Managing Diversity and Distance

Working with cultural diversity

Exploring levels and categories of culture
Responding positively to the range and depth of cultures
Incorporating cultural differences to benefit the team

When things go wrong at a distance

Proactive approaches to conflict pressure points
Overcoming the isolation factor

Creating an Action Plan to Lead Virtual Work

Taking a proactive approach to daily leadership

Refocusing leadership actions using a three-level model
Adapting a communication plan to track progress

Establishing a personal action plan for success

Practical tips for successfully managing virtual work
Instituting your personal leadership success criteria
Shifting to a new set of leadership priorities
Adopting a leadership strategy based on collaborative teamwork and structured communication

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