Virtual Leadership

Leadership Development Program

AIESEC in Spain

Virtual Leadership

Leadership in a digital age….

PurposeA participative online training

that enables participants to make the shift from ‘physical’

leadership to ‘virtual’ leadership

OutcomesParticipants have: Reflected on their virtual leadership

image and impact

Gained insights on how to effectively lead virtual teams

…

Let’s get started!

But first…

Get your mobile phone!

Send an SMS to someone who is currently in another country and ask:

• What’s the weather like this time a year?

• What do you normally have for breakfast?

• What does a coffee cost in EUR (in a bar)?

Virtual Leadership

We all use the technology…

Challenge is in mindset!

Challenge is not in technology but mindset

• Computer literate people are master ‘parallel processors’ – high bandwidth, short focus

– 32% are doing “something else” on their computer while Instant Messaging or conference calling

– 20% are doing something else off their computer (e.g. talking, watching TV)*

• Highly structured approaches are often resisted and bypassed with their own networks

– ‘Nearly half our virtual teams used IM even when the Company barred its use’ **

* IM User Study Pew Foundation 2004

** Shell case study –May 2004 HBR Can absence make the team grow stronger?

Learning channels

Synchronus A-Synchronus

Co-lo

cated

Virtual

Time

Space

VOIP/Tele-conferences-

Video/web cam conferences

Email

On-line discussions

Chat rooms

Instant messaging

Shared web space

Texting

Wiki

Video

Blog

Workshops Individual learning

Exercise

Communication – the virtual difference –likelihood message gets interpreted correctly

high

low

Face to face interaction

Video conferencingVOIP and teleconferencing with chat facilityTeleconferencing

SMS/ instant messaging

Email/ text

Fax/ letter

AIESEC virtual teams use a lot of a-synchronous communication channels

high

low

Face to face interaction

Video conferencingVOIP and teleconferencing with chat facilityTeleconferencing

SMS/ instant messaging

Email/ text

Fax/ letter

Communication – the virtual difference –likelihood message gets interpreted correctly

high

low

Face to face interaction

Video conferencingVOIP and teleconferencing with chat facilityTeleconferencing

SMS/ instant messaging

Email/ text

Fax/ letterKey areas for VT

effectiveness

Best practice in virtual communication

• Prevent “noise”

• To the point (KISS)

• Deliberately choose communication channel

• Be creative!

• Emotion is the future!!

Best practice in teleconferencing

Best practice in teleconferencing – tips

• Agenda distributed in advance

• Open call 15 minutes beforehand to allow for ‘chit chat’ or playing virtual games

• Always start on time – stragglers will catch up and soon learn to come on time

• Always finish on time – optimal time is 30 min to one hour

• Start every meeting with ‘round robin’ – introductions and/or OK with agenda (introduce some fun element – best joke, gossip etc)

• Allocate time for each agenda item and be brutal in keeping to it. Summarize at end of time and be explicit about next steps

Best practice in teleconferencing – tips

• Avoid open questions – e.g. does anyone have comments? –instead direct questions to individuals

• Summarize regularly the key points of the discussion

• Allow some time for emotional breaks – playing music at the end of each agenda item

• At end invite everyone in ‘round robin’ for a short comment (or on the meeting as a powerful way of closing and a chance for people to give final input)

• Give role of minute taker to someone else in the team

• Write up and distribute actions by email within 24 hours

CommitmentHow will we do it?

OrientationWhy am I here?

ImplementationWhat, when, who

does what?

Goal clarificationWhat are we doing?

High performingWow!

Trust buildingWho are you?

RenewalWhy continue?

Virtual vs. Physical teams

Virtual teams

How is your virtual teaming

XP?

Structure versus Emergence in VT Planning

Highly structured

‘Picture by

numbers’ project

plan

Emergence

organic activity

driven by deadlines

Structured

spontaneity

- short cycles of

action learning

Best practice in virtual project planning I

• All data in one place e.g. shared web space

• Shared web space designed around project plan framework so easy to navigate

• Short cycle of action plans and review

– e.g. in 3 month project – 1st review after 3 days, then 1 week, then weeks when team has stabilized

Best practice in virtual project planning II

• Sub groups set up to take ownership

• Teleconference schedule set up to support review processes

• Roles and responsibilities clearly identified

– project leader, sub groups leaders and virtual team ‘historian’ or ‘administrator’

Check out:www.huddle.net

As a virtual leader you

want:

Achievement

Highperforming

team

Clear communication

Smooth functioning

team

Which seems easy when:

You can have impromptu meetings

Hallway conversations

(coffee corner conversations)

Office debriefs(physical team meetings)

Entire team is in the same location

SHIT!

But wait!

GOOD news!!

Choice…

Video

What are you really passionate

about?

How will you share that passion

with people all around the

world?

What is the ‘virtual’ signature / impact you’re leaving behind?

YOUR

Virtual LEADER

Additional information

Best practice in IM

• Insert summaries and overview comments in threaded conversations

• Send out headings to team members to encourage contribution

• Regular deletion and archiving – keep it current

• Use your “NAME”!!!

E-mail efficiency

• Schedule fixed moments for email

• “Only touch it once” principle

• File-in incoming emails immediately:

– Immediately trash no value added mails

– Update regularly (avoid “To do” buckets)

– Structure Inbox – Off line 1:1

– Use specific “headers” [Big 5] WeCanD agenda

Bibliography

• Effective Virtual Teams Through Communities of Practice – Chris Kimble, Feng Li, Alexis Barlow 2001

• The Discipline of Virtual Teams – Katzenbach & Smith 2001

• Can Absence Make the Team Grow Stronger – Ann Majchzak, Harvard Business Review 2004

• Leading Virtual Teams – Gould 1997

• Virtual Teams – The Wide Awake Club – Ron Young 2003

• Workers Fear Cooperating in Virtual Teams May Make Them Obsolete –Margaret A. Neale, Stanford Business School 2003

• Teams That Span Time Zones Face New Work Rules – Bill Snyder, Stanford Business School 2003

• Starting up a Virtual team – Stu. Noble, 3D Learning

• The Future of Work – Thomas Malone , Harvard Business School Press 2004

World scan of thought leadership in virtual teaming

Organisation Location Key Players Focus

Full Circle

http://www.fullcirc.com

Seattle, USA Nancy White Virtual facilitation training, communities of learning

NetAge – virtual teams

http://www.virtualteams.com

West Newton, Massachusetts, USA

Jessica Lipnack, Jeffrey Stamps

Collaborative software and virtual team skills

Pioneer Spirit

http://www.pioneerspirit.com

Marshall School of Business, USC, California USA

Cristina Gibson, Susan Cohen

Collaborative software, virtual team training

Global Integration

http://www.global-integration.com

UK and US Fons Trompenaars

Remote team training, cross cultural skills

World scan of thought leadership in virtual teaming

Organisation Location Key Players Focus

Pentacle, The Virtual business school

Pentacle, The Virtual business school

Pentacle, The Virtual business school

Pentacle, The Virtual business school

Global Business Network/MIT

http://www.gbn.com

Boston, USA Thomas Malone

Academic –decentralised organisations (The Future of Work)

Grove Consultants

http://www.grove.com

US Drexler/Sibbet

Virtual Team Performance model