virtual leadership: ten key strategies

Catherine Mercer BingManaging Director, ITAP Americas, Inc. (w) 1.215.860.5640http://www.itapintl.com

1©2015 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Leading Virtual Teams:

10 Key Strategies

http://www.itapintl.com/

Virtual Leadership: 10 Key Strategies

1. Establish leader credibility

2. Create a compelling challenge

3. Share information (internal and external to the team)

4. Clarify project scope, milestones, roles, deliverables, and handoffs of dependent variables

5. Manage performance

6. Help team members create opportunities for build virtual relationships

7. Avoid communication pitfalls

8. Hold effective team meetings and follow-up after meetings

9. Establish protocols for communicating…– What technology works best for team members– How to write an effective email– How to leave an effective voice mail message– How to use other technologies ( video and telephone conferencing)

10. Celebrate successes, even small ones

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©2015 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

1a. Establish Leader Credibility

For those who were socialized with Individual and Achievement Orientations…• Share some of your background – focus on task achievement

– Experience with teams (Number of years/teams , Examples of teams they may recognize as having accomplished good things, Leaders who were your mentors, Accomplishments and previous responsibilities on teams)

– Describe some of the more difficult experiences you had and how you believe you would handle a similar situation on this team.

For those who were socialized with Quality of Life and Group Orientations…• Share some of your background – focus on relationship building

– What you have learned that teams can do to be effective (build trust and relationship)– Allow them to submit personal questions to you in such a way as to provide anonymity – Tell them things about yourself that they might find interesting (hobbies, favorite books/foods, etc.)

For those who were socialized with Hierarchical Orientations…• Have a senior leader introduce you as the new Team Leader • Ask the team members to identify the qualities and characteristics of an effective

team leader. Describe your strengths (and areas that need improvement).

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1b. Establish Leader Credibility

For those with Participative Orientations…• Make a commitment to grow and learn. Use their answers to frame your approach

even if it is contrary to your preferred style of leadership.• Make a commitment to grow and learn. Use their answers to frame your approach

even if it is contrary to your preferred style of leadership.

For those who were socialized with Need for Certainty Orientations…• Provide a graphic such as a flow chart to show who the members are and what

responsibilities they have in the team • Define the following and communicate them very clearly:

– Who are the project stakeholders – and the involvement you expect them to have as stakeholders– Team outcomes/customer requirements

• Timeframes for deliverables.

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2a. Create a Compelling Challenge

• Select a problem that had never been “cracked.” • Have team members present their solutions, rationale and

recommendations to senior management (gets them visibility).• Employees, especially those from Hierarchical cultures also may prefer to

be on a “recognizable or branded team” as this confers status. – Brand your teams with names, slogans, clothing, or “a look” for all communications. – Employees from Group-oriented cultures often find this sense of belonging

attractive.• Link the work of the team to the success of the corporation or to corporate

strategy. • Having high-level stakeholders who formally promote team goals can create

a compelling challenge, especially in high Power Distance cultures.• Employees often work better when they know “why” they are doing

something. Answer the question “why?”• Have principal C-level leader inform the team how their work relates to

corporate strategy (e.g., “mission critical”)

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2b. Create a Compelling Challenge

• Talk about the financial implications during the various stages of achievement of team milestones. Cash flow is important. They need to know at what point the company will start making a profit (how long until the expenses of the project will be recovered).

• Team members find it useful to know: – What does it cost for the team’s work on the project?– In what is the company investing that is in addition to the cost of

the team members (software, equipment, supplies, etc.)?– If the team misses deadlines, what does this do to the return on

investment calculation ?– What is the expected return on investment to the company after

this project is completed?

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3a. Share information

• One of the aspects of the Need for Certainty Orientation is that information held is power. The converse of that is the Tolerance for Ambiguity Orientation (the opposite end of that dimension) in which information shared is power.

• Communicate all decisions especially those made during Hallway, cafeteria, and water cooler conversations to all the members.

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3a. Share information

• Orchestrate handoffs carefully. Employees should understand the concept of dependent variables (who is waiting for them to finish and take the handoff.)

• Document and post information so everyone can have access to what is expected in terms of timing and outcomes.

• Use culturally appropriate language. Team leader may get to the same outcome with “ask” (Participative) vs. “tell” language (Hierarchical) language.

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4 and 5. Clarify/Manage Performance

1. Make sure everyone understands project scope, stakeholders, agreed/expected milestones, roles of all team members, specific deliverables, and handoffs of dependent variables

2. Manage their performance to these standards

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6. Build Virtual Relationships

• Start each meeting by asking members to identify themselves and tell where they are located for the call and what time it is

• Start team meetings with a few minutes of “personal milestones.” These can be personal or professional This helps them find things that they have in common.

• “Give team members permission” to talk with each other by telephone outside of team meetings (the telephone is better at building relationships than email).

• Read the news and weather especially for those locations where employees are remote. Ask if they/their families are OK after earthquakes, monsoons, typhoons, political upheavals, etc.

• Encourage them to share with the team information about how they celebrated recent cultural events or holidays.

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7. Avoid Communication Pitfalls

• Do not allow a verbal few to dominate meetings. Tell people you will be calling on everyone to contribute; then do so.

• Some cultures are cultures of silence or have been taught that it is rude to interrupt. Do not allow interruption or talking over other team members.

• Focus on both/and conversations not either/or. This will help avoid conflict or perceived conflict.

• Make sure all team members (especially those remote) a have access to the same level of communication technology

• Share all team members’ contact preference (email, chat, Skype, telephone, etc.)

• Write all decisions down and share decisions• Hold meetings at various times (in normal work hours for those who

are remote – not only your own)11


8. Effective Meetings and Follow-up

• If team members speak English as an acquired language, end each meeting with the offer to stay on the line for a few minutes to answer questions in case they want to clarify meeting outcomes in their mother tongue.

• Write everything down. Agendas sent in advance help t hose who speak English as an acquired language and keep meetings on track.

• Have individual conversations after meetings to assure understandings of deliverables and decisions

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9. Establish Communication Protocols

1. Email– Use the subject line to indicate when a response is needed– Use sub headings to clarify changes in topics

2. Voice Mail– Use the out of office feature and tell callers who to call

instead– Leave a complete message so respondents can return the

call prepared

3. Video and Teleconferencing– Provide training on how to use the technology or get

support– Start meetings early enough to get the technology working

so you do not waste people’s time

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10. Celebrate Successes

1. Team members need to be motivated. Find ways to celebrate success.

2. Choose celebrations that are appropriate to the size of the success

3. Spend time and money (a little goes a long way) but clarify exactly why there is a celebration.

4. Let team members choose how to celebrate (creates team cohesion).

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• To learn more from Catherine Mercer Bing about virtual leadership of teams, see her book, Many Cultures One Team: Build Your Cultural Repertoire.

• Enter promo code OneTeam to receive 20% off from Technics Publications website, http://www.TechnicsPub.com

©2011 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.15

Many Cultures, One Team

http://www.TechnicsPub.com/

Catherine Mercer BingManaging DirectorITAP Americas, Inc.

ITAP International, Inc.353 Nassau Street, 1st floorPrinceton, NJ 08540 USA(W) 1.215.860.5640http://www.itapintl.com

16©2015 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

http://www.itapintl.com/

virtual leadership: ten key strategies

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