what you don't know will hurt you! coaching virtual leaders

Carmela Southers| November 2012 |

What you don’t know will hurt you!

What even good leaders don’t realize about virtual teamwork.

Carmela Southers


Let’s face it most leadership best practices were

designed for face-to-face work. Management by walking around

doesn’t work over the phone.


My leader brings me donuts!


Traps of Virtual Leaders

1. Leadership is a ladder.

2. What you know is key.

3. What you see is what you get.

4. We are communicating.

5. Activity equals Productivity.


Trap 1:Leadership is a ladder


Trap 2: What you know is key


Promote Teamwork

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LME

A

W

M

CS


Traps 1,2: Coaching Questions

What You Know is Key• What does this

person know that would benefit you?

• How can you leverage the fact that they are located in the office in Dallas?

• How can you help them see the value that you bring?

Promote Teamwork• Where else could your

team member find support?

• How can we be sure we have explored all the possibilities?

• How can you ensure you have examined the potential negatives?

© 2012, Carmela Southers, Ken Blanchard Companies, For Toro Webinar use only, do not duplicate


Trap 3: What you see is what you get


The Iceberg of Ignorance

EmailsConference calls

Phone calls Voicemails

TelepresenceFacial expressions

Body languageSpeech/tone of voice

Visible personality (DISC)Education

PhilosophyCulture

Organizational historyEthnicity

Family background Values

Beliefs


Build Trust


Trap 3: Coaching Questions

What You See is What you Get • How does she feel

about being on the team?

• How do you monitor engagement on the team?

• What other priorities might be impacting their work?

• How can you help them find motivation in this task?

Build Trust• What does the team

know about your goals, background, values?

• What do you know about what is important to them?

• How do you ensure your communication builds trust?

• What norms have you established to ensure everyone feels comfortable speaking up?



Trap 4: We are communicating


Multitasking

Functional IQ is lowered by an average of 10 points.

The chance of a car accident increases fivefold (500 percent) making it at least as great a risk as driving while drunk.

Work productivity is lowered by 20 to 40 percent.


How Rich

Media ToneTwo-way

Body Language

Shared view

Face-to-face ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Skype/FaceTime ✓ ✓ ✓

Video conferencing ✓ ✓ ✓

Shared space ✓ ✓

Shared desktop ✓

Phone ✓ ✓

Voicemail ✓

IM ✓

Email

Media and Communication


Traps 4: Coaching Questions

We are Communicating • How do you measure

the effectiveness of your communication?

• What structures are in place to ensure you hear from everyone?

• What are the norms for communication?

Focus Attention• What type of

communication do team members prefer?

• How engaged are people on your calls?

• What do you know about her background?



Trap 5:Activity equals Productivity


Seagull Management


Trap 5: Coaching Questions

Activity = Productivity • How do you measure

the productivity or output instead of activity?

• How can you check that your team members are not feeling micromanaged or abandoned?

Drive Results • How do your team

members get frequent/regular feedback on their performance?

• What is being done to give them the freedom to improve how they work?



Problems cannot be solved by the

same level of thinking that

created them.

Albert Einstein


Carmela Southers

What you don’t know will hurt you!

What even good leaders don’t realize about virtual teamwork.

what you don't know will hurt you! coaching virtual leaders

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