Your organization depends on geographically dispersed teams to get much of the really important work done. Maybe it’s because your organization has become more streamlined, or maybe it’s because your operations have begun to span divisional or geographic boundaries. Whatever the case, these “virtual teams” face special challenges in successfully working toward a common goal.
What is The Dynamics of Virtual Teams?
A facilitated two- or three-day workshop that provides virtual team members with the foundation they need to collaborate successfully across barriers of distance, time, cultures, and organizations
“There is a tendency in our industry to solve dispersed team problems with technical solutions. It is still people who have to be motivated to use the technology. Your work with us helped bring that to the forefront, and help us meet our goals”
F.P., Project Leader,
Lucent Technologies
- Surfaces sensitive issues in safe, supportive environment
- Strengthens mutually beneficial working relationships and builds trust among members
- Encourages teams to identify and address greatest stumbling blocks to success
- Provides best practices communication advice, which teams adapt for their situations
- Lays the groundwork for shared operating agreements that can make or break a team’s success
- Identifies personal and organizational competencies needed for success
What’s Covered?
- Exploration of the special characteristics and challenges of virtual teams
- Understanding of key critical success factors
- Awareness of behaviors that build or break trust
- Definition of important boundaries and parameters, including goals, charter and roles
- Development of team communication plan in selected areas
- Creation of operating agreements for decision-making, performance, and issue resolution
- Understanding of the dynamics of changing and shared team leadership
- Linking personal values to team values, and how to address possible disconnects
- Navigating through cross-cultural tripwires and across time zones
- Special competencies, skills, and resources needed for successful virtual team collaboration
What’s Involved?
Each workshop follows a similar approach. However, we customize each one based on the team’s goals, composition, expected “working life,” political and cultural considerations, and other factors. Through our pre-workshop assessment, we discover important factors that will help shape the content and flow of each workshop. Follow-on coaching is also available.