Leading Virtual Teams

When it comes to the success of a virtual team, the buck stops with the team leader. If managed effectively, virtual teams can increase productivity, help meet organizational goals and improve quality of work. But there are a host of unique challenges that can hurt their success.

Get ready to discover a proven process and framework to develop the competencies of a virtual leader, and strengthen and enhance the productivity of your virtual team. Learn to leverage the advantages of a virtual team while building trust and making authentic connections with team members. You will then apply and reinforce the learning through case studies, team discussions and other activities led by your expert course leader.

Who Should Attend

• Experienced managers, leaders and project managers who are currently leading virtual teams and are seeking to enhance their overall performance as virtual leaders, as well as those who will be moving into a virtual leadership role in the future.

How You Will Benefit

• Cultivate your virtual leadership presence
• Strengthen team networks for improved performance
• Create trust and engagement in a virtual environment
• Select the appropriate technology for specific types of tasks
• Take decisive action to manage conflict
• Leverage generational, cultural and geographical differences to create positive team impact
• Build a solid foundation to coach and provide feedback virtually
• Plan and facilitate a successful virtual meeting

What You Will Cover 

• Identifying challenges in leading virtually
• Increasing awareness of your personality style and its impact on virtual leadership
• Assessing the strengths and improvement areas of your team members
• Recognizing the unique differences between building virtual, remote and co-located teams
• Creating and sustaining trust in a virtual team
• Recognizing levels of engagement and increasing them
• Understanding how different technologies support virtual work
• Appreciating generational differences in the way people operate
• Assessing team member communication in the absence of visual cues
• Managing conflict among team members
• Defining fundamental cultural differences in communicating
• Explaining the components of the AMA Coaching Module
• Evaluating how you conduct all phases of leading your virtual meetings against best practices

Course Outline

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Distinguish What Is Different About Leading a Virtual Team
• Identify the Unique Challenges Virtual Team Members Face
• Build Trust and Engagement on a Virtual Team
• Review Emerging Technology That Supports the Work of Virtual Leaders and Teams
• Address Misunderstandings and Conflict Proactively to Keep the Virtual Team on Track
• Apply the Proven Value of Coaching to Build High Performing Virtual Teams
• Plan and Facilitate Inclusive Virtual Meetings That Generate Positive Team Identity and Performance
• Create a Virtual Leadership Vision

LESSON ONE

Define Your Role as a Virtual Leader

• Discuss Challenges Unique to Virtual Leaders
• Assess Virtual Leadership Competencies
• Understand Your Personality Style and Its Impact on Others and Your Work as a Virtual Leader

Build the Virtual Team

• Describe the Experience of Virtual Team Members
• Discover What Team Members Need Most in Order to Be High Functioning and Performing
• Recognize the Unique Differences Between the Stages of Building a Virtual vs. Co-located Team
• Create and Sustain Trust on a Virtual Team
• Assess the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Team Members You Work with in the Virtual Environment

LESSON TWO

Lead Virtual Communications

• Select Appropriate Technology for Communication Goals
• Evaluate Team Member Engagement During Audio-Only Virtual Communication  
• Recognize How Differences in Perspectives May Lead to Disagreement, Misunderstanding, and Conflict
• Preempt Conflict on Your Team By Learning to Bridge Differences and Creating Team Agreements

LESSON THREE

Building Team Member Skills Through Coaching

• Coach Effectively to Build Trust, Relationships, Engagement, and Productivity on Your Team
• Demonstrate the Ability to Apply the Four-Step Coaching Conversation Model in a Work Situation

Facilitate Virtual Meetings

• Evaluate Your Meetings Against Team Member and Stakeholder Needs
• Generate Solutions to Address Issues Specific to Virtual Team Meetings
• Address Common Challenges While Leading a Virtual Meeting
• View “Meeting Culture” and Practices as the Engine That Drives Engagement, Performance, and Results on a Virtual Team
• Create a Vision to Guide Your Own Daily Actions as a Virtual Leader