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| Master
Facilitator Journal | Issue #0201, April 26, 2005 | 7,000 Subscribers.. |
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Dear
friends,
Virtual teams and the management
thereof is an area of increasing concern in organizations and of
increasing interest in the minds of facilitators, trainers, and
leaders from what I see and hear. This week's article by my friend
and associate, Jessica Hartung entitled, "Remote Management
Mistakes,"
addresses some of the pitfalls of managing virtual teams. Review
this yourself and pass it on to leaders you work with. In these
days of increasingly diversified organizations, virtual team leadership
is becoming a common skill most leaders shouldn't be without.
Jessica will also be leading a new 5-day teleclass starting June
13th called Managing
People You Rarely See. This teleclass will be of interest to facilitators
and leaders working with virtual groups. Check out the details on
this class at the bottom of this issue and join us to learn more
about the challenges and opportunities of creating a sense of team
at a distance.
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| d |
| Group
Management Skill |
Six Remote Management Mistakes
Know
the pitfalls of managing virtual teams and what to do about them.
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| The
Point |
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How do you
manage people you rarely see?
Though the same basic management principles apply to virtual teams that
work for "live" teams, we sometimes assume the attitude, "out
of sight, out of mind," when it comes to managing people at a distance.
Read about some of the common pitfalls of managing virtual teams below
and so that perhaps you won't repeat them.
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| Application
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1. Make them fly across the globe for no good reason.
You know the drill: Give up your weekend to fly in on a Sunday for an
important meeting on Monday morning. After hours of planes, cabs, and
bad hotels you arrive ready for the ???big event.??? Usually a complete let
down. An email with attachments would have sufficed. Where is the value?
Solution: When you are going to bring people together
physically, it needs to be worth it. More than just information being
conveyed, more than ???observing??? a company meeting, they need to be having
a real experience. Make it worthwhile by giving them time and materials
to prepare for the experience. Carefully consider how you are going to
ensure that the important conversations you need to have in order to move
things forward are actually what happens when folks arrive. Get professional
help, such as a trained facilitator, if needed.
2. Focus on marginal projects. What are those folks working
on, anyway? Sometimes referred to as visibility. Remotely managed employees
often have a harder time navigating their way to the critical path. Even
if their work is essential to the organization??™s success, it is often
not understood.
Solution: One of the most important challenges of managing
remotely is identifying and articulating the direct connections between
the work of the remote group and critical organizational goals. Once you
identify them, repeat ad nauseam until everyone gets it, and then sprinkle
periodic reminders in your communications and reports.
3. Pay no attention to cross-cultural communication issues.
Because we don??™t know what to do about cross-cultural issues, companies
often deny their very existence. If they speak English, there are no real
issues, right? Obvious cultural issues glare at us over the speakerphone
in staff meetings. We tell management about it, but its like yelling down
a long tunnel. Nothing happens.
International issues aside, what about company culture??”mergers and acquisitions
and spin-offs create overnight transitions from start-up to Fortune 500
and back again. With no attention to a corporate culture clash other than
to declare, ???Get over it.??? You can expect internal miscommunication, misinformation
and even sabotage to satisfy internally competing agendas.
Solution: Working with a culture rather than against
it is the path of least resistance ??“ their resistance to you. Whether
or not you agree with their point of view, figure out what is considered
important, what worries people, and what are the key current events. Use
this information wisely to address the issues they care about when communicating.
Additionally, notice the style of communication, collaboration and confrontation
used in the culture. Adjust yours accordingly for better results. When
you experience resistance of any kind, do research to understand it rather
than trying to stamp it out. It will just go underground if you don??™t
resolve it.
4. Forget
basic management practices. Management is supposed to be about
removing barriers to performance, getting access to necessary resources,
and providing direction. Why do we seem to have amnesia about such basic
management concepts when we manage remote workers?
Solution: Imagine that you are working with a team in
your office. What would the information flow be like? How would you collaborate
and support one another? How would you know what is happening with them?
Now, figure out whatever is needed to match that quality of work relationship
with remote employees. Your standards need to be just as high. Using a
combination of the many mediums available to you, email, fax, phone, FedEx,
websites, collaboration tools, webinars, wikkis, and written documentation
to create an environment where remote employees have what they need to
be successful.
5. Don??™t invite remote folks to pivotal meetings that change the
company direction. ???If we have the director at the meeting, we
don??™t need to fly in the engineers. They don??™t want to be involved at
this level.??? Its like a Dilbert cartoon come to life. Executives making
pivotal decisions that others are required to implement without having
asked for input about feasibility, scheduling, resources, etc. The meetings
where the ???big??? decisions are made are not open to those whose daily work
lives are impacted the most. Clearly you can??™t include everyone, at least
have a few representatives from the remote division your are counting
on to implement your ideas.
Solution: If you are making pivotal decisions, make sure
you have the people in the room who have the technical information to
help you make sound decisions. A little involvement up front breaks down
many barriers to acceptance. While there are times when you can??™t include
everyone in major meetings, at least have a few representatives from the
remote division if you expect them to implement the ideas.
6. Let them fend for themselves. Good remote employees
are self-motivated self-starters. As independent workers they barely need
to be managed. Hah! Good people working on the wrong things are of little
value.
Solution:
Manage from that point of intersection between the individual??™s goals,
the remote organization??™s goals, and the larger corporate goals. If you
can??™t find a point of intersection, you??™ve got bigger problems then this
article can help with. Come to a class, or call us.
About the Author: Jessica Hartung is founder of Integrated
Work Strategies (IWS) and principal consultant, has spent fifteen years
focusing on the relationship between individuals and their work –
how business goals can be more successfully achieved while people enjoy
the process. Visit her website at www.integratedwork.com.
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| Action |
What challenges have you or your clients had managing virtual teams that
aren't included in this list?Please
send us your comments.
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Expert
Tele-Seminars
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One-Hour Micro-Skills Tele-Seminars
Check out our growing collection of pre-recorded, one-hour teleclasses with
experts discussing key skill areas important to group workers. Each recording
is available in either real-audio or CD format, comes with class notes,
and several relevant bonuses. Click
here for titles and details.
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| In
the Spotlight |
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|
Managing People You Rarely See
5-day
Teleclass on the Management and Facilitation of
Virtual/Distributed
Teams
Unlock the potential of your virtual team as an
effective distance manager |
|
The
Art of Managing an Outstanding Virtual Team. Managing people
from a distance isn’t easy.
Do you need to get
rapid results from people collaborating across multiple locations?
This
class will discuss managing remote relationships and frameworks
for successfully managing projects across large distances.
There are issues created by the geographic distance between
team members. But those issues can be overcome, and in fact,
the potential of a distance team to accomplish amazing feats
far outweighs any logistical liabilities. Project development
teams scattered around the country or around the globe can
take advantage of the best scientific minds, technical skills
and subject matter experts...if they can manage the remote
relationships effectively. This course will build remote management
competencies by providing a framework for success and applying
it to real-life examples. The course contains consolidated
information packed into a one-day format.
Benefits
to Participating in the Training:
1. Build
group cohesion, avoiding the "us and them" trap
2. Establish communication protocols that work for different
organizational cultures
3. Obtain organizational support and resources by creating
the connections to larger operational goals
4. Include group members' individual goals to create a shared
purpose that increases commitment
5. Build a common language for setting goals and project milestones.
6. Clarify roles, responsibilities, and relationships for
increased accountability.
7. Collaborate and learn from a community of your peers, all
passionate about building and managing virtual teams.
How
the 5-Day Format/Training works...
1. You dial into your class every day for 5 days (Mon-Fri)
for a 60-minute focused training segment using a conferencing
bridge.
2. You work through a learning guide during the 5 days, which
accompanies the class as a resource.
3. You will have the opportunity to dialogue with the instructors
and your classmates via an online list serve during the course
to tap the wisdom of the community.
4. During the week, you may access the instructors via email
for help.
Training
Agenda...
Here's what you'll be learning and doing during this course...
A Virtual Team Orientation
-
Virtual team definitions
-
Learning the most from this teleclass
-
Basic Recommendations for distributed teams
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Leadership and management shifts required for virtual work
Establishing shared purpose
- Why
is a shared purpose important?
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How to build shared purpose effectively
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Leverage the strength of your shared purpose
Building
Trust Swiftly
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Trust and fear in the virtual workplace
- Techniques
to build trust between co-workers
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Anticipate and avoid “Trust-busters”
Promoting
Outstanding Communication
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A closer look at listening
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The role of conversations in workplace communication
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Management communication considerations
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Communication practicalities: time changes, methods, and
options
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Developing your team’s communication protocol
Designing Appropriate Work Processes
- Tracking
work and projects
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Reporting status and progress
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Resolving issues before they become a crisis
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Receiving and processing information
Consciously
Creating Group Culture
- ·Stages
of group development applied to virtual teams
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Results, Recognition and Renewal
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Evaluating success and learning from experience
Also
included with your training...
In addition to the 5-Day training described above, you also
receive:
1. Free Workbook, ($20 value) to reference
and to anchor your learning and facilitate commitment to action.
2. Free access to the RealAudio version of the 5-Day
training ($69 value).
3. Free Articles and Resources ($25
value):
- Leading
Distributed Teams
- Connective
Management
- Mistakes
Virtual Teams Make
- Top
Issues for Managers of Virtual Teams
Pricing...
The full cost of training/access is only $89 including the
free items (worth $104) listed above. Everything you read
about above is included. And, we offer a 100% satisfaction
guarantee.
Non-profits can receive a 20% discount. Contact
us for registration instructions.
Registration...
Immediately
upon completion of your registration, you will receive an
email with instructions to access the course and free bonuses
above. This course is limited
to 20 individuals, first come, first served.
Early
Registration Special: Sign up by May 20th for only $79!
Dates...
June 13 - 17, 2005, 10:00 AM PDT, 1:00 PM EDT (NY Time), 60
minutes each day.
Please
click
here
to register.
One-Day
Live Version
Interested
in a one-day "live" version of this class offered
to your group? Email
us to
discuss options.
Your
instructors
Jessica Hartung, founder of Integrated Work Strategies
(IWS) and principal consultant, has spent fifteen years focusing
on the relationship between individuals and their work –
how business goals can be more successfully achieved while
people enjoy the process. She holds a Master of Science in
Management from Regis University, a BA in Sociology from the
University of Michigan, and is a Certified Professional Behavioral
Analyst (CPBA). She is a member of the International Coaches
Federation, which is recognized nationally for maintaining
the highest standards in the coaching profession, as well
as the Institute for Management Consultants, part of the global
community that certifies management consultants in accordance
with international standards. Jessica is included in the National
Register's Who's Who in Executives and Professionals, 2004
Edition. Jessica has been active in the Boulder business community,
providing volunteer services to assist high school students
learning leadership skills in conjunction with the Chamber
of Commerce.
46618/78559_sigpic.jpg
c="http://www.facilitatoru.com/images/sigpic.jpg" width="103" height="105" hspace="3" align="right">Steve
Davis,
M.A., M.S., is an Facilitator's Coach, Infopreneur, and free-lance
human, helping facilitators, organizational leaders, educators,
trainers, coaches and consultants present themselves confidently,
access their creativity, empower their under-performing groups,
enhance their facilitation skills, and build their business
online and offline. Steve spends most of his time building
and running FacilitatorU.com.
He also publishes a weekly ezine for facilitators called,
the Master
Facilitator Journal, continues to write ebooks, design
teleclasses, and maintain a part-time coaching practice. His
breadth of experience spans business, corporate management,
engineering, teaching, spiritual psychology, and wellness,
offering a pragmatic yet creative coaching foundation. To
learn more about Steve, visit his website at www.livingmastery.com.
About the satisfaction
guarantee
If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with this package,
simply email us with a request to refund/credit your credit
card in the full amount and we will do so immediately. It's
our policy to do this and we honor this in every single case.
This policy completely removes the buying risk for you and
keeps our customer-satisfaction rates extremely high.
Comments?
Please
contact
us with your comments. |
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ilitatorjournal.com/images/lower_left_corner.gif" width="31" height="30">
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Master Facilitator Journal Web Site
Feature Article: Six
Remote Management Mistakes
