Leading Effective Virtual Teams: Overcoming Time and Distance to Achieve Exceptional Results

229 Pages·2012·2.55 MB·English

by  Nancy M. Settle-Murphy

Business & Management / Project Management S Leading
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t
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Organizations are only now beginning to realize that specialized skills and competencies are e
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needed to lead effective virtual teams ... . I particularly enjoyed the practical tips that can be M
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applied to almost any kind of virtual team. Nancy knows what works and shares it with us in rp Effective
a way that is both easy to read and to apply. She covers the whole gamut from building trust h
y
to cross-cultural tripwires, in a way that will work for virtual teams, whatever their makeup.
—Dr. Penny Pullan, Host of the Virtual Working Summit and
Director of Making Projects Work Ltd.
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Virtual
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A proliferation of new technologies has lulled many into thinking that we actually have to
think less about how we communicate. In fact, communicating and collaborating across time, a
distance, and cultures have never been more complex or difficult.
d
Teams
i
Written as a series of bulleted tips drawn from client experiences and best practices, Leading n
Effective Virtual Teams: Overcoming Time and Distance to Achieve Exceptional Results
g
presents practical tips to help leaders engage and motivate their geographically dispersed

project team members. If you’re a leader of any type of virtual team and want to help your
E
team members collaborate more effectively, then buy this book. You will learn how to Overcoming Time and Distance
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• Build trust and cultivate relationships, virtually, across your team f to Achieve Exceptional Results
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• Design and facilitate virtual meetings that are focused and engaging
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• Influence without authority
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• Motivate and galvanize a virtual team for top performance
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v
• Blend asynchronous and synchronous communications for better virtual collaboration
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• Navigate cross-cultural and generational differences in the absence of vital visual cues

• Assess skills, strengths, aptitudes, and preferences from afar
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• Handle other tough issues that can trip up virtual teams
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r
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The ideas in this book are based on Nancy Settle-Murphy’s decades of experience working
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as a change management consultant, facilitator, and trainer for project teams around the
world. Designed to be read section by section in any order, this book shares approaches and a
techniques to help you address some of the toughest challenges virtual team leaders face, l

including keeping team members engaged from afar.
T
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a
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Nancy M. Settle-Murphy
K15492
s
ISBN: 978-1-4665-5786-4
90000
www.crcpress.com
9 781466 557864
www.auerbach-publications.com
K15492 PB mech.indd 1 11/20/12 5:08 PM

Leading
Effective
Virtual
Teams
Overcoming Time and Distance
to Achieve Exceptional Results
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Leading
Effective
Virtual
Teams
Overcoming Time and Distance
to Achieve Exceptional Results
Nancy M. Settle-Murphy
CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742
© 2013 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
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I dedicate this book to my friend, colleague, collaborator, and
teacher, Julia Young. Thanks to our many collaborations over
the last several years—despite our distance of 3,000 miles—I’ve
mastered the art and science of planning and designing engaging
virtual conversations. Julia is not only one of the world’s leading
experts when it comes to running great virtual meetings, she’s
also generous with her knowledge, incredibly patient, and one
of the kindest people with whom I have ever had the pleasure to
work. I feel honored to have her as my colleague and friend.

Contents
Foreword xi
Acknowledgments xiii
IntroductIon xvii
About the Author xxi
chApter 1 unIque chAllenges oF VIrtuAl teAms And
theIr leAders 1
1.1 Unique Challenges of Virtual Teams 1
1.2 Unique Challenges of Virtual Team Leaders 2
1.3 Key Attributes of Successful Virtual Team Leaders 4
1.3.1 Leadership Skills 4
1.3.2 Communication Skills 4
1.3.3 Behaviors and Attitudes 5
1.3.4 Coaching Skills 5
1.3.5 Technology Skills 5
1.4 Profile of a Successful Virtual Collaborator 5
1.5 Summary 8
chApter 2 sIzIng up, onboArdIng, And mobIlIzIng
Your VIrtuAl teAm 11
2.1 Onboarding and Off-Ramping Team Members 11
2.2 Assessing Capabilities, Aptitudes, and Preferences
of Team Members 13
2.3 Getting up to Speed in a Hurry 14
2.4 Assessing How Cultural Differences May Affect
Team Dynamics 18
vii
viii Contents
2.5 Influencing without Authority across Boundaries
for Virtual Project Team Leaders 21
2.6 Summary 24
chApter 3 buIldIng trustIng relAtIonshIps Across
boundArIes 25
3.1 Building the Foundations of Trust 26
3.2 Creating a Level Playing Field 28
3.3 Building Social Capital 31
3.4 Summary 34
chApter 4 best prActIces operAtIng prIncIples
For VIrtuAl teAms 39
4.1 What Is an Operating Principle? 39
4.2 Principles Development Process for a Virtual Team 40
4.3 Characteristics of Strong Principles 41
4.4 Getting to the “So What?” behind Each Principle:
Hammering Out Implications 42
4.5 Areas for Which Norms Are Especially Vital for
Virtual Project Teams 43
4.6 10 Top Norms to Untangle Virtual Teams 47
4.7 Summary 50
chApter 5 communIcAtIons For collAborAtIon
And cohesIon 53
5.1 Creating a “Big Picture” Virtual Team
Communications Plan 54
5.2 Virtual Team Communications: Steps to Success 57
5.3 E-mail for Virtual Teams: Using It Wisely
and (Probably) Less Often 61
5.4 Connecting Virtual Teams through Imagery
and Metaphor 66
5.5 Brainstorming across Borders: Stimulating Creative
Thinking from Afar 70
5.6 Real-Time Conversations Crucial for Collaboration
in a Virtual World 73
5.7 Summary 77
chApter 6 mAnAgIng perFormAnce From AFAr 79
6.1 Challenges of Virtual Professional Development 79
6.2 Tips for Developing Performance from Afar 80
6.3 Challenges of Performance Coaching from Afar 81
6.4 Tips for Performance Coaching for the Virtual Leader 82
6.5 You’d Be a Great Virtual Leader if You Could Just
Be Quiet: Listening Tips for Virtual Leaders 85
6.6 Balance Innovation and Expediency for a
Supercharged Team 88
6.7 Ensuring an Equitable Workload 92