Leading

Effective
Virtual
Teams
Overcoming Time and Distance
to Achieve Exceptional Results

Nancy M. Settle-Murphy
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
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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

Fo re wo rd xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction xvii
About the Au t h o r xxi

C h a p t e r 1 U n i q u e C h a l l e n g e s of V i r t ua l Te a m s and

Th e i r L e a d e r s 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

C h a p t e r 2 S i z i n g U p, O n b o a r d i n g , and Mobilizing
Yo u r V i r t ua l Te a m 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 C o n t en t s

2.5 Influencing without Authority across Boundaries

for Virtual Project Team Leaders 21
2.6 Summary 24

C h a p t e r 3 B u i l d i n g Tr u s t i n g R e l at i o n s h i p s acros s

B o u n da rie s 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

C h a p t e r 4 B e s t P r a c t i c e s O p e r at i n g P r i n c i p l e s
f o r V i r t ua l Te a m s 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

C h a p t e r 5 C o m m u n i c at i o n s for C o l l a b o r at i o n
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

C h a p t e r 6 M a n a g i n g P e r f o r m a n c e from A fa r 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
 C o n t en t s ix

6.8 Celebrating, Recognizing, and Rewarding Great

Performance 96
6.8.1 Creating a Shared Sense of Community 96
6.8.2 Recognizing and Appreciating Noteworthy
Performance 97
6.8.3 Planning and Running Virtual Celebrations 98
6.9 Summary 101

C h a p t e r 7 N avi g at i n g a c r o s s C u lt u r e s , Ti m e Z o n e s ,
a n d t h e G e n e r at i o n a l D ivi d e 105
7.1 Galvanize Global Virtual Teams with Clear
Operating Principles 106
7.2 Real Cultural Assimilation Takes Patience,
Time, and Willingness to Adapt 113
7.3 Surfacing and Addressing the Cultural Differences
That Most Affect Virtual Teams 116
7.4 Communicating across Cultures: Designing for
International Transportability 119
7.5 Listening and Learning across the Generations:
Strategic Communications Planning for Better
Collaboration 122
7.6 Open Communication and Mutual Respect:
Keys to Intergenerational Harmony 126
7.7 Summary 128

C h a p t e r 8 Tr o u b l e s h o o t i n g Ti p s for V i r t ua l Te a m s 129
8.1 Six Management Practices That Don’t Cut It
in a Virtual World 129
8.2 Avoiding the Unintended Consequences of
Micromanagement 132
8.3 Recognizing and Addressing Signs of Dysfunction to
Avoid Irrecoverable Problems Later 135
8.4 When Your Team Is about to Implode: Watch for
Signs, Act Fast 139
8.5 How to Disengage Your Virtual Team in 10 Easy Steps 143
8.6 Summary 145

C h a p t e r 9 S p e c ia l C h a l l e n g e s of Fa c i l i tat i n g
V i r t ua l M e e t i n g s 147
9.1 What Makes Virtual Meetings So Challenging? 148
9.2 Six Critical Factors for Running Productive Virtual
Meetings 149
9.3 Summary 151

C h a p t e r 10 A BC s o f D e s i g n i n g G r e at V i r t u a l
Meetings 153
10.1 Creating a Realistic Agenda for a Productive
Virtual Meeting 154
10.2 Selecting the Right Participants 158
x C o n t en t s

10.3 “Rightsizing” Your Virtual Meeting Depending

on Objectives and Group Size 161
10.4 Selecting the Right Combination of Technology
Tools for the Highest Level of Engagement 161
10.5 Making Prework Work 165
10.6 Importance of Thorough Preparation
for Virtual Meeting Leaders 167
10.7 Creating a Realistic Virtual Meeting Agenda 169
10.8 Tips for Designing a Successful Hybrid Meeting 170
10.9 Setting and Enforcing Virtual Meeting Ground Rules 172
10.10 Guidelines for Great Global Team Meetings 174
10.11 Summary 178

C h a p t e r 11 K e e p i n g R e m o t e P a r t i c i pa n t s E n g a g e d 179
11.1 Understanding How and Why People Become
Disengaged 179
11.2 Discourage Multitasking with Clear Ground
Rules and Focused Meetings 183
11.3 Rx for Problem Participants Who Threaten
to Derail Your Virtual Meetings 186
11.4 Summary 189

C h a p t e r 12 Tr o u b l e s h o o t i n g V i r t ua l M e e t i n g s 191
12.1 We Are Experiencing Technical Difficulties 191
12.2 Reconciling Time Zone Differences 193
12.3 Dealing with Uninvited Guests 194
12.4 Handling People Who Show up Unprepared 196
12.5 Keeping Remote Participants Feeling Connected 197
12.6 Summary 199

C h a p t e r 13 S u m m a r y 201
Foreword

Virtual teams are ubiquitous. Years ago, they were confined to

specialist groups, but now most meetings have at least one remote
attendee. Virtual teams are here to stay. Strong global trends are driv-
ing the growth in virtual teams. These include outsourcing, increas-
ingly more global project work, home working and ­telecommuting,
spending cuts, and higher gasoline prices. In recent years, even
volcanic ash clouds and the threat of epidemics have played their
part. Organizations are focusing on the need to reduce the costs
of travel, as well as the time taken traveling, ­carbon e­missions
produced, and hassle involved. At the same time, ­technological
advances make it easier and cheaper to collaborate virtually than
ever before. Now companies can have teams working around the
clock while tapping into a range of global perspectives from across
the organization.
Unfortunately though, virtual teams often struggle. Virtual
team leaders too often believe that they can apply whatever works
for them in the face-to-face world to their virtual teams, and fail to
understand what is really needed to make virtual teams work. As a
result, team members can become disengaged and frustrated, often
silently tuning out. Organizations are only now beginning to realize
that specialized skills and competencies are needed to lead effective
virtual teams, on top of providing the right combination of virtual

xi
x ii F o re w o rd

collaboration technology tools. Leadership is sorely needed, and that

is why I ­welcome this timely book.
I first came across Nancy Settle-Murphy and her work many years
ago when I started to lead virtual teams and came across these chal-
lenges myself. It was shortly after the 9/11 disaster. The multinational
company where I worked at the time had imposed a complete travel
ban worldwide which lasted several months. I was in the middle of
running a global program, and needed to get up to speed with virtual
working, and quickly. With Nancy’s input, I not only survived but
thrived in the virtual world. I have gone on to specialize in virtual
working on projects and risk management, initially within my former
company, and more recently as a consultant. Nancy is not only incred-
ibly effective at helping other people to work virtually, but also mod-
els this in her own life. We’ve worked together on several successful
­projects over the years and have yet to meet face to face.
In reading this book, I particularly enjoyed the practical tips that
can be applied to almost any kind of virtual team. Nancy knows what
works and shares them with us in a way that is both easy to read and
to apply. She covers the whole gamut from building trust to cross-
cultural tripwires, in a way that will work for virtual teams, whatever
their makeup.
A couple of years ago I interviewed Nancy as part of the very first
Virtual Working Summit and was delighted to share her knowledge.
It is a pleasure to write the Foreword of this incredibly useful book,
which will equip readers with tips, tools, and techniques they need to
become effective leaders of virtual teams. I hope you get as much out
of this book as I have.
Dr. Penny Pullan
Host of the Virtual Working Summit and
Director of Making Projects Work Ltd.
Co-author of A Short Guide to Facilitating
Risk Management, Gower 2011
Loughborough, England
Acknowledgments

Dozens of people have helped contribute to the contents of this book,

both directly and indirectly. Some of them are aware of their contri-
butions, and others may be surprised to learn how much their wisdom
and experience have contributed to my knowledge and expertise as
a virtual collaboration consultant, and now, a published author!
It was 12 years ago or so that one of my HP clients at the time,
Jennifer Grinold (now at Navis Corp.), sent me an urgent e-mail
saying, “You know that three-day onsite workshop that you just
­
designed an agenda for? Well, we just got word that no one can travel,
so we have to figure out how to achieve the same outcomes, only vir-
tually.” “Can’t be done,” I countered. “You absolutely MUST have the
face-to-face interaction, and we can’t give up any of that time if we
expect to get the work done.”
Jennifer pondered my response for a minute, took a deep breath,
and said, “Well, we’ll just have to find a facilitator who can figure out
how to do it.”
That was quite a baptism of fire as I suddenly had to learn how
to “translate” a design for a productive face-to-face working session
into an interactive series of virtual working meetings. And believe
me when I say it was not easy. In fact, it took me about quadruple
my usual meeting design time to think through the myriad variables
we had to factor in to create a series of interlinked virtual meetings

x iii
xiv Ac k n o w l ed g m en t s

that would produce results in a very short time. Thankfully, it was a

big success. From that point on, I learned to relish the challenge of
designing interactive meetings for virtual participants. (In fact, today
I often push back when people insist they need a face-to-face meeting,
when they can accomplish the same thing, or better, virtually!)
Over the years, many people have contributed to my learning jour-
ney, most of them virtually. Despite the fact that we are 3,000 miles
and three hours apart, Julia Young of www.Facilitate.com has been
an indispensable guide, teacher, colleague, co-trainer, virtual meeting
designer and facilitator, and best of all, friend, over the last decade.
No one understands the dynamics and nuances of virtual facilitation
like Julia, and few people have her professionalism and patience when
it comes to answering my many questions or giving me candid feed-
back on my meeting designs and course material.
Penny Pullan of Making Projects Work, based in the United
Kingdom, is another longtime virtual collaborator with whom I have
written articles, brainstormed course ideas, and have relied on for
inspiration and support. In particular, we co-wrote an article about
the use of visual imagery and metaphor for virtual teams, as well as
the virtual meeting checklist in this book.
Closer to home, my colleague and friend Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts
(of Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts and Associates), ace business communi-
cations trainer, coach, and author of 25 books, has co-written several
articles that appear in some way, shape, or form in this book. Our
topics have related to intergenerational communications, the use of
e-mail, and more effective business communications in general.
Karen Bading of Infrasonics Coaching and Consulting and
Charles Feltman of Insight Coaching (both long-distance collabora-
tors from California) are two colleagues with whom I have written
articles and designed and delivered virtual workshops related to virtual
collaboration, especially in the area of building trust. Robert Whipple,
CEO of Leadergrow.com, has co-authored articles with me on the top-
ics of building trust and creating operating principles for new teams.
Two of my go-to gurus over the years have been my colleague Patti
Anklam, principal consultant for Net Work from nearby Harvard
in Massachusetts, who taught me everything I need to know about
social marketing tools and social network analysis, and Michael
Sampson, the “Collaboration Guy” from New Zealand, who’s given
 Ac k n o w l ed g m en t s xv

me so many great tips about ways to encourage the successful adop-

tion of virtual collaboration tools. Both Patti and Michael have co-
authored a number of articles for my monthly e-zine.
Kate North of e-Work.com has been a great inspiration, with her
tireless work in helping organizations around the world to create new
virtual workplaces where virtual teams can thrive. (Her company
makes some great learning tools for virtual leaders and their teams.)
Kate is an active member of New Ways of Working, a global network
of organizational innovators who are transforming the workplace
by taking an integrated approach to workplace change, combining
corporate real estate, human resources, and information technology.
(I highly recommend becoming a member if you want to be part of
the latest thinking in innovative workplace design.)
Ever since we met more than 15 years ago when I was a change
management consultant for his global project team, IT architect Rich
Johnston (of UTC’s Climate Controls and Security Systems based in
Syracuse, New York) and I have co-authored numerous articles, espe-
cially regarding recurring challenges related to leading virtual global
project teams. He’s my role model of an incredibly busy professional
who takes the initiative to find new ways to keep learning and hone
the new skills needed to succeed as a virtual team leader in an increas-
ingly complex world.
Bart Bolton, facilitator for the Society of Information Management
(SIM) Regional Leadership Forum here in New England, has been a
colleague and friend for many years. Bart has taught me how and why
being a virtual manager is not necessarily the same as being a true vir-
tual leader, and he’s co-authored an article with me on that very topic.
This book includes content derived from dozens of e-zine articles
I’ve written over the years, many co-written with other colleagues,
fellow consultants, readers, and clients, including

• Kathy Connolly, principal consultant of www.­theofficeoutdoors​

­.com, on the topic of galvanizing new virtual teams
• Clint Cuny, CEO of USA at Export Trading Group USA, on
the topic of cultural assimilation
• Kristi Ferguson, AVP, Shared Services, Enterprise Real
Estate for TD Bank Group, on the topic of coalescing new
teams
xvi Ac k n o w l ed g m en t s

• Jamie Grettum, senior project lead for The Ken Blanchard

Companies, on the topic of why virtual leaders sometimes
need to resist the temptation to help
• Hope Kirschner, global marketing manager for an F25 tech-
nology company, on the topic of integrating new team mem-
bers virtually
• Beverly Winkler, senior human resources director in the
­utility sector, on the topic of recognizing and celebrating
great performance from afar
Thanks to the terrific editing and formatting assistance from Peggy
Peterson of Peak Editing and Virtual Support in Denver, Colorado,
I was able to submit my manuscript ahead of schedule, an amazing
feat. Peggy transformed my raw content into a final manuscript, closely
following the publisher’s specs, with very little guidance needed from
me. I could not have done this without her help.
Finally, I want to acknowledge my twin muses, Mayalin and
Kiralee, whose busy lives gave me impetus to pursue a profession
where I can make a living from home, so I can stay close by to help
navigate the rocky road to teenhood (times two). After seeing me on
the phone, in front of my computer with headset in place all these
years, I think they finally “get” what I do for a living. They are my
greatest cheerleaders, most helpful assistants, and always seem to
know when a Taylor Swift tune is in order to set the right mood.
Introduction

With so many collaboration tools and technologies that ­theoretically

make it easy for virtual teams to communicate and collaborate, you’d
think that leading a well-running, collaborative, geographically
­dispersed team would get easier. Not really. If anything, the prolif-
eration of new technologies has lulled many of us into thinking that
we actually have to think less about how we communicate, given how
much great technology we have at our disposal. In fact, communicat-
ing and collaborating across time, distance, and cultures have never
been more complex or difficult.
Let’s first take a moment to define virtual teams. For our pur-
poses, we’re considering as “virtual” any team that has one or more
members working apart from the others. (We don’t mean it’s not a
real team; it’s just that members tend not to have much, or any, face-
to-face interaction on a regular basis.) In some cases, the leader is the
only team member who works physically apart from the others. Or it
might be that the leader works in close proximity to some members,
and others work remotely. In some virtual teams, the leader and the
majority of members work physically together, and just a few work
from afar.
People use many different terms to describe a virtual team. Other
terms include remote teams, distributed teams, and geographically
dispersed teams. Global teams are a particular variant of virtual teams,

x vii
x viii In t r o d u c ti o n

where members span different cultures and often different time zones.
Global project teams are a type of global team where members come
together to collaborate on a particular project, and then disband when
the project is through.
This book is intended for leaders of all kinds of virtual teams, what-
ever the nomenclature or configuration, who want to help their team
members collaborate more effectively, easily, and enjoyably. We help
address a triple-whammy of tough challenges:
• Trusting relationships take far longer for virtual teams to
cultivate because there are often few opportunities to create
“social capital.”
• Cultural differences, languages, and time zones are all con-
siderably harder to traverse in the absence of visual cues and
frequent synchronous (same-time) communications.
• A virtual team leader must often influence team members
without authority, a difficult prospect in a world of shifting,
and often competing, priorities, made yet more difficult when
credibility and competency are tougher to establish with those
who don’t know you well (if at all).
I wrote the hundreds of tips and techniques (in many cases, along
with some of my colleagues) you’ll find in this book based in part on
my own experiences over the last 20 or so years working as a change
management consultant to global project teams looking to acceler-
ate adoption of new enterprisewide rollouts. In addition, as a trainer/
coach to organizations that need to strengthen their virtual team per-
formance, I’ve conducted extensive primary and secondary research
into what makes great virtual teams tick.
This book can be used as a just-in-time reference guide where you
can quickly cull the information you need at the moment. Or you can
move from cover to cover, following the sequence of topics laid out
here. Or you can start anywhere and skip around in any order that
moves you.
Of course, you’ll need to consider which tips are applicable to your
unique business situation, organizational culture, team ­composition,
sense of urgency, and many other variables. Some tips may not
make sense for your team in its current phase, but may be more appli-
cable sometime down the road. We hope that these tips help you keep
 In t r o d u c ti o n xix

your virtual team engaged, energized, and aligned through better

ways to collaborate and communicate, while actually having some fun
along the way.
Please note: I alternate between the use of “he” and “she” through-
out to adhere to my practice of writing without bias, while avoiding
­awkward constructions.
About the Author

A renowned expert in the fields of

remote collaboration, global teams,
and m ­anaging wide-scale organiza-
tional change, Nancy Settle-Murphy
is a popular author of a­rticles, white
papers, e-zines, and booklets. Her arti-
cles have appeared in publications such
as The Meeting Professional, Mass High
Tech, IT Executive Journal, PM Network,
Association Management Magazine, and
Intercom.
Drawing from more than two decades (Photo by David Turton Photography)
of experience in facilitating the work of
global teams, Nancy leads highly productive working sessions designed
to efficiently and e­ffectively tap the best thinking of key contribu-
tors working across time zones, l­ocations, and cultures. Among her
recent clients are Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Shell Oil, Greenpeace
International, Medco Health Systems, Partners Healthcare, Unilever,
and the Consortium for Energy Efficiency. Nancy is an active member
of the International Association of Facilitators, the Virtual Facilitators
Linked-In Roundtable, Boston Facilitator’s Roundtable, and American
Society for Training and Development.

xxi
x x ii A b o u t t he Au t h o r

A presenter, trainer, and coach, Nancy parlays her expertise to help

answer questions such as

• Under what conditions must we really meet face to face to get

work done?
• How can we make remote meetings productive amidst chronic
multitasking?
• How do we engage and motivate virtual team members in
times of change?
• Can remote teams really cultivate trust when social relation-
ships are not possible?
• What communications methods work best for cross-cultural
virtual teams?
• How can we navigate our way around cross-cultural differences?
• What skills are essential for leading virtual teams?

Some of Nancy’s most popular speaking topics include Facilitating

Cross-Cultural Teams, Building Trust across Borders, Leading
Virtual Teams, Planning and Leading Engaging Virtual Meetings,
and Jumpstarting a Successful Global Project Team. Nancy is avail-
able as a speaker, presenter, writer, and as a source of illuminating
content for articles related to virtual teams, global teams, remote
­collaboration, and managing enterprisewide change.
Nancy is president and founder of Guided Insights
(www.guidedinsights.com), a facilitation, training, and communica-
tions consulting firm based in Boxborough, Massachusetts, just out-
side Boston.
 1
U ni que C hallen g es
of V irtual Te ams
and Their L e ad ers

Make no mistake: Virtual teams have many advantages over their

­co-located counterparts. For example, they can make use of a 24/7
workday by parceling out tasks across time zones so their projects
never sleep. Team members typically represent a diversity of cultures,
skills, perspectives, and capabilities, creating an uncommonly rich
resource pool from which all can draw. Plus, virtual team members
are more likely to have access to valuable connections and resources
they can share for the greater good of the whole team.
People who work on virtual teams often work on large complex
virtual projects, which tend to have more visibility, and which, if suc-
cessful, can help bolster credibility and advance careers of everyone
on the team. And, when communications are working well and col-
laboration is strong, being part of a virtual team can be a rewarding
learning experience, and a lot of fun.

1.1 Unique Challenges of Virtual Teams

Trouble is, despite advances in collaboration tools and technology,

many virtual teams still struggle when it comes to working in lock
step. They want to be able to work more efficiently, effectively, and
enthusiastically, but they’re not sure how.
The special challenges of virtual teams, especially those that span
cultural boundaries, include:
• Large enterprisewide projects tend to be highly complex, with
many moving parts, requiring exceptionally well-orchestrated
communications and carefully linked activities.

1
2 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

• In the absence of face-to-face (FTF) communications, includ-

ing opportunities to socialize and get to know one another, vir-
tual team members take longer to develop trusting relationships.
• Time zone differences can limit the number and length of
real-time conversations, narrowing communication options.
• Cultural and language differences often act as invisible trip-
wires, making communications frustrating and collaboration
difficult.
• Vacation schedules and multiple national holidays mean that
many virtual teams have fewer days to get work done.
• Virtual teams tend to operate from an uneven playing field, in
terms of proximity to leader or power base, access to resources,
sharing of information, ability to socialize, and other factors.
• It’s harder for team members to tell whether they’re out of
alignment about important issues, such as scope, depen-
dencies, accountabilities, and deliverables. And once out of
alignment, it takes virtual teams much longer to pull back
together.
• Project team members who collaborate virtually, even more
than co-located teams, often have multiple reporting relation-
ships, making it hard to assess priorities.
• Giving and getting performance feedback, both across the
team and between leader and each member, tends to be less
frequent and more awkward.
• It’s easier for some people to tune out or renege on com-
mitments when they don’t see others on a regular basis,
which may jeopardize the deliverables of team members who
operate under the assumption that all commitments will be
honored.
• Team members have fewer opportunities for the kind of
cross-pollination of knowledge and informal learning that
co-located teams enjoy during casual conversations.

1.2 Unique Challenges of Virtual Team Leaders

Leaders of virtual teams face many additional challenges of their

own, in addition to those affecting the rest of the team. Add to that,
because many virtual project team members often work directly for
 Uni q ue C h a l l en g e s o f Vir t ua l T e a m s 3

other managers, leaders of virtual project teams have to influence

without authority from a distance, with limited opportunities to build
relationships that can engage and motivate team members who must
constantly juggle multiple priorities.
Other unique challenges of virtual team leaders include

• Establishing credibility and trust between leader and team

members, and across the team, takes more work, planning,
and time.
• Creating a healthy, open team environment that encourages
cooperation and fosters collaboration is hampered with few
opportunities for socialization.
• Without the ability to assess the skills, competencies, styles,
and preferences of team members, it’s harder to match the
best people to the given tasks.
• Ensuring that all share the same understanding of team
goals, deliverables, roles, accountabilities, and success metrics
requires more time and means frequent check-ins.
• Creating a truly level playing field where all team members
feel equally valued, respected, and able to contribute fully to
the team’s success takes a lot of energy, time, and planning,
and many may still feel that some are favored over others.
• Developing and agreeing on norms governing vital aspects of
communications and collaboration as a team are often skipped
(at great peril) due to the time and planning that’s really required.
• With fewer opportunities for firsthand observation, deter-
mining team members’ true performance can be tricky,
and as a result, performance feedback may be inaccurate or
incomplete. Delivering feedback and performance coaching
requires exceptional planning and special skills in the absence
of nonverbal cues.
• Detecting when team members have become disengaged,
and then offering the appropriate interventions, takes longer
without visual cues or frequent contact.
• Maintaining focused productive conversations during virtual
team meetings requires special skills that many team leaders
don’t have. As a result, many team meetings waste time and
sap the energy of the team.
4 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

1.3 Key Attributes of Successful Virtual Team Leaders

1.3.1 Leadership Skills

• Understands what it takes to establish credibility, and takes

deliberate actions to earn it. Knows that credibility is a privi-
lege and not a right.
• Knows how to influence without authority, and goes out of
the way to reach and engage each team member, rather than
assuming everyone’s on board.
• Creates a safe environment where team members know they
can surface issues, ask for help, or admit they’re struggling
without fear of repercussion.
• Finds creative ways to size up skills and strengths to enable
effective collaboration.
• Values ability to see problems in different ways. Encourages
debates and discussions to get to better ideas and new solutions.

1.3.2 Communication Skills

• Can clearly articulate and communicate a compelling vision

to galvanize the team.
• Actively listens so team members feel they are being heard
correctly. Knows how and when to paraphrase to ensure
shared meaning.
• Discerns communications preferences of each team member,
and knows which communication vehicles and styles work
best for different team members.
• Detects when team members have become disengaged, dis-
affected, or otherwise need help getting back on track. Can
sense when empathy is needed, even from a distance.
• Knows how to ask the right questions. Understands how
­certain questions have a way of evoking needed responses.
• Communicates effectively in all respects, including listening,
writing, conversational, and persuasive skills.
• Understands that different approaches may be needed with
a diverse group, and is aware how own style can affect the
­quality of communications.
 Uni q ue C h a l l en g e s o f Vir t ua l T e a m s 5

• Values two-way communications and is authentic about the

desire for candid feedback, ideas, suggestions, and comments.

1.3.3 Behaviors and Attitudes

• Shows patience and copes well with ambiguity and constant

change, and helps others to do so as well.
• Projects enthusiasm and energy. Can be a good cheerleader,
both for whole team and for each member.
• Demonstrates sensitivity to cultural, generational, and other
differences.

1.3.4 Coaching Skills

• Assesses emotional content of a situation and knows how to

dig deeper, resolve, and otherwise address problems.
• Understands motivators for team members, and knows that
different members are motivated differently.

1.3.5 Technology Skills

• Understands the range of virtual communication and collabo-

ration tools, and understands how each one can be success-
fully applied to a given objective.
• Is comfortable using a variety of tools, and helps inspire con-
fidence in others to do the same.
• Knows which, how, and when to use a certain combination of
tools to produce the best results.

1.4 Profile of a Successful Virtual Collaborator

Not all project leaders have a chance to hand-pick their own team
members. Whether they can choose their own members or have
inherited an existing group, virtual team leaders need to know which
team members make effective virtual collaborators, and which ones
need help getting there. Many who work remotely are poorly suited to
make the connections they really need to thrive.
6 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

Here are some characteristics that make for a successful virtual col-
laborator, as well as some attributes that may cause problems for cer-
tain team members who have a tough time working remotely. Keep in
mind that not all roles require a great deal of collaboration to get work
done. Many team roles can, in fact, be performed competently by the
“lone wolf ” who works independently and remains relatively detached
from colleagues. Large, complex virtual teams, however, tend to
require that team members remain more linked than ever before, in
many different ways.

• Social butterflies tend to thrive. The reason: They crave

­contact with others and are motivated to maintain connec-
tions with others, either virtually, through phone, e-mail, or
social networking tools, or face to face whenever they can.
Introverts who find it painful to stop and chat with an office-
mate may find it infinitely more difficult to cultivate social
connections in a virtual world. Maintaining a deep trusting
connection with colleagues is tough for any of us who work
virtually, but for someone who is reluctant or introverted,
these deep bonds are almost impossible to create and keep up
when working from afar.
• Excellent organizational skills are a harbinger of success.
Virtual workers have to be more self-motivated and disci-
plined than their office colleagues, because they don’t have the
luxury of having someone drop in to remind them of an errant
deadline or an urgent action. Virtual workers have to set up
their own systems for reading, filing, and accessing important
content, performing tasks, and reporting progress. Virtual
workers also have to follow an established protocol related
to the use of file-sharing, e-mail, or social networking tools.
Those who are perpetually disorganized or need constant
reminders will suffer for their shortcomings even more in a
virtual world, with no one there to look over their shoulders.
• Ability to manage time across many dimensions is a
necessity. Virtual workers must be adept at managing their
calendars and syncing up with others, inasmuch as conversa-
tions and meetings must be so well orchestrated. They need to
be disciplined and realistic about keeping their own calendars,
 Uni q ue C h a l l en g e s o f Vir t ua l T e a m s 7

making sure they build in time for thinking, eating, and mov-
ing about throughout the day. Although some cram too many
meetings into a single workday, forcing them to work after
hours or risk falling behind, others may take too much time
“off” for nonwork activities, simply because no one is watch-
ing. Those who have a realistic sense of how much time they
need to get their work done will be far more productive than
those who either can’t or won’t accurately estimate how much
time they need to get work done.
• They need to be willing and able to use a variety of tech
tools with ease. E-mail and phone as the primary means of
team communication have given way to other communica-
tion tools. Social networking apps, shared repositories or
team portals, instant messaging, texting, web meeting tools,
blogs, wikis, telepresence, and more, have become common-
place for virtual teams. Some workers can choose the tool
that best meets a particular need, and for others, their orga-
nizations have governing principles about the use of certain
tools. Regardless, virtual workers have to be conversant about
how tools work, and which work best in a given situation,
and need to feel comfortable using those tools quickly and
easily. Those who are slow to adapt to new communication
tools may find themselves being left out of important online
conversations or getting only a fraction of the information
they need.
• They need exceptionally sharp listening skills. People who
work virtually miss the vital visual cues that accompany a col-
league’s disappointment, frustration, elation, or impatience.
Virtual workers need to be able to hear verbal cues and read
written clues to discern what’s really going on for others,
much of which often goes unsaid. People from “high context”
cultures, where both the context and the words themselves
are considered key parts of the overall message, tend to be
more successful than those who take another’s words simply
at face value. Those who don’t listen deeply, such as those
who chronically multitask during team calls, may never get a
sense of the thoughts and feelings that may make or break the
­success of a virtual team.
8 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

• They know what to communicate, how, and when. People

who know how to organize their thoughts into cogent concise
messages have a significant advantage over their colleagues
who struggle to put their ideas into writing. Knowing what
medium works best for a particular message or a certain situ-
ation is a vital skill for a virtual worker who has few chances
to make r­ eparations if a message is misunderstood or misinter-
preted. Those who insist on e-mails as the default communica-
tion mode, for example, may find themselves out of the loop
pretty quickly if everyone else is sharing information across a
variety of channels.
• They ignite their own spark. People who can move ahead
­without a lot of direction or guidance on a day-to-day basis
are far more likely to be successful in a virtual world, where
workers must deal with a high degree of ambiguity and
­
the absence of information, sometimes for long periods of
time. Those who crave constant feedback or need frequent
­affirmation will stagnate easily and frequently in a virtual
world.

1.5 Summary

To successfully lead virtual teams that consistently deliver superior

results, today’s leaders need a special set of skills, competencies, and
attributes. These can take years, and a great deal of trial and error,
to really master. It won’t happen overnight, even after reading this
book!
What’s important is that virtual leaders do a gap analysis between
their existing leadership skills and competencies and those outlined in
this chapter. Ask your colleagues, peers, manager, or team members
to provide input, too. Choose a few skills or attributes to work on first.
Create specific goals for yourself, and determine how you’ll measure
success.
For example, if you suspect that your ability for empathic listening
is lacking, try enlisting someone you trust to give you coaching and
feedback. Formal training in some areas may be available within your
organization or elsewhere. Check in with team members to ask how
you’re doing, either one-on-one (1:1) or in a team setting.
 Uni q ue C h a l l en g e s o f Vir t ua l T e a m s 9

Sharing your goals with your team lets members know that you’re
willing to invest a lot of yourself in the success of the team. It can
also be a great way to cultivate trust by acknowledging some of your
own vulnerabilities and aspirations, which helps create an environ-
ment where people can speak the truth, even when they can’t see eye
to eye.
 2
S izin g U p, O nboard in g ,
and M obilizin g Your
Virtual Te am

On any given virtual team, some members will be brand new and
some will be seasoned veterans. Although some team members are
full-time, some are part-timers, and others may make cameo appear-
ances only when their expertise is needed.
Even when you have just a few people joining the team for the
first time, think of this latest iteration of your virtual team as an
opportunity to take stock of the talent, skills, and expertise within
the team. Consider anew what connections can be made among
team members, and how roles and responsibilities might be parceled
out differently.

2.1 Onboarding and Off-Ramping Team Members

By their very nature, many virtual teams have members that fre-
quently come and go. Creating an entry or exit strategy is particularly
challenging for teams whose members work virtually. The reason is
that unlike their co-located counterparts, virtual team members have
fewer opportunities for the kind of informal impromptu conversations
by which much vital knowledge is shared and context provided.
Here are some tips to smooth out the transition process:

• Determine how relatively permanent the arrival or depar-

ture of a team member is likely to be. Plan to spend less time
and energy orienting a new member who may be making a one-
time cameo appearance, versus one who stands to play a promi-
nent role over time. Likewise, if a team member needs to bow
out briefly but will be accessible during this time, you probably
needn’t expend much energy in planning an exit strategy.
11
12 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

• Figure out what information a new member needs to launch

into productive participation with the team, and how best
to provide that knowledge. If the political landscape is a criti-
cal success factor, the best way to describe the likely landmines
may be to pick up the phone and use anecdotes to provide
needed context. If, on the other hand, the new member needs
to get up to speed on the team’s progress versus plans, it may
be best to point to a shared repository and highlight certain
documents that can be read by the new member in advance.
• Assign a team “buddy” to help ramp-up each new team mem-
ber. Try to rotate this responsibility, consciously pairing people
who may benefit from each other’s skills and experience. Ask
the buddy to set aside a certain amount of time during each
of the first few weeks to answer questions, provide insight, or
give advice. This should be done in person or via phone versus
e-mail to allow for more open, direct conversations.
• Make your team norms and operating principles explicit,
and explain how they play out in the day-to-day life of
your team. For example, if a team principle states that each
member is responsible for informing others if deliverables are
delayed, explain what this means in terms of critical inter-
dependencies, methods of communication, and asking others
for help. The more specific you can be about the team norms,
the easier it will be to bring a new member on board.
• When team members depart, make sure to unpack their
knowledge and experience before you set them free. Even
though many will promise to make time for the old team once in
a new job, competing demands make this promise hard to keep.
Think about what content is important for the team to have and
where the content is stored. Ask the departing member to write
up a few notes, including the status of outstanding deliverables,
key contacts, and lessons learned for team members picking up
the slack. The more knowledge that can be codified for others
to use later, the less costly the loss to the team will be.
• Plan to have the exiting member interviewed by at least
one or two team members well in advance, giving the team
a deeper understanding of the work this person has done,
including important relationships, political nuances, and
 Sizin g U p a n d M o bilizin g Yo ur T e a m 13

critical success factors. Even better, have someone on the

team shadow the departing team member during important
conversations, either virtually or face to face (FTF), to absorb
some of the tacit knowledge that may be difficult for the
departing team member to describe in words.
• Negotiate with your departing team members (or their new
managers) to borrow a small slice of time over the coming
weeks or months if you have not been able to accurately pre-
dict what knowledge is most vital to extract before they leave.
Gaining agreement up front will help increase the likelihood
that they will make time for you once they’ve left.

2.2 Assessing Capabilities, Aptitudes, and Preferences

of Team Members

When people don’t have the opportunity to work together side by

side very often, it’s hard for them, and for you, to get a feel for their
skills, knowledge, communication styles, and preferences. Here are
some tips for assessing the skills, preferences, and attitudes of existing
team members:
• Size up skills and strengths to enable effective collabo-
ration: Virtual leaders need to know how to leverage the
strengths, styles, and preferences of all team members so that
the whole team benefits. Such an assessment can be tricky
with only limited firsthand knowledge or direct observation.
Consider using an online tool such as DiSC* or MBTI† to
jump start this process. Most such tools are easy and quick for
participants to complete, and can yield detailed reports about
both individual members as well as the team as whole. Find
out if your organization has standardized on a particular type
of tool. If in doubt, check with HR or some of your colleagues.
• Regardless of which tool you use, make sure you can create
a team profile that synthesizes all members’ profiles in one

* DiSC is a registered trademark of Inscape Publishing, Inc.

† MBTI®, Myers-Briggs, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and the MBTI® logo are

trademarks or registered trademarks of the MBTI Trust, Inc., in the United States
and other countries, and are used under license.
14 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

document. This can serve as a handy communications road-

map for all team members, and a great tool to help team lead-
ers determine how best to galvanize and mobilize the team
during various phases of the project. (Make sure that all team
members are on board with sharing their profiles across the
team. In rare cases, some people want their profiles to remain
private, in which case you’ll need to eliminate their profiles.)
• Think about other ways you can encourage team members
to reveal skills, strengths, and other gifts that may not be
obvious from their titles or roles. This can be done in r­eal
time, such as during team meetings or via instant messaging
(IM), or asynchronously, such as via a shared portal, wiki,
blog, or e-mail. For example, you might open a team meeting
with a quick tour around the table asking each person to name
one special gift they have that will not be obvious, judging
from their current role or job title.
• Assign tasks and leadership roles in ways that take full
advantage of the different skills, experiences, and perspec-
tives within your group. With a long-term project, these
assignments and the composition of each group are likely to
shift over time. Look for opportunities to shift assignments as
a way of keeping people fresh and challenged in positive ways,
without disrupting the flow of work.
• Listen carefully to the tone and content of conversations,
both spoken and written, especially when a crunch is on, because
we tend to show our truest selves when we’re feeling pressured.
What seems to set people off? What behaviors and attitudes
are most helpful? Determine which behaviors and attitudes will
be most helpful to collaboration, which are impediments, and
which need attention, perhaps in the form of coaching.

2.3 Getting up to Speed in a Hurry

Once new people have come on board they’ll have to work fast to play
catch-up so they can contribute productively as quickly as possible.
For virtual teams that are spread across locations and time zones, this
game of catch-up can be daunting, both for the newcomers and for
those who have to take time to bring their new colleagues up to speed.
 Sizin g U p a n d M o bilizin g Yo ur T e a m 15

Whether your team is brand new, or it’s reforming with new mem-
bers, a virtual team leader needs to find ways to coalesce and gal-
vanize the team quickly, often without many (or any!) face-to-face
(FTF) interactions. Here are some actions a virtual team leader can
take to create an environment of collaboration and trust in the short
term and in the long run:

• Use FTF as a foundation. Simply put, without at least

some FTF interaction, it’s almost impossible for people to
develop deep relationships as a truly cohesive team. When
people come together in person, they have the opportunity to
exchange knowledge and ideas and convey feelings in a way
that’s tough to do virtually. With the whole team together,
you can ensure that everyone is interpreting objectives, goals,
roles, and other vital content the same way. Disagreements
can be aired more easily and quickly, and mistaken assump-
tions can be identified and dispelled. FTF meetings help
people create the bonds that are needed for people to collabo-
rate virtually down the road. Intermittent small-group FTF
meetings can also be critical to get important work done, but
nothing can replace bringing the whole team together on a
periodic basis to galvanize a team. Yes, it may cost time and
money to have everyone travel to one location from time to
time, but the risks in not making the investment can be far
more costly.
• Present the big picture right up front. Without an over-
all context and framework, new members will have no
foundation by which they can make needed changes or
suggest improvements. No one is so indispensable that he
doesn’t have at least some time to get new members up to
speed. Appoint a person who has a bird’s-eye view of the
whole project to orient new members as they come online.
(Sending new team members a fusillade of memos is not a
fair replacement.)
• Enable personal insights early on. When team members
rely heavily on e-mail as a primary source of communication,
it’s tempting to draw conclusions about the meaning of a cer-
tain tone or choice of words. Unfortunately, in the absence
16 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

of any contradictory information, we often make uncharita-

ble assumptions that can fray relationships and erode trust.
Provide virtual team members with a way to gain insights into
each other’s styles, preferences, and behavioral patterns. So,
the next time a team member gets an achingly detailed e-mail
from a fellow team member, she’ll know that this is not meant
as an intentional annoyance. Rather, it’s just that the sender
needs a significant amount of data to process meaning for
himself, and is passing that information along to others. For
a virtual team, gaining this depth of knowledge about team
member preferences may otherwise take months or years.
• Give everyone a clear sense of how the work of the team fits
together. Do this explicitly, preferably using both words and
images to ensure shared understanding. Simply telling people
on a conference call or in a conference room, for example, can
easily be misunderstood or forgotten. Show people how work
intersects and where handoffs are. Go through a couple of
scenarios to make sure that the workflow is well understood
by everyone. If you lead a large project team, position each
team member and each facet of the project with the client as
valuable to the overall outcome.
• Share information openly. Withholding vital information
can impede progress and erode trust. Don’t presume to know
what information people need to do their jobs. Let them
decide. When in doubt, err on the high side. Best to assume
that everyone needs access to virtually all project-related infor-
mation. Try creating a shared portal for everyone to upload
access and navigate content easily and quickly, and send alerts
to highlight certain information that’s particularly vital.
• Set aside time for real-time team conversations at least once
a week. E-mails, IMs, and the like are not a replacement for the
kind of person-to-person exchange that people need to ramp
up quickly and feel like part of the team. Establish standards
for participation, process, and timing, and make sure that
important decisions and actions are communicated in writing
to all members afterward, to ensure a shared understanding.
• Cross-train to encourage easier collaboration. Discover
ways to make it possible for team members to learn others’
 Sizin g U p a n d M o bilizin g Yo ur T e a m 17

jobs. This is especially critical for small teams where people

have to pinch-hit during peak periods or when team mem-
bers are absent. Cross-training has other benefits, too. People
develop a more holistic perspective of the entire organizational
system, and can contribute fresh ideas about opportunities
for improvement or growth. Members also gain empathy for
­others by understanding all they are responsible for, and at the
same time, can hone their own skills and knowledge beyond
what’s called for by their current jobs. Consider who would
most benefit by learning each other’s roles, mixing together
those who come from different functions or organizations.
Encourage these small teams to take the best advantage of
web tools and shared portals in addition to phone, e-mail, and
FTF meetings.
• Assume that people are trying their hardest. Avoid mak-
ing uncharitable assumptions, such as “He’s just trying to
sabotage our work so we look bad,” or “She can’t be a team
player if she keeps questioning our methods.” Chances are,
people really are doing their best work, given the circum-
stances. If people are falling short of expectations, consider
how team dynamics are playing a role and work to create
­better ways of working.
• Create an environment where it’s safe to ask for help. Don’t
penalize people who can’t meet demands or who ask o­ thers
to help. If people feel they will be punished for asking for
help, you may find them falling behind in silence, with less
­opportunity for making a mid-course correction later on.
Make it acceptable for people to acknowledge they need
assistance and make sure they have it, whether it’s taking
something else off their plate, doling out a new resource, or
extending a deadline.
• Make the time to check in one-on-one (1:1). When certain
­members are on the hook to deliver on commitments before
others can move ahead, pick up the phone or send a friendly
e-mail to see how they’re doing and ask how you can help.
There’s a fine line between micromanaging, which can stop
people in their tracks, and making a genuine offer of assistance,
which can inspire an energetic performance at the finish line.
18 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

As a leader of a fast-moving virtual team, be sensitive to what new

members will need to contribute successfully from the start. Never
make assumptions about the information you think they need. Show
them the big picture and openly share all relevant information.
Encourage and respond quickly to questions and provide frequent
feedback to assure them they’re on the right track. By thoughtfully
orienting new members at the outset, the entire team will benefit.

2.4 Assessing How Cultural Differences May Affect Team Dynamics

Even the most seasoned managers occasionally fall into some unex-
pected and potentially dangerous traps when working with a global
virtual team, especially when members are new and relationships have
not yet formed. Without benefit of vital nonverbal communications,
we tend to ignore or dismiss differences in hopes that having shared
goals will be enough to propel everyone ahead at the same time.
Here are some common mistakes many virtual team leaders fall
into, along with suggested remedies:

• Mistake #1: Assuming that everyone has more or less the

same proficiency in writing, reading, and speaking English.
Even if your company requires that everyone speak English
fluently, some people will be more at ease communicating,
whether verbally or through writing, than others.
Success Strategy: Make sure that you provide multiple commu-
nication channels to allow for these differences. For example, if
you have a conference call, build in the use of a web conferenc-
ing tool to enable more people to participate in different ways
with confidence and comfort. In general, allocate at least 30%
more time for conference calls to allow for mental translations.
• Mistake #2: Arranging meeting times and tasks that will
require occasional work on weekends, vacations, and late
evenings. Although some Americans may willingly forego
personal time for the greater good of their companies, in
many other cultures, personal time is sacrosanct.
Success Strategy: When scheduling work, plan around
vacation time and local holidays, rather than asking people
to sacrifice private time, and likewise with scheduling team
 Sizin g U p a n d M o bilizin g Yo ur T e a m 19

meetings. If some people have to keep very early or late hours

to join calls, rotate meeting times so everyone takes turns
being inconvenienced. Also consider using asynchronous
means to gather input and ideas from those who may not
really need to be on the call at 3 a.m. local time.
• Mistake #3: Believing that everyone will be equally willing
and able to speak candidly. In some cultures, criticizing oth-
ers’ ideas is considered unacceptably rude, whereas other cul-
tures relish a vigorous debate.
Success Strategy: Find ways to enable all members to speak
their minds safely, even if it means speaking to them 1:1, or
offering them an anonymous means of making contribu-
tions. Above all, avoid using the “silence is consensus” rule.
Otherwise you may imagine you have agreement when in fact
you have no idea how certain people really feel or what they
think.
• Mistake #4: Thinking that all cultures assess trust the same
way. Some cultures may place greater value on one’s c­ redibility
(such as a college degree, related experience, expertise, or
seniority), and others may place greater emphasis on ­reliability
(e.g., willingness and ability to follow through on commit-
ments) as a cornerstone of trust.
Success Strategy: Take the time to discover how different
members assess trust, and as a team, consciously create oper-
ating principles designed to encourage attitudes and behavior
that will do the most to build and cultivate trust.
• Mistake #5: Creating a one-size-fits-all team communica-
tions plan. Just as individuals may favor certain communica-
tion styles, different cultures tend to have different ways of
taking in, processing, and sharing information. For example,
some cultures require explicit details about their tasks before
they can start work, whereas others want only a general
framework so they can determine what their tasks should be.
Success Strategy: Learn enough about all of the cultures rep-
resented on your team so you can make some first best guesses
about communication preferences. As a team, create some
agreed-upon team communication norms that work well for
most, if not for all.
20 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

• Mistake #6: Designing a project plan that requires some

members to take on multiple jobs. Before you assume that
team members will eagerly volunteer when another member
is unable to fulfill stated commitments, verify that in fact
each member is able and willing to pinch-hit when needed.
Some cultures need roles and tasks to be clearly carved out
and feel uncomfortable and at times resentful if they are asked
to slide into another role, even temporarily. Other cultures
value group harmony over individual achievements and are
more likely to jump in when and where needed.
Success Strategy: Create a team environment where it’s OK
to say no, to make sure that people don’t start over-committing
to please you or team members.
• Mistake #7: Imagining that everyone has the same defini-
tion of “ASAP.” Cultures have different notions about time.
Americans tend to value immediate gratification and tend to
expect that everyone on the team wants to move as quickly
as they do. Some other cultures are more deliberate and cir-
cumspect before moving ahead and bristle at being rushed.
Although some cultures value punctuality, others may regard
timeliness as less important.
Success Strategy: Make sure that everyone regards the
milestones and deadlines as realistic and achievable, and
be explicit when mapping out deliverables and associated
dates. For example, instead of stating that a certain report is
due next week, indicate that all reports need to be submit-
ted by 5 p.m. (specifying which time zone if important) on
which day.
• Mistake #8: Requiring that team decisions be made instantly.
Many cultures need to assess input from stakeholders before
weighing in. Others prefer making decisions on the fly, often
with just partial information. Cultures that value formality
may feel disempowered from making decisions without the
sanction of their upper management, whereas others may
demand an equal vote, whatever their position.
Success Strategy: Be explicit about how and when decisions
will be made, based on whose input, and subject to whose
approval. Prepare to build in extra time to allow for some
 Sizin g U p a n d M o bilizin g Yo ur T e a m 21

members to conduct the due diligence they need to make

decisions if you expect them to follow through later.
The most dangerous mistake people make when leading a cross-
cultural team is to assume that we’re more alike than we actually
are. And with virtual teams, it’s much harder to discover if we have
inadvertently violated cultural norms or disrespected important
values, given the absence of nonverbal cues.
Take the time to understand how different cultures learn, com-
municate, and collaborate. Stereotypes can be harmful when they are
judgmental and inflexible; however, generalizations can be extraordi-
narily helpful in determining how best to cultivate trust and a sense
of teamwork among people of different cultures. Your goal is not to
neutralize differences, but to understand how you can make differ-
ences strengthen the work of the team.

2.5 Influencing without Authority across Boundaries

for Virtual Project Team Leaders

It’s tough enough for a virtual team leader to motivate people to stay
focused and aligned on shared goals when some or all of the team
members are not direct reports. But when the members are geographi-
cally dispersed, the leader’s challenge is greatly compounded as people
constantly struggle to find time for multiple priorities. Oftentimes,
the team members whose leader is farthest away in terms of either
physical distance or chain of command ends up getting the short shrift.
With everyone carrying a fully loaded “day job” as it is, persuad-
ing virtual team members to invest time and energy in your project
can be daunting. The first step is to get an honest appraisal of each
team member’s level of commitment to the project. (After all, just
because they agree to attend conference calls doesn’t mean they’re
really present.)
Here are some tips to get you started:

• Pick up the phone and introduce yourself. Share your

­enthusiasm about the project. Let each member know what
this ­project means to the organization and to you personally.
Indicate the extent of your expected involvement in terms of
time, attention, and activities you will be participating in or
22 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

leading. Be honest about the challenges you face in pulling

the team together, and solicit ideas and guidance for jump-
starting the team.
• Determine whether team members have a real passion for
the project. Do team members see this project as a great
learning opportunity or as a necessary evil? Discover the
potential benefits of this project from their perspectives, and
speak persuasively about the benefits of project membership
from your viewpoint. You may not sell them on the benefits at
once, but you can start planting the seed.
• Assess how much time and energy each team member can
realistically invest. Understand the full range of responsi-
bilities team members now carry and how much of their time
their current tasks absorb. Ask them candidly how much time
they think they can really devote to this project, and over
what period of time. For example, some may be able to spend
a half-day each week for a month, and others may declare that
the best they can do is read e-mail reports to stay informed.
Just because someone has been assigned a project doesn’t
mean he really has time to participate.
• Set expectations about the kind of help you need from each
member and how frequently. For example, you may require
intermittent input and feedback from some team m ­ embers,
whereas others may be required to play a more time-­consuming
role on an ongoing basis. If you see a significant disconnect
between what you feel is required and what this person has
to give, be prepared to request a replacement, and notify the
team member of your intentions and rationale.
• Pay attention to communication preferences and styles.
Before you hammer out a team communications plan, take the
time to observe how team members communicate most effec-
tively. Do some people communicate more easily in writing?
Are some more informative when attending a conference call?
Do some members seem peeved by requests for more details,
and others are frustrated with “blue sky” conversations? Asking
people to go against their grain can heighten resistance and
diminish enthusiasm. Be prepared to adjust team communica-
tions methods to invite more energetic contributions.
 Sizin g U p a n d M o bilizin g Yo ur T e a m 23

• Honor the contributions of team members at every oppor-

tunity. Use multiple channels such as phone, e-mail, and web
postings to spotlight great ideas or to celebrate the completion
of especially important milestones. Make sure that members’
managers are kept in the loop. Acknowledge suggestions that
lead to positive change. Thank people for ideas even if they
cannot be implemented, and be sure people understand why
some ideas are adopted and others are not.
• Invite team members to influence and shape your project
goals, strategies, and tactics. Make sure your request is genu-
ine and not just a token gesture. Acknowledge how this ­project
will benefit by a diversity of perspectives and take the time to ask
people what they think. Create an environment where healthy
debate and dissenting views are actively encouraged, and build
in time for meaningful discussions that will yield richer results.
• Limit meeting time at first. Reel them in slowly by taking
the time to plan and run a few interesting and productive
meetings at the outset, where people have an opportunity to
learn and contribute. If you later find you need more frequent
meetings to get the work done, you may be pleasantly sur-
prised to find calendars clearing more easily for team sessions.
• Check in frequently. Arrange time to meet with members
1:1 at scheduled intervals to find out how they’re feeling and
what they’re thinking. Many people may be reluctant to con-
fess to feeling overwhelmed or slipping behind in a team
meeting, especially if everyone feels compelled to play the
role of good corporate cheerleader. As team members culti-
vate trust among each other and for you as their leader, these
1:1 s­ essions may need to be less frequent.

It’s never safe to assume that just because someone has been
appointed to a team that she will automatically participate as ener-
getically as you’d like. When you’re leading a team of people over
whom you have no direct authority, make the up-front investment to
earnestly discuss ideas, goals, and challenges. As a result, you’re far
more likely to convince people to jump on board with both feet. And
if they can’t make the kind of commitment your project requires, it’s
better to know up front while there’s time to do something about it.
24 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

2.6 Summary

Weaving together a whole new team out of members who have dif-
ferent relationships to each other and to the team leader requires
exemplary leadership skills and a keen understanding of organiza-
tional dynamics. When this newly formed team is virtual, the remote
team leader faces an additional set of complex challenges best met
by gaining an appreciation for the special dynamics of virtual teams.
Everyone can be successful leading a newly formed remote team. It
just takes a little more time to learn how and a great deal of creativity.
Before you can expect your virtual team to work at peak ­velocity
and volume, you need to make sure your team is geared up for ­success.
Although this means taking more time and planning than you’d
counted on, your up-front investments will be paid many times over
with a team where all members are ready, willing, and able to move
fast in the same direction, from wherever they work.
 3
Building Trusting
Relationships across
Boundaries

When virtual team leaders name their toughest challenge, one answer
always pops to the top of the list: building trust. Or in some cases, it’s
rebuilding trust.
Building trust is hard for any team, but it is especially hard for
­virtual teams, whose members have few opportunities to interact
personally. Virtual teams often evolve around projects, with people
coming together and drifting away during different phases. When
teams span different cultures, misunderstandings can crop up more
frequently with virtual teams, and are much harder to detect, and can
be awkward to address. Plus, virtual teams rarely allocate special time
for relationship building. So when times are tough, it’s almost impos-
sible to drop everything for the kind of heart-to-heart talks that can
repair relationships.
Cultivating a culture of trust can take many forms. For starters,
virtual team leaders need to find ways to intentionally help team
members build relationships that go way beyond the task at hand. As
the team leader, it’s crucial that you create a level playing field among
all team members, regardless of their location or their relationship to
you. And it’s not enough to treat everyone with the same attention
and regard. You have to make people believe you are doing so, too.
When people perceive that you’re playing favorites with some (even
when you’re bending over backward not to), it’s much harder to earn
the trust of your entire team.

25
26 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

3.1 Building the Foundations of Trust

Here are some tips to build the foundation:

• Talk about trust early on. It can be awkward to discuss
trust right up front. (Most teams wait for a team breakdown
to bring it up, when it can be way too late.) With a virtual
team, it’s hard to discern when, how, or why trust has been
breached. That’s precisely why it’s so important to put it on
the table at the outset. Encourage people to discuss behav-
ior that tends to build, and break, trust. Guide the team
in creating norms that help cultivate trust and minimize
opportunities to cause friction. For example, how will team
members ask for help or admit when they’re behind? What’s
the best way to deal with frustrations and misunderstand-
ings? Such norms can create guidelines for new members
and serve as a checkpoint for all members, should problems
arise.
• Set the tone as the team leader. The way a team leader inter-
acts with team members on phone calls and in virtual meet-
ings sets the tone for the whole team. This includes tone of
voice as well as the warmth with which we say hello. Smiling
while talking on the phone can have an impact on others,
even if they can’t see you. Try it and observe how your tone
and tenor changes. Being rested and well prepared for team
meetings will result in a positive calm demeanor and a good
demonstration of active listening, all of which will have a last-
ing positive impact on your team.
• Define trust. Engage team members in a discussion about
trust. Ask why trust is important to them in this group.
Not all cultures or people ascribe the same notions of trust-
worthiness. Ask how they would know if trust had broken
down. Ask how they would know if trust were strong. Ask
people what constitutes “trust-building” and “trust-busting”
behaviors from you, the team leader, and from other team
members.
• Hold each other accountable. To build trust, all team mem-
bers need to hold each other accountable to some standards
of behavior. If these principles are nothing more than vague
 Buil d in g T rus tin g Rel ati o nship s 27

intentions or fuzzy “feel good” rules, they won’t provide the

specificity members need to call each other out in case of a
transgression. When leaders permit some members to vio-
late agreed-upon norms, they risk their credibility with team
members who expect them to enforce the rules.
• Reinforce candor. To foster a culture of trust, the leader
needs to ensure people feel safe about voicing their reserva-
tions or concerns. The ability of a leader to encourage and
reinforce candor lies at the heart of the trust-building process.
• Anticipate and address stress points. When people feel
pressured to perform, unattractive behaviors can emerge.
Without face-to-face (FTF) conversations to smooth ruffled
feathers, such behavior can quickly derail even a very strong
team. Openly discuss likely stress points and have team mem-
bers agree how they can best help each other, and themselves,
avoid dysfunctional behavior that might result.
• When in doubt, reveal more rather than less. Team leaders
are often privy to inside information. Err on the side of being
more transparent rather than less, providing you don’t violate
any policies. For example, team leaders might open each call
by asking members what rumors they’ve been hearing, and
then address each point with the latest, most accurate infor-
mation they have. If team members seem reluctant to repeat
rumors, try opening an anonymous virtual conference area
where team members can pose questions or express concerns,
and where team leaders can respond to the team as a whole.
• Encourage creativity and reasonable risk taking. Team
leaders need to be clear about the type of risks that are
encouraged, versus those the organization cannot afford to
take. Once ground rules are in place, team leaders can help
the team find ways to move creative ideas into action. For
example, brainstorming sessions can be set up via phone or
virtual conference area where all team members can con-
tribute a volley of ideas to help solve a particular challenge,
which can then be vetted and acted upon. Regardless of the
outcome, team leaders should congratulate team members
for their creative ideas, spawning an innovative, energized
environment.
28 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

• Keep an eye out for the small problems. When virtual team
members don’t feel comfortable having candid conversations,
little annoyances can lead to big problems. Team leaders
need to be vigilant about addressing small rifts and imme-
diately bring team members back to the sense of purpose.
In some cases, this requires an open conversation with the
whole team, and in others, a private conversation may be
more appropriate.
• Give people tangible reasons to make connections on their
own. It’s unlikely that a team of 15 or 20 members can build
meaningful relationships when conversations are restricted
to team calls and e-mail. Assign tasks to team members
who need to build trust most urgently. Suggest (or require)
that they set aside needed time for important conversations,
whether to surface issues, solve problems, brainstorm ideas,
or make decisions. During your one-on-one (1:1) sessions
with team members, you can learn more about how these
sessions are going.

We all know someone we didn’t warm up to at first, but as we

conversed in the cafeteria, or on a business trip, or in the gym, we
developed a close relationship. That personal connection allows us to
discover and connect with the full human being. With virtual teams,
we have to deliberately create time for the kind of meaningful encoun-
ters that lead to trusting relationships. Although this takes no small
amount of ingenuity, commitment, and careful planning, the pay-
backs in happier, more engaged, and productive teams are enormous.

3.2 Creating a Level Playing Field

Here are some tips to give all team members an equal opportunity to
fully contribute.

• Recognize and minimize power differentials, perceived

and real. Be sensitive to the perceptions of remote work-
ers that you may be playing favorites with those closest to
you. Ask people on your team for an honest assessment about
the extent to which you treat all team members equitably.
 Buil d in g T rus tin g Rel ati o nship s 29

You may need to engage someone outside the team to inter-

view members, with anonymity assured, if you suspect
they’ll be reluctant to open up to you about your manage-
ment style. If you find that people feel you’re giving more
time and attention to those closest to you (whether you agree
or not), consciously allocate more time to those who work
from a distance.
• Provide equal access to vital information. Give everyone,
regardless of location, the same access to information that
will benefit the team, at the same time. Resist the temptation
to share important news with those closest to you. Wait until
you can reach everyone at the same time. If this is impossible,
give everyone a heads-up that you need to speak with them,
and schedule times that are as close as possible to each other
so the rumor mill doesn’t take over before you have a chance
to share the news.
• Share power. Structure the team and activities in such a
way that power never lies with just one or two, but shifts
over time. Give everyone a chance to lead something once
in a while. Grant decision-making authority to those who
are in the best position to make well-informed decisions,
versus giving those closest to you more weight in making
decisions.
• Share the wealth by stimulating knowledge transfer. It
can be tough enough for a centrally located team to share
members’ collective knowledge as a routine part of working
as a team. A virtual team leader must give extraordinary
thought to how best to cross-pollinate vital team knowl-
edge, given the limited opportunities for real-time, or syn-
chronous, discussions. Make sure to regularly allocate time
in team meetings, whether FTF or virtual, for an infor-
mation exchange, asking members to share what they’ve
learned, what they may need help with, or what patterns
they’ve noticed. In addition, make it easy to contribute ideas
or questions in a way that is not time-dependent by using
team social networking tools, such as blogs and wikis, or a
team portal where people can push or pull ideas, questions,
or experience. To jump start knowledge-sharing, consider
30 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

some reward or recognition for those who contribute the

most ideas, answer the most questions, and so on, within a
given timeframe.
• Maintain the quality of relationships. Apportion your
time evenly among all team members. Make an extra
effort to develop relationships with those new to you, or
new to the team. If you can’t spare time for phone conver-
sations, or if time zone differences make this impossible,
try using instant messaging or other ways to reach out to
people 1:1 whenever you can. Even a quick, “Hey, how was
your b­ irthday party?” or “I really appreciated your help last
week,” can help make people feel connected, even when
they’re far away.
• Make opportunities to provide input. Seek input from
everyone on the team (or explain why input is needed from
only some). Give everyone a reasonable chance at offering
suggestions, making comments, or providing other input.
This means advance planning on your part. Try using asyn-
chronous forms of communication, such as a team portal
or some type of online survey, to gather perspectives and
ideas.
• Dole out plum projects evenly. Give everyone a chance to
take on the “best” work. Consider all qualified team mem-
bers equally for important assignments and interesting tasks,
rather than doling out the most coveted projects to those you
know best, or those who are closest.
• Use collaboration technology and tools. Choose tools that
allow all team members equal access from all locations.
When some use different software applications for certain
team functions, strike a compromise based on what’s easiest
and most convenient for all to use, when you can. Make sure
everyone has enough bandwidth so everyone can participate
at the same time, at the same pace.
• Be aware of cultural and generational differences.
Understand how cultural and generational differences are
most likely to affect team collaboration and communication,
and do what you can to make sure that no one culture or
demographic is at a particular advantage (or disadvantage).
 Buil d in g T rus tin g Rel ati o nship s 31

• Value all contributions equally. Find ways to recognize and

appreciate the perspectives that all bring to the virtual table,
regardless of title, tenure, or level. Consider pairing people on
certain tasks who can benefit by cross-pollinating knowledge
and otherwise learn from each other.
• Practice bipartisan team leadership. Chances are you may
be physically closer to some team members, or you may be
closer to some in other ways due to your work history. Level
out the playing field by hosting meetings from different loca-
tions, giving people the chance to alternate who participates
virtually versus FTF.
• While in a different location, use the opportunity to walk
the halls and check in with team members, catching up and
sharing the latest news. Spend time with people in their usual
working environment to give you a new appreciation for the
challenges and priorities they wrestle with daily.

3.3 Building Social Capital

Here are some tips to build relationships among team members who
have few, if any, opportunities to meet FTF.

• Use a team kick-off as a time to create social capital, and build

from there. Unlike co-located teams that can bond during
FTF kick-off events, virtual teams also need these “getting-to-
know-you” sessions. Dedicating an hour-long virtual meeting
for a relaxed conversation about family, interests, professional
background, and aspirations, for example, can pay big dividends
later. Doing this early on gives members more reasons to keep in
touch with colleagues, either 1:1 or as a team. Conversations do
not, and should not, be all business, all the time.
• Socialize frequently and celebrate often. If members are
within a reasonable distance, strive to socialize in person as a
team or if needed, as two smaller groups. You may have a busi-
ness reason to get together, such as the celebration of a newly
completed milestone or the start of a new budgeting cycle.
Or you might have something more personal to celebrate,
such as a birthday, service anniversary, or holiday. Even if a
32 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

business need is the catalyst for getting together, make sure

to ­a llocate some FTF time for r­ elationship-building. Include
activities that are both fun and team-focused. For example,
for a new team, try asking people to match a member’s name
to a card with a description of job responsibilities and then
assemble an organization chart that shows how everyone fits
together as a whole team. Focus on activities that encourage
cross-team learning and give people a sense that the whole
team is greater than the sum of its parts. Alternate locations
to make the commute time more equitable. Ask local employ-
ees to host, including creating the agenda.
• Invite people to reveal a piece of themselves at every
opportunity. Some people dislike “chatting” on team calls,
especially when time is of the essence. Others feel they can’t
really trust another without knowing something about the
real person behind the voice. Make it easy and fast for
­people to reveal a little bit of information about themselves.
For example, you can ask people to answer a quick (nonin-
vasive) personal question as they log in or dial in, such as,
“What is the title of the last book you’ve read?” or “Describe
what you like best about winter.” Little by little, people will
develop a deeper sense of the whole person, enabling them
to forge connections they may otherwise never have been
able to make.
• Create a way for team members to have “face time.” Even
when you can’t bring the team together in one room, you can
help make them feel like they’re together by creating a sim-
ple team photo. Ask team members to share a digital photo
of themselves, whether a candid shot, family portrait, or
­professional headshot. Then you can cut and paste the images
together to create a team photo, perhaps sitting around an
imaginary conference table ready for your next virtual meet-
ing. Add the members’ names to their photos and share the
collage with the whole team. This ­simple ­low-tech tool is a
very effective way to keep team members in the mind’s eye
during virtual meetings and online conversations.
• Ask everyone to create a “fun fact sheet.” Create a template
that team members can easily populate with information that
 Buil d in g T rus tin g Rel ati o nship s 33

would be both useful to know (such as preferred ways to be

contacted, languages spoken, personality profile, etc.) and
fun to discover (such as hobbies, favorite vacation spots, fam-
ily make-up, unusual talents, etc.). People can e-mail their
fact sheets to others or, better yet, they can post them in
a shared location that is accessible only to team members.
Make sure to draw on this information during team calls
(e.g., “Jeff, I’ll bet you’re looking forward to ski season,” or
“Maria, maybe you can give Juan some local suggestions for
his visit to Paris next month”). Bonus: New team members
will have an easy way to “meet” everyone on the team right
out of the starting gate.
• Create a space and time where team members can share
lessons learned with others. This sharing can take place in
an online conference area, in a wiki or blog, or during team
calls. Encourage people to recount lessons that are reflective
and revealing, beyond those related to the task at hand. For
example, you might ask someone who has recently returned
from a client site what they’d do differently next time, and
why. Or you can ask each person to call out a quick high-
light of the week just ended, or the greatest challenge they
face in the week ahead (and why). This can take as little as
five or ten minutes on a team call, depending on the number
of team members or the nature of the sharing. Alternately,
you can call on a couple of different team members each
week.
• Make everyone a star! It’s easy for practically anyone to make
and share videos. Ask team members to make videos of them-
selves in their own work environment (or in their favorite set-
ting) to share with others: maybe during a call, by posting
online, attaching in an e-mail, or embedding into a blog. This
way, people can get a better feel for each other’s environment
without having to travel. Consider staging a “best picture”
contest for the funniest clip, best acting, most beautiful scen-
ery, cleanest offices, and so on.
• Reward and recognize achievements out loud. When
your team can’t be together FTF, find ways to reward and
recognize achievements in other ways. At the very least,
­
34 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

use e-mail to notify the whole team of individual or team

accomplishments. Better yet, try using videoconferencing for
­recognizing achievements, so that everyone can feel that he is
part of something special. Also think about something tan-
gible you can send to team members (such as team T-shirts,
books, flowers, or a savory treat). When people meet virtually
most of the time, giving them some sort of three-dimensional
team identifier can remind people that they belong to part of
a larger whole.

3.4 Summary

To help cultivate trust, build relationships, and maintain a level play-

ing field, successful virtual leaders need to act as the connector for the
people on their team. Communications and connections don’t happen
by chance with virtual teams as they often do with co-located teams
who share a corridor, a water cooler, or a cafeteria.
Team leaders need to connect frequently with members themselves,
whether 1:1 or in small groups, and create opportunities and sug-
gestions for members to connect with each other. The “connectivity
function” is especially important when a new team is forming or new
members are coming on board. It’s just as vital when the team is going
through a rough patch, or when the team needs to be ­rejuvenated or
redirected.
Table 3.1 provides some quick tips for accelerating trust, build-
ing social capital, and creating a level playing field. You can use this
­template and build from there with your own team.
Table 3.1 Quick Reference Guide: Accelerate Trust, Build a Level Playing Field, and Create Social Capital
ACCELERATE TRUST
WHAT WHY HOW
Create a “dense social network.” • Avoid the out of sight–out of mind • Stay connected with your team. Be hypervigilant in holding ongoing
syndrome. A virtual team must 1:1s; don’t cancel them!
communicate with one another and with • Create opportunities for direct reports to work together if possible.
internal stakeholders twice as often as • Adopt a mentality of “new month = new connection,” where someone on
individuals who are co-located or onsite. the team introduces the team or a team member to a new internal
connection.

Make information easily accessible • Virtual teams rely heavily on the quantity, • Establish principles for information-sharing based on team goals.
to all team members at all times. accuracy, timeliness, and relevance of • Utilize feedback loops with team to gain feedback on what is and what
information. is not working.
• Utilize Sharepoint or a central repository for all documents/
communications.
• Check in frequently to make sure team has information they need to
perform and feel connected.

Make it easy to ask for help, • Create a safe, mutually supportive team • Model desired behavior by acknowledging your own strengths, concerns,
acknowledge difficulties. Encourage environment. limitations.
people to help each other find • Allocate team time for sharing ideas, surfacing issues,
Buil d in g T rus tin g Rel ati o nship s

solutions, offer assistance. problem-solving.

• Demonstrate your support as a leader. Rather than giving direction,
consider asking: “What can I do to help?”
• Support ongoing development plans and efforts for all team members.
(Continued)
35
Table 3.1 (Continued) Quick Reference Guide: Accelerate Trust, Build a Level Playing Field, and Create Social Capital
36

BUILD A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD

WHAT WHY HOW
Dole out coveted, visible assignments • Makes all feel included and equally valued, • Keep track of whom you’ve tapped for prime assignments. Roll out future
across the entire team. bolstering engagement and retention. assignments equitably.

Give equal air time and stage time. • Enables everyone to feel equally included • During meetings, rotate who speaks first. If time is short be sure that
with equal time to “shine.” the next meeting begins with whomever was missed at the last meeting.
• In 1:1 meetings, instead of you leading the conversation, start with,
“What would you like to begin with today?”
• Help draw out those who have not participated: “I haven’t heard from
… ; what are your thoughts?”

Establish team norms. • Rules of engagement are critical for virtual • Facilitate a conversation with your team to create norms.
teams to ensure alignment around expected • Expected behavior during team calls (arrive early? on time? five minutes
behaviors and stem any future late OK? multitasking allowed or not?).
misunderstanding. • What is expected in terms of communication regarding commitments
• Your team will know that you are following and due dates?
up with each one of them in the same way • How do we engage with one another for urgent matters and escalations
and not treating one differently than (get on phone? IM?).
another. • Follow-ups (how frequent, how much, when is it micromanaging?).
L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

• Establishing team norms helps to create • What is our commitment to each other regarding turnaround time (TAT)
the playing field. How you reinforce the for e-mail and voicemail responses (commit to 24 hours, 48 hours).
norms (and yes, you will be called upon to • Write down team norms, distribute to the team and hold each other
do it!) keeps the playing field level or even accountable if a norm has been broken. Review team norms to any new
for all. team members that join.
 CREATE SOCIAL CAPITAL
WHAT WHY HOW
Quickly get past “just business” mode. • Team members who are co-located get the • Create a team photo. Kids, pets, and loved objects allowed. Request
chance to look at wedding photos, ask that people post photos in central location. Update periodically.
about vacations, comment on the new • Keep a team birthday, special events calendar.
coffee, and compliment a new hairstyle Send cards to celebrants.
when they are in the office together. Celebrate virtually (IM to send wishes, group call, etc.).
Re-create these moments of social capital • Use video conferencing as much as possible. Seeing one another is an
for your team. added bridge or connection. Your effort to hold a video call will be
• Social capital helps you forge deeper bonds rewarded with double the engagement!
across your team, creates a team presence • Start all your meetings by sharing something personal about yourself.
and identity, and demonstrates how you Encourage your team to do the same.
value your team as individuals. • Create a team motto or tag line. Carve out time to have fun with this
activity. Put it on pens and distribute to your team or use the name
when scheduling team meetings.
• Bridge the geographical divide. Ask an unobtrusive question such as,
“Describe what you can see outside your closest window,” or “What’s
next to your computer today?”
Source: Created by Nancy Settle-Murphy of Guided Insights, in collaboration with Mary Rose Wild and Beverly Winkler.
Buil d in g T rus tin g Rel ati o nship s
37
 4
B est P r acti ces
O per atin g P rin ciples
for V irtual Te ams

Precious few virtual teams have explicit operating principles, even for
aspects of teamwork where the absence of explicit shared values can
really trip a team up. Excuses include: “When would we have time
to talk this through?” “Everyone pretty much knows how we need to
work.” “We’re too busy.” And my favorite, “It’s too late to go backward.”
And yet, when I ask virtual teams about the toughest communica-
tion problems they wrestle with, most of them are resolvable, at least
in part, with the creation of shared operating principles. Examples:
• Some people always join our team meetings late, and we waste
a lot of time rehashing what we just covered.
• It takes me forever to read through all of the e-mails I get,
and more than half of them are totally irrelevant to my work.
• My manager and teammates interrupt my work with a steady
stream of IMs all day and get mad when I don’t reply right
away.
• It takes me forever to find the most current team documents.
It’s true that all teams work better with clear operating principles. But
virtual teams suffer much more without them. That’s because they
have so few opportunities to identify, and then successfully address,
miscues and missteps that inevitably result when people have different
ideas about how they need to work together.

4.1 What Is an Operating Principle?

Some people use the terms “principle” and “norm” interchange-

ably. For this book, I use “principle” to mean high-level statements
that articulate the basic beliefs and values of the organization.
39
40 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

Principles tend to reflect our shared values and perspectives, and

­provide a stable foundation for a well-running virtual team.
Team norms tend to refer to specific aspects of teamwork, and
spring from principles. By developing principles and related team
norms, collaboratively through conversation, whether face-to-face
(FTF) or virtually, any areas of disagreement, confusion, or conflict
can be discussed openly and quickly resolved. Simply put, principles:

• Represent continuity and relative stability in a changing

environment
• Serve as a starting point for difficult evaluations and decisions
• Articulate an organization’s basic philosophies
• Reinforce and support the goals of the team

For virtual project teams, explicit principles about collaboration

and communication can help answer such questions as:

• How responsive must we be to fellow team members, and

under what circumstances?
• How often do we really need to meet, and who needs to
participate?
• What’s the best way to track status?
• How should we use e-mail and instant messaging?
• What’s reasonable to expect of other team members during
crunch time?

4.2 Principles Development Process for a Virtual Team

Creating meaningful principles does not come easily. Depending on

the aspect of teamwork they’re addressing, crafting principles that
everyone can agree on and accept takes spirited discussion and, fre-
quently, passionate debates. Be realistic about how much time you’ll
need. The more problems the team is having reaching agreement on
certain aspects of teamwork, the more contentious and time-­consuming
the discussion might be. More benign areas might take less time.
For example, if some on the team feel that other members are not
pulling their weight while they routinely sacrifice personal time to get
the job done, creating norms about work–life balance is likely to be
fraught with emotion. On the flip side, it will probably be relatively
 Be s t P r ac tic e s O p er atin g P rin cip l e s 41

painless establishing a new norm pertaining to which version of a

particular software application everyone should use.
For a virtual team, it might make more sense to have small groups
of people work on drafting team principles for certain aspects for col-
laboration and communication, such as reaching consensus about
change requests. (Creating principles can be a protracted grueling
process if you attempt it with more than a handful of people at once.)
You can also try setting up an online conference where people can
draft proposed principles for synthesis and discussion as a larger group
later on. The key here is to organize the conference in such a way as
to make it easy for people to suggest principles without agonizing
over the exact words. That will come later. For example, you might
pose questions in your online conference area such as these to elicit
responses that can be converted into principles and related norms:
• Thinking about our team’s use of e-mail, what principles come
to mind that might make the use of e-mail more efficient and
effective for most team members?
• Considering the demands of this project on our time, what
principles would help team members maintain a healthy
work–life balance?
• Thinking about the level of engagement during most of our
virtual meetings, what principles should meeting planners
keep in mind when creating agendas? What norms should
participants adhere to if they are to fully participate?
Once your team has agreed on principles, validate and test for
understanding and agreement frequently. As you proceed as a team,
keep listening, in verbal conversation and online discussions, to get a
feel as to whether everyone is still in sync. If you discover that some
seem to be going down a different path, state your observations (and
encourage others to do so) and probe to find out the reasons.

4.3 Characteristics of Strong Principles

However you choose to guide your team in creating needed principles,

make sure that the words have meaning to all. Some principles are
so vague that they will do nothing to direct behavior. For example,
a norm such as, “We treat each other with respect,” really says nothing
42 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

about how behavior will change. For principles to have meaning,

they need to be
• Specific enough to drive behavior
• Stated in the present tense, as though it were true today
• Emphasizes what, not how
• Worded in the positive (vs. a negative: “we do” vs. “we do not”)
• Elegant, clear
• Obtainable
• Can be prefaced with “we believe”
• Generates discussion, energy, excitement
• Relatively few in number
Examples:

• We make decisions based on the best information with the

fewest number of people.
• Our team communications plan accommodates cultural dif-
ferences and style preferences.
• All members of our team are free to seek opinions and guid-
ance from other team members.

4.4 Getting to the “So What?” behind Each Principle:

Hammering Out Implications

Creating principles is hard work. But coming up with the principle

itself is by no means the hardest part. Once a principle is stated, team
members need to talk through what, exactly, this means for the team.
What norms support this principle? How will we do things differently
than we do now as a result? What are the implications? How will we
know we’re behaving in a way that will actualize this principle?
For example, a principle related to the use of e-mail for one vir-
tual project team might be: “We respond quickly to all urgent e-mail
requests from fellow team members.” Sounds good as far as it goes,
but it doesn’t go far enough. Team members then need to agree on
specific norms that help support this principle, by answering ques-
tions such as:
• What do we mean by “quickly?”
• What constitutes an urgent request?
 Be s t P r ac tic e s O p er atin g P rin cip l e s 43

• Does this apply to all types of requests?

• What about an urgent IM or call?
• How does this change how we work now?
Let’s take another example, “Our team communications plan accom-
modates cultural differences and style preferences.” If this team is to
uphold this principle, then implications for this team might include:
• We assume that even though all team members speak the
same language, team members will have different degrees of
proficiency that will affect open communications.
• We rotate meeting times so that people in all time zones take
turns being inconvenienced at least once in a while.
• We need to extend meeting time by at least 25% to allow par-
ticipants to translate in and out of their local language.
• We enable participants to communicate both in writing and
via voice in all team meetings.
• We design meetings to balance participation between extro-
verts and introverts.
• We take the time to discover how cultural differences and
communication preferences are likely to affect communica-
tion and collaboration in our team, and adjust accordingly.

4.5 Areas for Which Norms Are Especially

Vital for Virtual Project Teams

Norms governing certain aspects of collaboration and communication

may be more important for virtual teams than those whose members
work in close proximity. Here’s a partial listing, along with some of
the questions that virtual teams can answer through the creation of
team norms:
• E-mail
• When do we use e-mail versus posting documents or
sending IMs?
• What are our conventions around maximum e-mail length?
• What naming conventions should we consider for subject
lines?
• Do we send attachments in e-mails, or provide pointers?
To where?
44 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

• What criteria do we use to put some people on the “to” list

and others as “cc”: or “bcc”: (or on no list at all)?
• When do we use “reply all,” if ever?
• How many e-mails on a particular topic warrant a call (or
an IM)?
• Instant messaging
• To what extent should team members (and the team
leader) be accessible via IM?
• How do we indicate we’re not available, and how seriously
should others take our status?
• To what extent does everyone need to give an accurate
indicator of his or her availability?
• What’s a reasonable amount of time to wait for a response
via IM?
• What’s a team member’s obligation to be available via IM?
24/7, sometimes, or always?
• Document sharing
• What is our primary method for sharing project documents?
• Who has access to project documents (on our team, out-
side our core team)?
• Who has editing privileges?
• Who is responsible for alerting team members that new
documents or revisions are available?
• Under what conditions can we use e-mail to send what
kind of documents?
• Use of team portal
• To what degree are team members responsible for upload-
ing and accessing documents from a shared portal?
• What capabilities will our team use as a default, and which
are regarded as options?
• To what extent do team members need to learn certain
functionalities of our portal?
• How much time do team members reasonably need to
review documents posted in our portal prior to a team
discussion?
• Responsiveness
• How quickly do members need to respond to each other’s
questions or requests for help? Under what circumstances?
 Be s t P r ac tic e s O p er atin g P rin cip l e s 45

• How quickly does the team leader (or designee) need

to respond to team members, and what form does the
response need to take?
• Decision making
• Does our team make decisions as a true democracy, or are
only some members decision makers at certain times?
• What criteria will we use to make certain types of decisions?
• Whose input is required versus whose is requested? Is all
input considered equally?
• To what extent is it important to gather all needed input
via multiple channels, especially for those in far-off time
zones?
• Who’s responsible for informing team members of impor-
tant decisions, and in what venue? In what sequence, if not
all at same time?
Table 4.1 shows an excerpt of a decision-making matrix one of my
­clients created for a global project team. For complex project teams where
members span several time zones, it’s especially important to clearly spell
out the decision-making process and related timing. This way, each team
member knows which tasks to move ahead with and which ones need to
wait. In the absence of such information, costly delays are likely to have
a ripple effect on team members around the world.
• Scheduling meetings
• What are the appropriate duration and frequency of team
meetings, based on objectives?
• What meeting start and end times make sense for mem-
bers in all time zones?
• To what extent can team members count on Outlook (or
some other shared calendar app) as an accurate reading of
a team member’s true availability?
• Virtual meetings
• Do all team members attend certain team meetings, or
only some?
• Under what circumstances can others attend our team
meetings?
• What constitutes full participation (e.g., is multitasking
an acceptable practice)?
 46

Table 4.1 Sample Decision-Making Matrix for Virtual Teams

OTHER PARTICIPANTS
DECISION TYPE APPROVERS BY ROLE PRIMARY METHOD SECONDARY METHOD PREPARATION REQUIRED COMMUNICATE HOW
Creation of new VP Finance VP, Sales (influencer) Face-to-face Phone meetings, Pro forma projections for Via weekly
product/service VP Marketing Engineering (influencer) discussion supported by sales/profit over next conference call to
VP Service HR (implementer after asynchronous three years Sales
VP Manufact. decision is made) (async) conference Via e-mail, staff
area meetings to
Marketing

Expanding project Project leader Internal customers Weekly project E-mail or IM requests Detailed accounting of Via e-mail, status
scope VP, Engineering (influencer) review meetings (when change pros, cons, and call to all project
Funding sponsor Sales (influencer) (phone and web requires no implications of team members
meeting) additional time, expanding or not
L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

money, or resources) expanding project scope

 Be s t P r ac tic e s O p er atin g P rin cip l e s 47

• What amount of prework is reasonable to expect? What

happens if some do it and some don’t?
• How do regular team meetings support the team’s ability
to achieve its goals?
• How are meeting technology choices shaped by our meet-
ing objectives?
• Are all members regarded as co-facilitators, or do we have
a clear facilitator for each meeting? Timekeeper? Note-
taker? Scribe?
• Whose responsibility is it, if anyone’s, to catch people up
who don’t attend?

4.6 10 Top Norms to Untangle Virtual Teams

Here are 10 best practice norms that can do the most to save time,
reduce frustration, and boost productivity of virtual teams. Each
norm is followed by a set of specific actions that support each one.
For these examples, I touch on virtual meetings, decision-making,
the use of e-mail, shared documents, and scheduling—areas for
which a lack of explicit norms can cause especially thorny problems
for ­v irtual teams.
Although it’s not practical or desirable for one organization to sim-
ply co-opt another’s norms, it can be helpful to see how examples
might be modified to fit one’s own team. As you read these, keep
in mind that a norm that works for one organization may fall flat
in another. Use these examples as ideas to jumpstart the creation of
norms for your virtual team.

1. Everyone participates fully in every team meeting he

attends. This means that everyone stays off mute, so we can
all hear what’s going on, and so people can jump in more eas-
ily. Desks, screens, and minds are cleared to focus on the con-
versation at hand. Multitasking is not acceptable, except for
“multitasking on task,” such as adding ideas to our virtual con-
ference area or jotting down questions on a shared whiteboard.
If you’re pulled by competing priorities and can’t participate
fully, you may need to opt out of a given meeting and catch up
on your own later on.
48 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

2. We design meetings to maximize active participation.

This means that we follow the 80/20 rule: our meetings are
80% active and 20% passive. We don’t bore meeting partic-
ipants by showing slides or reviewing documents that can
be sent and reviewed before the meeting. Instead, we cre-
ate our agendas so people can converse on important topics,
exchanging ideas, offering suggestions, or seeking guidance.
We change activities every five to seven minutes to keep peo-
ple engaged, and constantly look for new ways to add vitality
to each meeting.
3. We give equal regard to remote and co-located partici-
pants. This means that we incorporate all participants equally
in the conversation. We call on remote participants first when
going around the table. Onsite participants maintain respect-
ful etiquette, including no sidebar conversations, no putting
the speakerphone on mute, no food or beverages near speak-
ers, and saying names before speaking. Whenever possible,
we create a truly level playing field by having all participants
meet remotely, even when some are able to be onsite together.
4. Meetings begin and end on time. This means that the meet-
ing leader starts on time, even if several people are running
late. If you arrive late, you are responsible for catching up on
your own time; those who came on time are not responsible
for repeating what you missed. Meeting leaders need to be
realistic about what can reasonably be accomplished within
the allotted time, which may mean holding more frequent
meetings, longer meetings, having fewer invitees, rescoping
objectives, insisting on more prework, or some combina-
tion of these things. Meeting leaders end on time, even if all
objectives have not been achieved.
5. We provide sufficient time and adequate information to
enable well-informed decision making. This means that we
provide information (e.g., pointers, documents) that people need
to digest and reflect on in advance, so people feel prepared to
make a logical decision when the time comes. Everyone under-
stands and agrees what criteria will be used to make decisions.
We allocate sufficient time for making important decisions,
which may mean multiple or extended discussions. We blend
 Be s t P r ac tic e s O p er atin g P rin cip l e s 49

asynchronous (any time) and synchronous (same time) forms of

participation to make it easier for everyone to contribute to the
discussion, regardless of location or time zone.
6. Important decisions and their expected impact are com-
municated to all affected team members at the same time.
This means that all team members, regardless of their prox-
imity and role, are notified at the same time. We resist the
temptation to tell those closest to us first. We leave nothing
to chance and orchestrate communications carefully, which
means giving team members a heads-up about the expected
day/time of the team call. We anticipate questions and con-
cerns by those most affected, and come prepared with cred-
ible responses.
7. E-mails are used primarily to inform and alert, versus to
distribute documents. This means that e-mails are kept
brief, typically to one screen or less. Links are included for
additional information, rather than attachments. Team docu-
ments are stored in a shared portal area that everyone can eas-
ily access. Document owners are responsible for keeping the
portal up to date with the latest revisions of documents. Team
members are responsible for accessing documents on their
own via the team portal and for setting alerts when newer
information is available.
8. We use “to” and “cc:” e-mail lists with intention. This means
that we define what it means to be on the “to” list versus a “cc:”
list. People on the “to” list are required to read the e-mail and
take a particular action, which will be clearly stated in the
first line of the e-mail. People who are cc’d can opt to read,
file away, or delete the e-mail; no action is required. We think
carefully about who needs to take action and who should sim-
ply be copied, and share our rationale with the whole team
in advance to minimize hurt feelings. We welcome feedback
from fellow team members if they feel they should be on a
different list for future related communications.
9. We make it easy and fast for team members to respond to
e-mails. This means that we use subject lines that are brief
and descriptive. We flag when a request is urgent by d ­ enoting
a “U” in the subject line. An “urgent” request requires a reply
50 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

within no more than four hours, and sometimes sooner. We

have a shared understanding of the difference between urgent
and merely important. We use bullets or numbers instead of
long paragraphs, and embed links for additional information.
We confine e-mails to one major topic, to make filing and
accessing each e-mail easier later on. When responding to an
e-mail request, we revise the subject line so the recipients can
read the “short story” without needing to open the e-mail.
10. Team members rely on shared Outlook calendars to sched-
ule meetings. This means that time shown as “available” in
calendars is fair game for scheduling meetings. We agree in
advance whose participation is required, optional, or merely
desirable, and indicate as such in meeting requests. We mark
off blocks of time we need to get work done. We note vacation
time, holidays, and appointments in our calendars. Weekends
and local holidays are assumed to be excluded from available
time unless otherwise noted. We RSVP to a meeting request
ASAP, rather than forcing the meeting organizer to send
another round of invitations. If we must decline, we indicate
our reasons, so the meeting organizer will know for next time.

4.7 Summary

When working with people you rarely see face-to-face, assume that
all operating principles and team norms need to be spelled out and
worked through explicitly. Ideally, you’ll invest the time in such dis-
cussions as a new team springs to life, but in fact, it’s only after a team
has worked together for at least a little while that the need for certain
norms becomes clearer. Caucus the team to discover which aspects
of teamwork will improve the most with clear o­ perating norms, and
start there, adding more as your team gets the hang of it.
See the Quick Reference Guide (Table 4.2) for creating norms
for your virtual team. We provide an example for virtual meetings
given the vital role they play in the success of most virtual teams. You
can apply these concepts to any area where team norms are needed.
What’s important is that you agree on specifics as to what a particular
norm looks (and sounds) like, and the consequences if the norm is
transgressed.
 Be s t P r ac tic e s O p er atin g P rin cip l e s 51

Table 4.2 Quick Reference Guide: Creating Needed Norms for Virtual Teams
CREATING AND ADOPTING NORMS FOR YOUR VIRTUAL TEAM – QUICK LIST
Explicit norms are especially important for a virtual team. Choose one or two as a start, and
allocate team time to create a few team norms for each. Make sure to talk through with your
team how to sustain each norm, and what the implications are if the norm is violated. Caucus
your team to find out where they feel norms are still needed, and set aside discussion time to
create them as a team. Periodically check in as to whether norms are still valid or need
tweaking.
Team communications as an example:
• Team meetings
• Use of asynchronous conference areas
• Use of e-mail, instant messaging, phone, and texting
• How and where documents will be created, distributed, accessed, and shared
• Work–life balance, scheduling time, being accessible, do not disturb time
• Decision making
• Priority-setting
• Surfacing issues, navigating through conflict

VIRTUAL MEETINGS AS A STARTING POINT

Because virtual meetings are the communications cornerstone of most virtual teams, start there.
Here are a few best practices related to virtual meetings. As a team, decide on three or four best
practices that your team can adopt as shared norms. Revisit these after your next few team
meetings and adjust as needed. Keep adding more norms to your list, branching out to all
aspects of teamwork where people feel norms are most needed. Use the templates that follow to
begin, and keep building!
Virtual meeting best practices
• Insist on prework by all, as long as it’s reasonable
• Everyone off mute to encourage discussion
• Set aside time for check-in or check-out (create social capital at every interaction)
• Design for conversations (80%+ interactivity)
• Be on time; late comers catch up on own time
• Share responsibility for keeping to the agenda
• Take temperature checks when in doubt
• 100% participation, no multitasking (keep track of who is/is not participating)
• Share the air, balance participation
• Keep remote participants visible in our minds’ eye
• Rotate responsibilities: facilitator, timekeeper, scribe, host
• At close of meetings, ask participants for feedback on what went well/not well

EXAMPLE FOR VIRTUAL MEETINGS

NORM HOW WE’LL SUSTAIN CONSEQUENCES IF BROKEN
Team Meetings
Keep remote • Go around the room with remote • Everyone participates
participants members first remotely for next few
visible in our • Print out a headshot of all team meetings
minds’ eye members and have by phone • Remote members set agenda
for next few meetings
(Continued )
52 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

Table 4.2 (Continued ) Quick Reference Guide: Creating Needed Norms for Virtual Teams
NORM HOW WE’LL SUSTAIN CONSEQUENCES IF BROKEN
• Ask remote participants to take
turns leading certain meetings
• Ask remote team members for
candid feedback

Design for • Send out content that can be • Participants will opt out,
conversations read and reflected on at least silently
(80%+ three days ahead of meeting • Few people are likely to
interactivity) • Minimize presentations or review contribute
of documents in all team meetings
• Give everyone a few questions
they’ll come ready to answer

WHAT VIRTUAL MEETING BEST PRACTICES CAN YOUR TEAM ADOPT AS NORMS?
NORM HOW WE’LL SUSTAIN CONSEQUENCES IF BROKEN

Team Meetings

Source: Created by Nancy Settle-Murphy of Guided Insights, in collaboration with Mary Rose Wild
and Beverly Winkler.
 5
C ommunicati ons
for C oll abor ati on
and C ohesi on

The quality of team communications is the single greatest success

­factor of any project, whether the team works together or apart. And
despite this, many teams let their communications methods “evolve”
over time, rather than investing time up front to create a thoughtful,
well-orchestrated team communications plan. With members geo-
graphically dispersed, scattered across time zones and cultures, vir-
tual teams must map out how members will communicate, for what
purpose, with whom, and when, right up front. That’s because they
have so few windows of opportunity for real-time conversations. And
if communications go awry, it’s far harder and takes considerably lon-
ger to make reparations. (Absent a clear plan, it’s a matter of when
communications go awry, rather than if.)
Creating a team communications plan is best done face to face,
either when the team starts up, or at a critical juncture when the team
must work in lockstep to ensure that key deliverables are met. It pays
to revise an existing communications plan when a significant number
of team members are new, or are rejoining the team, especially if they
come from different cultures than most other team members. If face
to face is not possible or practical, then allocate sufficient time during
your early team calls (or other types of real-time conversations) to do
communications planning.
Please note that although we touch on virtual meetings in this chapter,
Chapter 10 delves into designing, planning, and running engaging virtual
meetings.

53
54 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

5.1 Creating a “Big Picture” Virtual Team Communications Plan

For virtual teams to achieve their greatest potential and take ­advantage
of their diverse knowledge, perspectives, and skills, members must
be able to establish a basis for the effective exchange of informa-
tion, ideas, and capabilities. To do this, the team must create a well-­
choreographed communications plan that accommodates cultural
differences, time zones, preferences, and many different objectives.
Here are some tips:
• Pay attention to communication preferences and styles.
Observe how team members communicate most effectively.
Do some people communicate more easily in writing? Are
some more informative when attending a conference call?
Do some members seem peeved by requests for more details,
whereas others are frustrated with “blue sky” conversations?
Asking people to go against their grain can heighten resistance
and diminish enthusiasm. Be prepared to adjust team com-
munications methods to invite more energetic contributions.
• Create a team communications plan with desired
­performance goals as the starting point. Rather than sim-
ply listing a variety of possible communication vehicles, con-
sider the desired goals of the team and individual members
first and work from there. For example, if the team has to
develop a new service within 90 days, who needs to know
what and when? Does everyone need the same information
at the same time? What’s the best way to get the information
out? Because virtual teams are forced to be more disciplined
about communications planning, they frequently outperform
co-located teams, whose communications processes tend to be
more casual and intermittent.
• Use multiple ways to connect. Whatever combination
of ­ technologies your team chooses to maintain strong
­connections—whether phone, web, videoconference, IM, or
e-mail—make sure that everyone is comfortable and confi-
dent in using the chosen tools. Err on the side of using tools
everyone knows, even if the tools have limited functionality.
• Delineate between the information needs of the core
team and the wider group of stakeholders when mapping
 C o m municati o ns f o r C o l l a b o r ati o n 55

out your communication plan. Think carefully before filling

up inboxes with information that’s irrelevant or off-target.
Ensure you are delivering a consistent view of the shared
work. Determine who needs to be kept apprised of the lat-
est technical updates to do their jobs, for example, and who
might just need a financial summary. Make sure everyone
gets the information she needs, which does not necessarily
mean the same information.
• Once people are comfortable communicating, add new
capabilities with a clear objective. For example, move
from a tool that allows people to share desktops to one that
has an electronic flipchart capability for brainstorming and
problem solving. Be explicit as to how certain tools will
help the team to achieve certain goals and drive their use.
For example, a team portal may be used to enable people
to post, access, and edit documents, or weekly conference
calls may be the chief venue for surfacing issues. Consider
creating an explicit matrix, especially useful for new team
members.
• Consider how team members will reach out to one another,
and for what purpose. For example, is e-mail the preferred
way team members ask for help or try to arrange a phone
call? Do members pass IMs back and forth during team
meetings, or is there a ground rule of total transparency
for all communications during team meetings? Whatever
your team decides, make sure all members have access to
the same capabilities, especially if people work in different
groups.
• Plan face-to-face (FTF) meetings with a purpose. Carefully
think through what you’re trying to get out of periodic in-
person meetings. Instead of creating an agenda that’s full of
presentations, progress-reporting, and fact-sharing, consider
how you can use at least some of the time for activities and
conversations that build trust, nurture relationships, and pro-
vide some type of support. Allow members a good balance of
social and business interaction. Dinner and a beer after work
may be just as important to the mission and success of the
team as the formal business content. Good teams work best
56 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

when people understand each other well. This understanding

is often broadened and deepened in a social context and opens
up greater levels of commitment between individuals.
• Create venues for meeting asynchronously. Schedule asyn-
chronous team input and activities between meetings to keep
team members engaged and aware of progress and process.
Avoid long periods of no communication or activity. Use
asynchronous web-meeting tools, blogs, wikis, or portals to
provide an interactive meeting place. Encourage communica-
tion outside the same-time team meetings.
• Track progress. Ask participants how they want to share
progress updates, including how frequently and in what level
of detail. Will all members submit updates at the same time?
Will everyone use the same application and format? Do all
people have access to others’ updates? Agree as to whether all
are expected to review updates before joining a team meeting,
versus reviewing updates during the call.
• Make uploading, accessing, viewing, and editing team
documents easy and fast. Create practical ways to share doc-
uments and information. If possible, use document archives
to avoid multiple copies of documents being circulated at
the same time. Use document editing/tracking tools to track
changes. Store documents on a shared portal and agree on
conventions for naming, review, and updates. Encourage
all team members to set alerts for the documents, topics, or
authors to which they need to pay special attention.
• Embrace social networking tools. First, consider what you
want to accomplish by using social networking tools. At the
very least, you can create a kind of situational awareness that’s
not possible via e-mail, phone, or even web meetings. For
example, people can discover what other people are working
on. Members can be notified when new members join or when
people you know connect to other people, join special interest
groups, or post information about themselves or their work.
Imagine the implications for a team whose members are scat-
tered all over the world, working against a tight timeframe
and desperately seeking others who have relevant experience
and knowledge to contribute!
 C o m municati o ns f o r C o l l a b o r ati o n 57

• Provide feedback about the quality of team communica-

tions. Develop norms for providing feedback to each other
regarding communication style, quantity, frequency, clarity,
and the like. Make sure norms are acceptable across cultures
and organizations. This can be accomplished as a team (call,
FTF, or a combination), with a survey (anonymous or not),
or 1:1.
• Periodically revisit how well team communications are
working, especially as the nature and intensity of work
changes. What’s worked at one point in the life of the team or
phase of the project may not work later on.

5.2 Virtual Team Communications: Steps to Success

Virtual teams need a plan for effective communications within their

own teams, as well as for stakeholders who have a vested interested in
the work of the team (see Table 5.1). Such stakeholders might include
extended team members, internal or external clients, executive spon-
sors, training and communications staff, partners, vendors, and others.
Many stakeholders can influence the success of any given project,
and not all are obvious. Failure to connect the right people, keeping
them involved and informed along the way, can quickly derail the work
of a team. Start by defining the different audience segments, their roles,
interests, likely communications preferences, and communications
objectives, from both their perspectives as well as that of the virtual
team. Such a stakeholder analysis can be done face to face or virtually,
using a blending of asynchronous and synchronous communications.
Here are some tips for creating a stakeholder communications plan:

• Calibrate the level and frequency of team communications.

Who needs to know what, and when? How often is too often,
or not often enough? Will the team rely more on push or pull
communications? To what extent do certain stakeholders
take responsibility for selecting how often they will receive
information?
• Establish clear operating norms for team communications
and revisit periodically. In general, anything that is harder
to police from afar needs to be clearly stated and agreed to
 58

Table 5.1 Sample Communications Planning Matrix for Virtual Teams

OBJECTIVES AUDIENCE MEDIA TIMING CONTENT CREATOR CONTENT APPROVER OTHER
Share status reports All team members • Use Word • Complete and post Each team member N/A Keep to no more
template at least 48 hr before than two pages
• Post onto weekly team mtg.
SharePoint site

Surface important All team members or • Via weekly • Issues that will have Person who identifies N/A Err on the side of
issues those most affected conference call an impact on other the issue alerting all team
by issues (if not urgent) members’ members when in
• Via e-mail, deliverables need to doubt
followed by be raised ASAP
team wiki if
urgent
L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

Track team All team members • Use of project • Update daily when Each team member N/A Need to agree on
deliverables at a Management sponsors dashboard others’ work will be criteria for red,
glance posted onto affected yellow, and green
SharePoint site • Otherwise, update on dashboard
Fri. end of day (EOD)
(local time)
Need quick answer Any teammate, subject • IM • Any time teammates N/A N/A Let others know
from teammate matter expert (SME), • E-mail (when are available to times you are not
project leader not urgent) respond available to
respond to IM or
e-mail

Update project plan All team members • MS Project • Access latest rev. via Each team member Project mgr. may All members set
SharePoint doing the update revise during team alerts to get
meetings instant updates

Inform stakeholders Indicate liaisons for • Email is • At least 1/wk Team comms. mgr. Project leader when
re: progress each group default • More freq. with creates reusable comms. need to be
• Periodic certain stakeholders content; liaisons especially diplomatic
conference modify for each or sensitive
calls audience
C o m municati o ns f o r C o l l a b o r ati o n
59
60 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

by all. Other areas for which norms are especially important

for virtual teams are handling extraneous topics, punctuality,
and preparation and prework. As the team leader, it’s vital
to state what rules you live by, such as ensuring that meet-
ing times are convenient (or equally inconvenient) for all and
actively seeking divergent views to make the best decision.
• Make sure you have the right people in every conversation,
whether asynchronous or synchronous. Sounds obvious,
but it can take a lot of work to decide who really needs to
participate in a particular conversation. If people don’t really
need to be there, they tend to start multitasking or otherwise
tuning out. Some people may need to be involved at certain
times. Sending out an agenda in advance and spelling out the
intended outcomes, along with who will be contributing to
each part of the agenda, will take the guesswork out of who
needs to be there and the roles they will play.
• Establish regular checkpoint meetings with the team and
keep these times sacrosanct. If your team spans the globe,
consider rotating meeting times so that no one person or
region is always inconvenienced.
• Lead with a clear value proposition. Create a one-page sum-
mary of the objectives, success metrics, risks, assumptions,
boundaries, and milestones and refer to this throughout your
work together as a team. This supplements detailed project
plans to keep the team tuned in to the big picture. Send this
out in advance and review key points at the start of the meet-
ing, even if you think everyone’s already in sync. Without
frequent validation, you may not realize that people are not
aligned until it’s too late, especially for virtual team leaders
who have no nonverbal cues to go by.
• Intensify communications among those who are heavily
dependent on each other for success. If there are certain
people who must rely on each other to get their own work
done, suggest (or mandate, in some cases) that people make
phone contact at least once every one or two days to check in,
surface issues, and report on progress. Especially with proj-
ects that are running at a high velocity, team members can-
not easily wait for an e-mail that’s jammed into a very full
 C o m municati o ns f o r C o l l a b o r ati o n 61

inbox or a team meeting that won’t take place until the end of
the week. As the team leader, you may need to identify these
mutual dependencies early on and state your expectations for
the nature and frequency of communications.

Disclose more rather than less. Virtual team members are hungry
for certain information, especially relating to the state of the project
overall, organizational changes, or business conditions that may affect
outcomes. Err on the side of giving more such information rather than
less, and allocate a reasonable amount of time for people to discuss
and absorb the implications. If you sense that team members need to
talk, give them the opportunity, along with guidelines to make sure
the conversation doesn’t spiral out of control. Consider revealing your
own thoughts and feelings, especially when changes are made that
seem out of your control. See Table 5.2.

5.3 E-mail for Virtual Teams: Using It Wisely and (Probably)

Less Often

Despite the advances in collaboration technology tools that open up

new ways for virtual teams to communicate across time zones, e-mail
continues to be the primary means by which many virtual teams com-
municate important information. (Of course, the demographics of any
given team can affect the extent to which members rely on e-mail vs.
IM, text, chat, pop-up videos, and other means of communication.)
If you and your team members are having trouble keeping up
with the fusillade of e-mails your team members churn out each day,
rethink the conditions under which e-mails are warranted, and agree
as a team how you will use e-mail. For example, can the team do
without sending attachments, and instead post documents in a shared
repository? Is it necessary to ask an important question via e-mail, or
is IM or chat more suitable?
Surprisingly few teams have taken the time to create agreed-upon
e-mail standards that instill the necessary disciplines to save consid-
erable time and frustration later on. For virtual teams, the absence
of well-articulated e-mail practices can have an especially negative
impact, given that there are far fewer opportunities to address com-
munication misfires.
Table 5.2 Sample Stakeholder Analysis Matrix for Global Project Team
62

STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS: ROLLOUT OF NEW ENTERPRISEWIDE MAIL AND MESSAGING SYSTEM

RELATIVE ROLE IN THIS DESIRED LEVEL OF
INFLUENCER IMPORTANCE (1–5) PROJECT PARTICIPATION “LIKES” (ATTRACTORS) “DISLIKES” (BARRIERS) BEST WAYS TO REACH
Business unit 5 • Funder, Visible champion New system = > Fearful of possible Through meetings
leaders Sponsor throughout launch productivity downtime, disruptions with global project
and rollout Better cross-group to business team leaders (face
collaboration to face and virtual)
Send/post brief
project updates

Business unit IT 5 • Cheerleader, Frequent

leaders “salesperson” communications to
for new and from business
system leaders, providing
• Identifies info and support,
potential preparing them for
issues for changes
project team
L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s
 C o m municati o ns f o r C o l l a b o r ati o n 63

As more of us scan our e-mails in parallel with other activities (and

who doesn’t occasionally sneak a peek at e-mail during a team call?),
it’s especially important to create e-mails with greater intention so we
have a better chance to achieve our desired results in less time and
with less hassle. Likewise, we need to help other team members be
aware of what they can do to increase the likelihood that they focus
on our most important issues.
Here are some practical tips, written with my colleague Sheryl
Lindsell-Roberts, of Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts and Associates, for cre-
ating e-mails that will streamline and strengthen communications
among virtual team members:

• Determine when and how e-mail will be used by the team.

E-mail may be more appropriate for some members than
­others or for some phases of a team’s work. But there may be
better options, depending on your objectives and intended
audience. Take the time to agree as a team under what condi-
tions e-mail is best, and in what situations another commu-
nication channel may work better, such as team portals, IMs,
blogs, wikis, and other means. When using portals, make
sure people know when new information is posted and pro-
vide the necessary links. (By having everyone select his own
alerts, you may be able to avoid this step.)
• Decide on topics for mass distribution versus selective
­sending. Avoid the temptation to cover all the bases by rou-
tinely sending or copying everyone on every e-mail. For exam-
ple, determine in advance who needs to be included as a “to”
on your status report, who needs to be copied, and who doesn’t
need to know. Also agree as to whether you’ll be using bcc:
and in what cases. Check in with team members from time
to time to validate your assumptions about their wanting to
be included or excluded on e-mails about certain topics. Until
you’re certain, err on the side of overcommunicating, espe-
cially with a new team when relationships are being formed.
• Establish standards for response time. Be aware of people’s
vacation schedules and holidays in other countries. And
always remember not everyone is willing to push aside a vaca-
tion just because you’ve marked an e-mail “urgent.” If team
64 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

members work in a variety of time zones, try setting a stan-

dard by which they can respond to e-mail requests by the end
of their business days. In this way, colleagues working behind
them have what they need at the start of their day. Create con-
ventions to signify urgency in the header so you flag the level
of priority. (And make sure that you agree what constitutes
urgency. Poor planning on someone else’s part does not auto-
matically connote an urgency on your part!)
• Create a subject line that is clear, concise, and informa-
tive. Type your main message in the subject line. In that way,
­someone can grasp the gist without having to open your mes-
sage. Use strong words to grab your readers’ attention. For
example, if your project is in trouble, instead of writing “Project
status” as your subject, write “Project threatened by lack of
funding.” This will ensure that readers will be motivated to
read the text. Filing the message and accessing it later is easier
when the subject line reflects the content of the message.
• Call the readers’ attention to actions, issues, and decisions.
The first few lines of an e-mail are critical because they may
be the only ones read, especially if your reader accesses e-mail
from a mobile device. For example, if adherence to ground
rules is important to the success of a meeting, call that out
right up front in your meeting e-mail. You may say: “Please
arrange your calendars to ensure that we have 60 minutes of
your undivided attention for this call. Multitasking will not
allow the kind of valuable contributions we need from each of
you.” Underline key words, use boldface, or highlight in some
other way. Headlines may include Action Requested, Next
Step, or anything else that is appropriate.
• Understand the questions your readers will have by asking
­yourself who, what, when, where, why, and how. Before you
compose your message, consider what questions your readers
will need answered. Condense that information into the first
few sentences. For example: “First drafts of FY’13 budget plans
are due to cost center managers by November 15. All plans
must be in Excel format, using the FINPLAN13 budget
planning template found in the first entry of our SharePoint
directory under the topic ‘Budgets and plans.’ You can find
 C o m municati o ns f o r C o l l a b o r ati o n 65

an example of a completed plan in the document named

SAMPLEPLAN 13, listed as the second entry in this same
location.” By providing all the necessary information up front,
you will avoid potential questions (and many unnecessary
e-mails) later.
• Anticipate your readers’ likely reaction to defuse negativity.
If your message is likely to be sensitive, contentious, or met
with resistance, test it with someone else first (including the
subject line). With a virtual team, you have very few opportuni-
ties to make amends if you offend or upset someone via e-mail.
When delivering negative news, try to offer options or provide
a rationale so that people might be more accepting. For exam-
ple, if you’re letting someone know that you cannot complete a
report by next Monday, consider mentioning that you can have
the first two critical sections by Monday. Always remember: If
you’re delivering negative news, use the phone or discuss it face
to face. Then follow up with e-mail as confirmation, if needed.
• Eliminate all words and thoughts that don’t add value,
while being personable and complete. It’s much easier for
many of us to spew out as many details as we can think of,
leaving our harried readers to extract the hidden kernels. It
may require more thought to hone your key message, but
ultimately you’ll save time by avoiding unnecessary follow-up
calls, e-mails, and IMs. When you write an e-mail of sub-
stantial length or substance, compose it in your word pro-
cessor. In this way, you can edit and save the draft for later,
rather than feel compelled to hit “send” and accidentally send
it before you’ve had a chance to revise and proofread.
• Proofread carefully. Eliminating typos is relatively easy
when you use spell check. However, many words have valid
spellings that you may have used incorrectly (principal and
principle, for example). Also reread for grammar, clarity, flow,
and organization. If you question whether you’ve used a tone
that may be offensive, test it with others after you’ve had a
chance to look at it with fresh eyes.
• Develop cultural sensitivity. When your team includes p ­ eople
from other countries and cultures, test important ­messages with
people who are fluent in your language and theirs. Make sure
66 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

your tone is appropriate and your content is clear. Err on the

side of formality, especially with new team members who may
chafe at a casual salutation or be perplexed by your attempts at
humor. Minimize abbreviations and acronyms. (If you must
use them, explain them.) Avoid slang and jargon. Use simple
vocabulary and conventional syntax. Take the time to check in
with people via phone after they’ve received important e-mails.
This ensures that there are no misunderstandings.
Always keep in mind that e-mail is one-way communication.
Conversing via e-mail or IM can be time-consuming, distracting, or
may result in misinterpretations or misunderstandings. When you use
e-mail, make sure your objectives are clear to both you and your reader
and that your content reflects those objectives. When you need a real
discussion with someone, pick up the phone or schedule a meeting.

5.4 Connecting Virtual Teams through Imagery and Metaphor

Using images and metaphors can work wonders to break the ice, create
a shared sense of purpose, and cultivate an environment of real col-
laboration. But when a team is confined to connecting only through
virtual means, the use of visuals as a springboard for meaningful dis-
cussion is typically limited. Not because it has to be, but because it
takes a lot of thought to figure out how to use imagery when people
work miles apart.
Visual concepts can be used to break the ice and connect people in
ways that words alone cannot do. Here are some tips for virtual teams,
written with my colleague Penny Pullan of Making Projects Work.
• Build a picture map of the team for all to see. Grab an image
of the state, country, continent, or world where people are
based. Insert time zones as needed. Then paste photos of all
participants in the appropriate locations. (Ask people to send
photos to you or post them in a shared repository.) If you’re
using a web meeting tool, post this document for download-
ing. If not, attach the image to your meeting request so all can
easily access it as they dial in.
• Try opening intros. Consider using an asynchronous web
meeting tool to post introductions prior to a conference call.
 C o m municati o ns f o r C o l l a b o r ati o n 67

This saves time on the call and allows people time to consider
what they want to share. Try posting questions that evoke an
image that will be illuminating for the team. Some exam-
ples are to describe your favorite object in your work area and
explain why; or tell us what’s outside your closest window.
Invite members to read the responses before the call so they
have time to learn something about each other in advance.
On the call, you can have a shorter check-in and reflect on the
significance of what each person revealed.
• Set the stage with a meeting map. Anchor your meeting
with an agreed-upon purpose, agenda, and process. Sound
obvious? Many teams gloss over this important step, inevita-
bly leading to longer, less focused meetings. For virtual teams
whose members don’t have the benefit of a poster or flipchart,
try sending a meeting start-up template in advance, and fill in
the blanks as a team. If you’re short on time, you might send
out a completed template subject to revision. You can create
your own or use prepared graphical templates. See Figure 5.1.

Figure 5.1 Example project meeting start-up graphic. (© Copyright Penny Pullan, Making
Projects Work Ltd. Reprinted with permission.)
68 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

• Create a pictorial team charter. When meeting face to face,

many of us find pictures or posters a powerful way to create
a shared context. Elicit from team members what images are
evoked when they think of the team, the work it’s doing, the
benefits it will deliver to the organization, and so on. Create a
graphical representation of those images, either in electronic
or paper form or both, and make it available to all team mem-
bers. If the goal of the team can be summarized with a single
metaphor or image, create a team logo and use it in slides,
memos, T-shirts, and the like to create a sense of team iden-
tity (this is especially important for virtual teams who don’t
have many tangible ways of feeling connected).
• Create a shared view of the present and the future. Try a
web meeting tool to help quickly capture images and adjec-
tives that people have in mind when asking where the organi-
zation or team is today versus where it needs to go tomorrow.
For example, you might pose questions such as: imagine our
group as an animal (or a country); what would we be today?
How does this compare to the one we will be six months from
now? Once people have entered their responses, invite every-
one to view the entire list. Ask for a few volunteers to discuss
their responses, and discuss the implications for your team.
• Use metaphors to get everyone moving in the same direc-
tion. Pick one that’s appropriate for this team and its journey,
such as white-water rafting, climbing Mount Everest, or fly-
ing through the eye of a hurricane. Consider locations and
cultures of team members as you choose the best metaphor.
Find relevant photos or other images to post during the con-
versation to evoke the same sense of place for everyone. Get
team members talking about what each must do to prepare for
this adventure together, what help they need from others, the
inherent risks and how to mitigate them, and so on. Capture
responses as part of the meeting output, either online or off to
the side. “Translate” these responses into real-life implications
for your team.
• Paint pictures with words from the first-person perspective.
Encourage team members to use highly descriptive language,
especially when you’re limited to an audio connection only.
 C o m municati o ns f o r C o l l a b o r ati o n 69

For example, you might ask, “Imagine you are a typical business
manager calling our IT help line. How are you feeling as you
dial? Why?” By painting a vivid picture, with each team mem-
ber imagining she is the focal point, you’ll cull more vivid and
authentic responses far more quickly than if you said, “Describe
the typical client experience when calling your help desk.”
• Choose images carefully. When you’re working with team
members who have different native languages, using visual
communications is more efficient and effective than using
words alone. Tread carefully, however. Make sure that the use
of a particular image, whether literal or proverbial, is appro-
priate and understandable for all team members. Consider the
national and business culture, generation, location, and other
factors. For example, using an American sports analogy will
be confusing and distracting for almost any non-American.
Or using mountain-climbing as a team metaphor may be
inappropriate for those who hail from flat countries.
• Use the power of images for instant recall. After virtual
meetings, especially those that were not especially engaging,
it can be difficult to remember what happened! Use a mind-
map or some other way to visualize the key points. Better still,
draw up the mindmap during the meeting with input from all
and share it over the web.
• Keep people focused on a task at hand. Even if you’re not
showing a picture, think about ways you can keep participants
visually focused while you have them on the call. At the very
least, post a team picture on your shared meeting space, as well as
an agenda. Think about where and how meeting notes and ideas
should be captured in real time. As you construct each meeting
agenda, consider how you can keep people visually focused in
ways that encourage active engagement from everyone.

When thoughtfully chosen and carefully used, images (whether

figurative or literal) can help launch a new virtual team or m ­ obilize
one that’s derailed faster than words alone. The trick is to think about
how we can apply some of the tools and techniques that work well in
FTF sessions to engage virtual teams and deepen their u ­ nderstanding
of each other and the work they’ll be doing together.
70 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

5.5 Brainstorming across Borders:

Stimulating Creative Thinking from Afar

Some people feel strongly that the “best” ideas come from live, in-­
person “jam” sessions, either because of some superproductive FTF
brainstorming sessions they’ve been part of, or because of some truly
terrible attempts at virtual brainstorming, or a combination. Many of
today’s virtual teams don’t have the luxury of FTF meetings.
For those who need to become skilled at adapting brainstorming
in a virtual world, here are some tips for productive brainstorming
sessions. Please consider both the asynchronous and synchronous col-
laboration tools you and your team have access to, and adapt these
ideas accordingly.

• Know what problem you’re trying to solve. Much time can be

spent on generating a host of ideas that have little bearing on
the real problem at hand. For example, one customer service
center group initially identified the problem as, “Customers
wait on hold too long.” The real problem, it turned out, was
that customers were bored and annoyed while waiting. One
solution was to give waiting customers the option to answer a
simple survey while waiting, and give them a modest reward
if they do. The results were that Customer Service obtained
much-needed client data at relatively little expense, and com-
plaints of long wait times plummeted. The more precisely
defined the problem is, the more focused, productive, and
quicker the brainstorming session is likely to be.
• Group similar problems for broader application of great
ideas. With talk time at a premium for virtual teams, and
brainstorming sessions apt to be regarded by some as a luxury,
try to anticipate some of the problems for which you’ll need
some creative ideas. Hold a single brainstorming session to
generate a flood of related ideas, which can be sorted out later
on. For example, a group may tackle these two related issues
in one session: minimizing customer “on-hold” time and need
to solicit feedback from current clients. Such “bundling” has
twin benefits: additional brainstorming sessions might be
avoided, and richer results can be realized if some ideas can
help solve more than one problem.
 C o m municati o ns f o r C o l l a b o r ati o n 71

• Consider separate sessions for problem definition, brain-

storming, and idea selection. For most of us, it’s difficult to
move easily and quickly from the left brain (e.g., the kind of
convergent thinking required for problem definition) to the
right brain (e.g., the kind of divergent thinking required for
brainstorming), and back to the left (for idea selection). Given
that meetings among distributed teams are most effective
when kept relatively brief, slicing the brainstorming process
into a few separate sessions might work best.
• Make generous use of asynchronous participation. This is
especially important when participants come from different
time zones, and when time is at a premium. Post provoca-
tive questions in an online conference area designed to elicit
creative responses. Encourage people to build on each other’s
ideas. This way, you can gather many more ideas in a very short
time, giving you a great springboard for your team discussion
without having to go around the virtual table for ideas.
• Allocate the appropriate amount of time for each phase.
The general rule of thumb is about 50% or so of the available
time should go to problem definition, about 35% to idea gen-
eration, and about 10–15% to idea selection. By using certain
online capabilities, you can speed up some of this work signif-
icantly, especially in the area of brainstorming and evaluating
options. Agreeing on problem definition, however, is probably
best done through a real-time conversation, which is likely to
include some spirited debate.
• Select the right participants. Not all people will be appropri-
ate for all phases of the brainstorming process. For example,
perhaps a few people who are closest to the topic at hand,
as well as the executive sponsor of the initiative, might be
involved in defining the problem and articulating associ-
ated implications. For a brainstorming session, make sure to
include people who display curiosity, imagination, and at least
some disinterest in preserving the status quo. Five to seven
people is the ideal number. For selecting the best ideas, you
probably want a variety of interests, styles, and perspectives
represented, as well as someone with the authority to make
decisions and present ideas higher up the line. These may or
72 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

may not be the same set of people involved in the brainstorm-

ing process.
• Prepare participants for a productive session. First, make
sure your meeting request includes objectives, agenda,
sequence of meetings, and the proposed problem(s) to be
solved, along with implications (e.g., costs, morale issues, cus-
tomer defects). Next, consider having participants brainstorm
individually ahead of time, to make the best use of meeting
time. This can be done online (see above), or by having people
think through top-of-mind responses to a few questions in
advance (e.g., the three adjectives I would use to describe how
people feel when they’re trying to use a new software appli-
cation are    ,    , and    ). During the actual
session, you can do a quick caucus of responses and build from
there.
• Choose the best technology to get the job done. At the very
least, you’ll need a phone line for a “same-time, same-place”
meeting, as well as some means by which you can capture and
record ideas as they come forth. In addition, there are hun-
dreds of tools, methods, and technologies you might c­ onsider
to foster rapid-fire creative thinking. Some web c­ onferencing
services are created specifically for brainstorming, whereas
others have features that make pooling and evaluating ideas
exceptionally easy and fast. Some allow for anonymity,
which may be particularly important in certain situations.
Familiarize yourself with the available options. Take a test
run to estimate how long your actual session is likely to run,
and plan your agenda accordingly.
• Be prepared to inject some unexpected stimuli. Many
brainstorming experts insist that the best ideas come near the
middle or end of a session, when new stimuli are offered after
participants claim they have run out of ideas. For example,
try keeping a list of nouns or adjectives handy, images you can
show, or questions you can ask. One technique that works well
for many groups is asking, “What are some of the worst ideas
you have to solve this problem?” Not only does this inspire
a new spurt of energy, but many of the “worst” ideas can be
transformed into some of the best, with just a little tweaking.
 C o m municati o ns f o r C o l l a b o r ati o n 73

• Make sure you have an agreed-upon way to select the best

ideas. Nothing can deflate an energized group faster than a
vague assurance that their ideas have merit and that “some-
thing will be done.” Be clear at the outset what criteria will
be used for evaluating ideas, and who will do the evaluating.
Also let people know what decisions will be made as a result,
and when and how they will discover the outcome.

Chances are, team members who work virtually are percolating

some great ideas that they’re eager to share, given the right environ-
ment. Today’s teams have no shortage of collaboration tools from
which to choose. The challenge is how to bring together the best of
both worlds: the kind of spirited jam sessions that ensue when a group
of people are locked in a room together, combined with a stream of
free-flowing ideas that people can offer up virtually, without the con-
straints of space and time.

5.6 Real-Time Conversations Crucial for Collaboration in a Virtual World

For many virtual teams, communications are all about how über-­
efficient we can be to get our work done. If we can get away with send-
ing a quick IM or text instead of picking up the phone to get what we
need, chances are we will. (A phone call can be risky and protracted.
After all, what if the other person also wants something? And what
a time-sink it can be if our colleague actually wants a conversation!)
But collaborative relationships are not built on truncated e-mails
or cryptic IMs. Like it or not, creating the kind of relationships that
foster great collaboration require real conversations that take time, at
least occasionally. Making and sustaining connections is much easier
when you can catch someone in the hallway or cafeteria for an ad hoc
conversation that can build naturally into some type of shared work.
In the virtual world, however, you must thoroughly plan every con-
versation to make sure that participants are convinced that taking any
future steps will be worth their while. After all, you have very little
time to build an initial connection that will extend beyond that first
meeting.
What’s important is that we invest time in conversations that are
important and meaningful, whether to help us get our work done
74 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

faster or better, enrich us professionally, expand our thinking, or

make remote workers feel as though they’re part of something bigger.
These tips, written with my colleague Patti Anklam of Net Work,
are designed to help virtual team members focus on planning and
facilitating conversations most likely to help cultivate mutually
rewarding relationships. We refer here primarily to voice-to-voice
conversations, which may entail the use of other tools, such as web-
based conferencing or meeting tools. Of course, you can augment
those voice conversations with text-based conversations using instant
messaging and chat, or asynchronous conversations that may involve
e-mail, a bulletin board, or discussion forum of some kind.

• Knowing what you want to achieve: If you simply want to

establish a connection for follow-up sometime in the future,
you may only need one or two conversations. If, however, you
want to explore opportunities and take action that will build
toward a long-lasting relationship, you’ll need at least a few
conversations, each one building on the one before. In the
virtual world, with very limited opportunities for real-time
interaction, we need to be explicit and direct about what we’re
seeking from the other person, and explain why the connec-
tion will be mutually beneficial.
• Finding a connection that matters: A conversation designed
to discover a basis for relatedness between two people lays the
groundwork for forging a deeper connection that can lead to
shared action. Tempting though it may be to push for action
at the beginning, most people need to relate on some level
before taking the next steps. Use IM or e-mail to set up the
first conversation and establish objectives. But make sure that
your first conversation is voice-to-voice, because so many vital
cues are relayed through tones, inflections, and pitch. If the
fit seems good, suggest a concrete next step for follow-up. If
not, be honest about your intentions so you don’t leave the
other person hanging. Always acknowledge the others’ time
and willingness to talk.
• Paving the way for exploring possibilities: If you have
established a connection that’s of mutual interest, the next
conversation should allow you to explore potential areas for
 C o m municati o ns f o r C o l l a b o r ati o n 75

collaboration. Capitalize on your interest immediately by fol-

lowing up ASAP with specific areas that you feel represent
real possibilities, and suggest some days/times that might
work for a next conversation. Send relevant documents in
advance to help focus the conversation. At the same time,
remain open to possibilities you hadn’t thought of.
• Brainstorming ideas: Plan to brainstorm for possibilities
during this next conversation, and then identify opportuni-
ties at a later time. This way, you both have a chance to reflect
on the possibilities, weighing the pros and cons, before mak-
ing decisions. Try to book both of these conversations at the
same time, one for divergent thinking and one for conver-
gent thinking. Don’t leave more than a few days between
conversations, or you risk losing momentum. Brainstorming
is best done via phone, at a minimum. Web conferencing
tools, used either asynchronously or synchronously, can
boost output considerably, often within a surprisingly short
period of time.
• Opening up opportunities: Prepare for the following con-
versation by sending a summary of the output from your
brainstorming session, highlighting a few areas with the
most promise. Ask your colleague to do the same. Your goal
for the next call is to agree on one or two opportunities that
both of you feel are worth additional time and effort. Make
sure you’re on the same page in terms of intended outcomes,
timing, responsibilities, and resources required. Mismatched
expectations at this juncture can quickly sour a new relation-
ship. Before you close the call, agree on next steps needed to
pursue a particular opportunity.
• Taking action: At this point, you may map out suggested
action plans in writing, during an ensuing call, or both. Be
as detailed as you can in terms of timing, deliverables, roles,
metrics, critical success factors, interdependencies, commit-
ments needed, and resources required. Ask that your col-
league mark up your document with any changes, or better
yet, arrange a call to review your proposed action plan in real-
time, jointly editing the document using a web conferencing
or meeting tool. Make sure you agree how and when you’ll
76 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

follow up, track progress, surface issues, and make future

plans.
• Checking in and following up: Although you may be eager
to discover what progress your colleague has made, realize
that conflicting priorities often intervene, despite the best
intentions. If he has missed a deadline, pick up the phone to
check in instead of sending a reminder. Likewise, if you can’t
fulfill a commitment, don’t ignore the fact that you’re late.
Acknowledge your tardiness and explain the reason; be sure
to indicate when you will be able to respond. In many cases,
checking in can be easily done via e-mail or through another
asynchronous means of communication. When issues arise,
having a quick conversation can take less time than a bar-
rage of e-mails. Even when no actions are required, pick up
the phone or send an e-mail or IM simply to say hello. These
social exchanges can act as the best kind of glue to cement
long-distance relationships.
• Closing the conversation: Not all possibilities lead to real
opportunities, and not all opportunities lead to a shared
desire to take further action. Be prepared to stop at any
point if you both agree, either implicitly or explicitly, that
additional time and effort may not be worth it at this point.
Agree to what extent it makes sense to stay in touch to keep
the connection going, if you both feel it may be fruitful. For
example, you might schedule a call for next quarter, include
each other on a particular distribution list, or meet face-to-
face if the opportunity arises. Or you may both decide that
there simply is not enough of a connection to warrant another
conversation any time soon. Be sure to acknowledge the oth-
er’s time and energy, contribution of ideas, and openness to
connecting; close with an offer of your own future availabil-
ity to respond to requests for ideas, connections to others, or
problem-­solving help.
• Maintaining the connection: This person is now in your
network, and you should have learned about topics that are
top-of-mind for her. You can follow these up by forwarding
news items (from e-mail or the web), tossing out ideas, or
making introductions to people she may not know.
 C o m municati o ns f o r C o l l a b o r ati o n 77

Forging meaningful new relationships in the virtual world, espe-

cially when we’re reaching out to those outside our usual working
circle, takes considerable planning, effort, and tenacity. To form a
valuable new network connection, we need to have real conversations.
Persuading each other of the potential value of such conversations is
often a tough sell, but one that will be rewarded if you can identify an
opportunity and take action in ways that will pay off for both of you.

5.7 Summary

With so few opportunities for real-time interactions, virtual teams

cannot leave communications planning to chance. The good news is
that most organizations offer a wide variety of virtual collaboration
technologies and tools to choose from, so much so that the options
can be overwhelming. Start with just a couple of key communication
objectives (e.g., status reporting, decision making, problem solving,
or issue escalation), and as a team, determine which communications
methods and tools, both asynchronous and synchronous, can best be
used, and under what circumstances. Create an explicit communica-
tions map as you go, expanding it as the team moves forward. Revisit
this periodically as a team to validate that it’s working well for every-
one, and adjust as needed. When new members come on board, take
the time to explain your communications plan and be open to incor-
porating their ideas.
 6
M anag in g P erforman ce
from A far

Guiding professional development and managing performance are

tough enough for any leader of a fast-moving, super-busy team. For
those who lead virtual teams, developing and managing people comes
with many different and more complicated challenges, all of which
can be overcome with exceptional planning and the cultivation of par-
ticular competencies, especially that of active listening.

6.1 Challenges of Virtual Professional Development

From the team members’ perspective, the team leader is usually not
in their line of sight, making it harder to observe the kind of perfor-
mance and behavior they seek to emulate if they aspire to rise to the
next level. In short, their role models are nowhere to be seen (at least
most of the time).
Add to that, what’s often missing from virtual teams is the kind of
impromptu, informal coaching sessions that many leaders can so easily
do with those who work down the hall. Such coaching sessions now
must take place through scheduled calls, via e-mail or IM, and occa-
sionally during a relatively rare face-to-face (FTF) meeting. In reality,
many of these scheduled meetings are so crammed with day-to-day
operational issues that the professional development discussions are
often left behind for another day, despite the best of intentions.
Meanwhile, virtual team leaders cannot easily observe the per-
formance of virtual team members. Although they may be able to
track members’ progress via status reports, team calls, dashboards,
and other means, team leaders can’t actually observe how their
members are working. They can’t see what they’re struggling with,
or what kinds of things they do really well. They can’t tell whether
members have opportunities for greater efficiencies or more effective
79
80 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

ways of working and they can’t be sure how well team members
interrelate with others. A perennial question many virtual leaders
ask is, “How do my team members really spend their time in any
given day?”
Team leaders have an incomplete picture as to the competencies,
skills, and development needs of their team members. When assess-
ing the performance of team members, virtual leaders often have to
make a number of assumptions that need to be somehow validated,
which requires an unusual amount of time, thought, and energy. They
know that assessing performance according to the number, timing,
and quality of deliverables tells only half the story. As a consequence,
they may be coaching in the wrong areas, suggesting training that
might be irrelevant or unimportant, and most alarming of all, may be
missing great opportunities to help their members learn, stretch, and
grow professionally.
Team members, on the other hand, often feel handcuffed when they
think they’re being underused in their current role. They can quickly
become frustrated by what they see as limited opportunities to shine
and grow concerned that a lack of visibility is stunting their careers.

6.2 Tips for Developing Performance from Afar

In the absence of FTF interactions, virtual leaders need to learn to

rely on other cues, and sometimes other people, to gauge the perfor-
mance and development needs of team members. Here are some tips:

• Listen for subtleties and nuances. If you have few opportu-

nities to observe the performance of your team members as
they work with clients, peers, or other managers, you need to
find ways to discover how others perceive this person’s per-
formance. You may be told that “everything’s fine” by your
employee, but you might get a different story if you asked
someone else. Ask gently probing questions if you have any
hint that your employee may need some type of intervention
from you, and may be afraid to say so.
• Implement a peer feedback process. Inasmuch as you can’t
be with your employees most of the time, you need a way to
gather consistent feedback periodically on the performance of
 Ma n agin g P erf o rm a n c e f r o m A fa r 81

your employees. Determine what method will work best, and

be consistent about how you apply this process across your
whole team. Let everyone know your intentions, the method
you will be using, and how you and each team member will be
using the feedback you collect.
• Be prepared for each development session. Have a structure
in mind for each call, where you might cover the same items
each week, such as an update on a personal development plan,
discussion of key activities, and areas where an employee may
need help or support, information you need to share, your
feedback on their performance, and (at least sometimes!) their
feedback on yours.
• Ensure that team members feel accountable for their
actions. Make sure that each team member understands his
or her role in achieving performance potential, both short- and
long-term. When managers work apart from those they lead,
it’s especially important that team members take responsibil-
ity for their performance and progress, given that you can’t
monitor their actions. Establish ways to check in periodically,
if needed, between your 1:1 calls, so you can provide addi-
tional assistance or feedback.
• Create a real virtual open-door policy. Open up a “virtual
clinic” for all team members where anyone can call in to seek
guidance, surface issues, or otherwise get support from you.
Set aside the same day or time every week for your virtual
open-door office time. (If members span several time zones,
you may need to set up two days or times per week.) Such a
clinic would be in addition to regular team status calls, when
many members may be reluctant to surface tough issues or
ask for help. If no one joins, you can use the time to get work
done. Refrain from canceling these calls. It may take a while
for people to trust this process.

6.3 Challenges of Performance Coaching from Afar

Virtual leaders often have to develop exceptional antennae to even

realize there’s a need for performance coaching. (By “coaching,” I am
referring to interventions or other remedies a virtual leader can take
82 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

to get someone’s performance back on track, or to resolve some sort

of behavioral problem or issue.) Of course, at times it may be obvious
that team members are struggling: when deliverables consistently slip,
work quality is noticeably off, or response time suddenly becomes far
longer than usual.
But many times, virtual leaders miss the more subtle clues that tell
us when some kind of intervention is needed. Are certain people on
your team canceling status report meetings? Taking longer to reply
to e-mails? Complaining about their work to other team members?
Becoming noticeably withdrawn on conference calls? All of these can
be signs that people need a catalyst to get back on track.
Assuming for a moment that the virtual leader is clear that an inter-
vention of some kind is needed, making that intervention via perfor-
mance coaching can be risky and awkward. For starters, team leaders
can’t read vital nonverbal cues to calibrate what the team member is
feeling or thinking during a tough discussion. At the same time, the
team member is deprived of seeing the team leader’s face to discern
the gravity of the situation. You both must be able to decipher dozens
of verbal cues quickly, including tone, cadence, lilt, choice of words,
use of pauses or silence, throat-clearing, smiling, and sometimes,
laughing or crying, all within seconds.

6.4 Tips for Performance Coaching for the Virtual Leader

In addition to holding routine 1:1s and periodic formal performance

reviews, virtual team leaders need to conduct many unplanned per-
formance coaching conversations. Although they may be unplanned,
they should not be unscheduled.
First off, never surprise someone with an unexpected e-mail or IM
that simply says: “Can I have a word with you—now?” That’s enough
to raise anyone’s hackles before you even have a chance to speak. Far
better to call, e-mail, or IM to agree on a mutually convenient time
to speak. Most times you’ll want to give them a hint what you want
to talk about in as neutral a way possible so they can prepare for the
conversation, and assign to it the appropriate level of seriousness (e.g.,
“I’d like to explore some ideas for improving your conversion rate”
or “I’ve been concerned about your absences and want to make sure
everything is OK.”)
 Ma n agin g P erf o rm a n c e f r o m A fa r 83

Here are some tips for planning and leading a virtual performance
coaching conversation:

• Once your conversation is scheduled, before you pick up

the phone, find a quiet place to speak, away from your
computer, phone, or other distractions. (Nothing can kill
an earnest conversation faster than multitasking.) Have your
notes in writing in front of you with any details that may
be important, as well as a calendar and a project plan, if
appropriate.
• Listen deeply. Once you have stated your observations, with-
out judgment, simply be quiet. Allow the other person time
to gather his or her thoughts and find the right words, even
if it means a minute or two of silence before he speaks. Take
notes on a piece of paper and paraphrase every so often to
ensure understanding in the absence of visual cues. Carefully
ask probing questions for clarification, and only if needed.
Refrain from giving advice or opinions during this time.
(Make notes if you’re in danger of losing good ideas for dis-
cussion at another point.)
• Summarize what you’ve heard. Once you’re satisfied that
you have a good understanding of what’s going on, summa-
rize what you’ve heard as objectively as possible, much as a
journalist would report the facts. Pause and seek validation.
Ask whether there’s anything else that’s important for you
to discuss before moving on to the next part of the discus-
sion. (Here’s where you can ask any additional questions you
might have to give you a more complete picture of the other’s
perspective.)
• Diagnose the real need. Perhaps the trickiest part of the
whole conversation is knowing how to determine what kind
of support a person really needs from you. In some cases, you
can come right out and ask. (Be very cautious of your wording
and tone here. Asking, “Just what do you want me to do?” is
very different from asking, “What would be the most helpful
actions I can take on your behalf at this point?”)
• Validate the kind of support you believe he is asking for.
If you sense that he is confused about how you can help or is
84 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

reticent to ask, you might try offering specific types of assis-

tance, such as contacting an unresponsive decision maker,
delegating a few tasks for now, or pairing him with another
team member. Your initial instincts may be to offer help and
advice. But tread lightly. If these people doubt their skills or
suitability for the task, your offer of help could reinforce those
fears. What could be needed is simply time with you acting as
a vital sounding board, helping to motivate and focus.
• Ask permission to give advice or assistance, if you feel
it’s warranted. Never assume it’s OK. Chances are, your
team member will be receptive to your help, but the simple
act of asking permission before you offer help can do won-
ders to help empower your team member and create greater
self-sufficiency.
• Circle back. Before you end this call, set a time or day with
this person to check in to see whether the combination of sup-
port and guidance you have offered has made a difference.
Also agree on how you will both be kept apprised of actions
taken or progress made in the interim. (Once again, use the
phone in a quiet distraction-free location for your follow-up
meeting to demonstrate how seriously you are taking your
commitments to provide her with the needed support.) If you
must resort to e-mail, take the time to ask specific questions,
referring to notes you’ve made, versus a terse: “How’s it going?”
• Avoid becoming addicted to adding value at every turn.
Team leaders are genuinely enthusiastic about helping others
benefit from their experience. The best team leaders quietly
create an environment where others can cultivate competence
and confidence without the need for frequent management
interventions. Avoid the temptation to make suggestions or
provide “constructive feedback” as you listen to others. Instead,
show appreciation and encouragement. The more ideas that
are allowed to come from others, the less often team members
will feel they must validate with you as they move ahead.
• Practice the power of praise. Now that your team member is
back on track, find opportunities to praise his work, whether
it’s during a team call, via e-mail, or a phone call. (Of course,
you’ll want to praise achievements all of your team members
 Ma n agin g P erf o rm a n c e f r o m A fa r 85

have earned.) However, it is especially important to recognize

the achievements of those who could use an extra boost to
keep them motivated during tough times.
Whether you’re speaking with the whole team, or 1:1, acknowledge
that everyone will need help (even you). Speak openly about the usual
phases a team inevitably goes through and how motivation ebbs and
flows naturally for different people at different times. Admitting when
you need help (from team members or elsewhere) will give others per-
mission to acknowledge what they may need from you or others.

6.5 You’d Be a Great Virtual Leader if You Could Just Be Quiet:

Listening Tips for Virtual Leaders

Virtual leaders must learn to listen for and interpret an enormous

amount of information, within seconds, without benefit of body lan-
guage or eye contact. And we’re not just listening for the words that
are (or are not) spoken, but also the tone, pauses, inflections, sighs,
lilt, laughter, coughing, and perhaps the toughest of all, silence.
Why is it so hard to cultivate and practice superb listening skills?
For starters, most business communications training focuses on how
to create and present ideas, whether via report-writing, e-mail, or
slides. How to listen to others’ ideas gets but a footnote. Plus, few
management training courses focus on the importance of demonstrat-
ing curiosity, crafting the right questions, listening generously, and
expressing appreciation of others’ ideas. And for many command-
and-control managers, taking the time to listen simply impedes prog-
ress. (“I don’t care what you think. Just do as I tell you.”)
Virtual team leaders must act as information hubs for their teams,
helping to ferret out, assimilate, synthesize, and share relevant mean-
ingful information across a dispersed team. Knowing how to ask the
right questions and listen is the first step. Here are some tips to cul-
tivate better listening for leaders of virtual teams, where some or all
members are geographically dispersed:
• Open yourself to the possibility that other ideas are worth
hearing. It’s not enough just to pay lip service by asking,
“Any more ideas?” two minutes before your meeting ends. (In
fact, pretending to care about other ideas can be far worse
86 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

than never asking in the first place.) Be honest as to whether

your mind is open to assessing and applying new ideas. If you
ask for people’s opinions, be prepared to do something with
them. For example, if you’re ready to launch a new marketing
campaign tomorrow, don’t wait to ask people what they think
about it today, unless you’re willing to delay the launch as a
result of some great new ideas. (And if you do ask for their
opinions at this late date, be honest about what you are or are
not willing to change as a result.)
• Don’t act like a know-it-all. Even though you may be the
team leader, you don’t have to have all the answers. (And
besides, you don’t even want to have all the answers; it’s way
too much work!) Demonstrate respect for others’ perspec-
tives by constantly soliciting opinions and ideas from team
members, especially where they’re more likely to have fresher
information than you in a particular area. Be earnest about
your desire to know more and to learn from them. Encourage
others on your team to appreciate the diversity of knowledge
and experience by reaching out to other team members as
well.
• Know what to ask about. Take a page from journalists and
business consultants, who tend to be naturally curious people
and have a knack for posing the kind of open-ended questions
that encourage people to speak freely. Think about where your
team will most benefit by exchanging or debating ideas, and
then craft a series of questions designed to draw out thought-
ful responses. Let’s say your company is rolling out a new
business application. Even though your team can’t change the
application, they may be able to influence how it’s received by
others in their organization. So rather than asking general
questions about how people feel about the new application
(which may be interesting, but may also chew up hours of
time), try asking a few questions about how best to launch the
application, or which aspects are likely to be most attractive,
and to whom.
• Craft questions that elicit meaningful responses in a short
time. With virtual teams, meetings tend to be brief and atten-
tion wanders easily. So it’s critical to think about how, exactly,
 Ma n agin g P erf o rm a n c e f r o m A fa r 87

to formulate a question in such a way that people can give a

thoughtful response in a relatively short period of time (espe-
cially if you’re soliciting opinions from an entire team). For
example, rather than asking: “So what does everyone think of
the new org plan?” try something like, “What’s the #1 aspect
of this new model your employees will like best? Least?” Or:
“Imagine you’re about to share the new org model with your
team. What’s the first question they’re likely to ask?” Have
several different questions at hand, just in case some don’t
work in the way you’d hoped.
• Don’t shy away from asking the tough questions. Given that
people can’t see your expressions (and you can’t see theirs),
asking difficult questions can be awkward or downright risky.
Even so, it’s important that everyone on the team feel com-
fortable about surfacing sensitive issues or talking through
problems when they crop up. Because virtual team members
rarely see each other, unless they have a chance to talk things
through openly, they’ll be left to make assumptions that
may be erroneous, or draw conclusions that may be unchari-
table. Be careful to pose questions in a way that invites people
to be forthcoming as opposed to putting them on the ­defensive
(e.g., “John, can you share the process you used when the VP
of Operations called to complain?” vs. “John, what did you do
to cause the VP of Operations to get so angry?”).
• Give people a real opportunity to respond. If you’re going to
pose a question, let people answer. Think through how long
each response might take, and set aside the right time as part
of your conversation. Or you can set a time limit (“in two
minutes or less, describe … ”). This can be especially helpful
when you have long-winded participants. When teams span
time zones, consider setting up an asynchronous Q&A forum
of some type to augment (though not altogether replace) a
real-time information-gathering session. Portals, wikis, and
blogs can be great for this. For certain sensitive topics, you
may want to allow people to provide ideas anonymously.
• Silence is golden, especially when it’s yours. And this does
not mean putting yourself on mute. (In fact, leaders who are
perceived to be multitasking during important conversations
88 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

can lose the trust of their team members astonishingly fast.)

Learn how to listen quietly, without waiting to jump in with
your ideas. Have a pen and pad handy to jot down key ideas,
draw pictures, or do whatever it takes to help you reflect and
absorb what others are saying. Periodically interject affirma-
tive comments to show that you’re listening, and try to save
your questions until the other person reaches a natural pause.
• Paraphrase to demonstrate active listening. When you
work as part of a virtual team, there’s really no way to know
for sure if people are listening when you speak. A few mono-
syllabic responses can’t do much to assure people that their
thoughts and feelings are really being listened to. Repeat back
important points you heard, translating them into your own
words, before you build on their ideas or ask a follow-on ques-
tion. By paraphrasing accurately, you’re demonstrating that
you not only listened to what the other said, but you’ve under-
stood their points well enough to restate them. Paraphrasing
is an especially important skill when different languages and
accents impede shared understanding.

Learning how to listen deeply is an important skill for any type

of leader, but for virtual leaders, it’s vital. It takes time, practice, and
continual feedback from your team to make sure you’re getting it
right. Start with a few simple steps: next time you’re on a call, move
away from your screen (and anything else that might distract you),
and close your eyes when others speak, so you can really understand
what they’re saying. You’ll be amazed at how well you’ll be able to
read tones, nuances, and inflections. Keep a list of well-crafted ques-
tions handy so you can quickly poll the team at any time. And perhaps
most important, circle back to your team to let them know how you’ve
incorporated their ideas, so they’ll be energized to contribute more
ideas next time.

6.6 Balance Innovation and Expediency for a Supercharged Team

Given the speed and volume of the work we have to get done, many
of us have become obsessed with doing more things, faster. For some
virtual leaders, it’s simply because we can. For others, it’s how we’ve
 Ma n agin g P erf o rm a n c e f r o m A fa r 89

come to be measured. What’s getting lost in our single-minded quest

for über-efficiency is the relative luxury of idle thought, where we take
the time to sow our gray matter with the seeds of half-formed ideas
which, with a little bit of nurturing, can spawn big innovations. To
sustain competitive advantage, organizations have to innovate con-
stantly. But, thinking creatively takes time and focus, two commodi-
ties that are in short supply.
Many companies talk about the importance of innovation; how-
ever, many have not set up the conditions for success in a sustain-
able way. Virtual team leaders can do something about it, by taking
responsibility for creating more opportunities for innovative thinking
across their teams. Here are a few practical tips, for both individuals
and for teams:

• Give yourself headroom. When getting yourself from point

A to point B, whether driving, walking, or taking the bus,
resist the temptation to multitask. Instead of listening to that
podcast or hopping onto another call, turn on some relaxing
music (Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi are thought to be especially
good for getting the creative juices flowing), or just experi-
ence silence. Sometimes it’s helpful to have a focus for your
creative thinking, such as, “What’s the best way to motivate
my field staff?” Other times, you might do better simply to
let your mind unfurl and your thoughts meander. Don’t let
anyone or anything invade your personal thinking space with
distracting clutter and noise.
• Block out time in your workday. Creative thinking requires
a lot of focused energy, yet few of us actually set aside time
for generating new ideas. Our days are just too jam-packed
solving problems, making decisions, and measuring results—
you know, all of that “critical” stuff that keeps the wheels
of progress moving. Mark off brainstorming time in your
­calendar, and consider it as sacrosanct as any other meeting,
if not more.
• Create the conditions for creative thinking. Turn off and
tune out distractions such as IMs and e-mails. Clear your
desktop. Get rid of that stuff you’ve been wondering where
to file, even if it’s moving that pile to the floor for now.
90 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

Put away that growing to-do list that you never seem to get to.
Creating an open space on your desk helps open up space
in your mind for fresh thinking. Turn away from your com-
puter to minimize self-induced interruptions. Better yet, find
an altogether different venue. Make sure to bring plenty of
writing implements (the more colors, the better) and paper,
Post-its, or index cards to write on. Bring along a squeeze
ball or another tactile object to satisfy your craving to mul-
titask when you’ve focused on one topic for more than a few
minutes.
• Put brainstorming on the team agenda. Although it’s true
that most flashes of brilliance emerge serendipitously, it’s also
true that if a team does not allocate time for brainstorming or
idea-sharing, few opportunities for creative collaboration will
present themselves. This is especially true for virtual teams,
where real-time team conversations tend to be infrequent and
brief, usually adhering to a strict agenda. Try walling off a
predictable time each week (e.g., Fridays from 3–4 p.m.) for
an “open” brainstorming session for whomever on the team
wants to join. Or set aside bigger chunks of time, perhaps
less frequently, to generate new ideas to address specific
needs (e.g., expanding your donor base or rejuvenating your
new onboarding program). If they’re not put on the calendar,
brainstorming sessions may always be shunted aside in favor
of fighting the fire du jour.
• Make it easy to contribute and build on ideas. Invite people
to offer up ideas by using a blending of asynchronous and syn-
chronous participation. Open an online conference area where
people can submit their ideas and build on others, whenever
it’s most convenient. Then, when you’re ready to convene in
real time, whether virtually or in person, you’ll have a rich
array of ideas you can use as a springboard for conversation.
You can also use this same electronic brainstorming tool dur-
ing your same-time session, whether participants are onsite or
remote. Consider whether participants will feel less inhibited
if given the option to submit ideas anonymously.
• Ask questions that generate energy. Make sure the prob-
lem (or opportunity) is unambiguous and interesting, if not
 Ma n agin g P erf o rm a n c e f r o m A fa r 91

terrifically exciting. For example, instead of asking how to

reduce operating costs within manufacturing, solicit ideas
about how to get products out the door faster, with less
hassle and waste, while maintaining at least the same stan-
dards of ­quality. Ask questions that are broad enough to
generate ideas a bit outside the immediate opportunity, yet
specific enough to help steer thinking into productive path-
ways. When setting up an online “think tank,” invite repre-
sentative participants to try out the questions and give you
feedback before rolling out to a larger crowd. What seems
like a clear question to you might be interpreted in a com-
pletely different way by someone else.
• Keep the ideas flowing, or stem the gusher. If you have a
specific process and end date in mind, call it out clearly, so
people will know when to shut off the flow of ideas (e.g., the
senior management team will create a short list of projects
for further exploration, based upon the following criteria, by
February 10, and will announce the final list by March 15).
Or, if you want to keep ideas percolating over a longer period
of time given the perennial nature of a particular challenge
(e.g., how best to reward and retain top talent), keep an online
area open, with occasional reminders, alerts, and frequent
expressions of gratitude.
• Bake at least a little brainstorming into every team meet-
ing. Generating ideas can be a great way to open up a team
meeting with excitement and energy, or end a meeting on
a high note. Whether you’re meeting face to face, virtually,
or a combination, set aside at least a sliver of team time to
brainstorm new possibilities. Calibrate how much time you’ll
need based on the richness and complexity of the topic. For
example, you may need just five minutes to elicit ideas for a
new team logo, but you may need a half-hour to brainstorm
ways to train supervisors on a confusing new HR policy.
Asking people for their best ideas on a regular basis has a way
of m
­ aking them feel important and inspired.

Although it’s tempting to dismiss innovation as someone else’s

job (preferably someone whose schedule has a lot more vacancies
92 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

than yours), it behooves each of us, as individuals and as leaders, to

carve out opportunities to showcase our best thinking. Generating
new ideas is not only fun and energizing, but it’s the best way to
maintain our competitive edge. The challenge for virtual leaders is
to make innovation a priority for your team members by creating the
time and space for original thinking, both independently and together.

6.7 Ensuring an Equitable Workload

It’s crunch time, and pretty much everyone realizes the need to put
aside personal lives for the next few days (or maybe a tad longer) to
meet a critical deadline. Trouble is, you discover that although some
people are working feverishly to make sure the team meets the dead-
line, others are adamant that they are not willing to sacrifice their
personal lives, again.
During your weekly team status meeting, the tension is palpable.
Those who are working long days and nights are sniping at those who
won’t. Meanwhile, those who put in their eight hours, and not a min-
ute more, seem incredulous that others expect them to sacrifice their
personal time. (“I never signed on for this,” says one. “I have a life!”)
Until now, your team has had no explicit norms about addressing
workload imbalance. Clearly, it’s time to create some before people
leap across the virtual table in frustration. Where should a virtual
leader (or any leader, for that matter) begin?
Here are some tips I have gleaned from my clients, many of whom
struggle with a serious workload as a chronic condition:

• Set expectations right up front for all team members as to

how many hours are realistically needed from each member
at the start of a given week (or at the end of the last one). Ask
each person, preferably in a team setting, if they can make that
commitment. If not, you may need to either rescope the col-
lective work, or ask some people if they can pick up the slack
left by those who can’t commit to working the needed number
of hours at this time. Reward those who agree to pinch-hit for
others. (See last bullet for more.) Of course, anyone joining
the team needs a realistic appraisal of the demands of the job
before signing on, assuming they have a choice.
 Ma n agin g P erf o rm a n c e f r o m A fa r 93

• Reinforce the notion of mutual accountability. Your team

members are working toward a shared goal; therefore, make
it clear that everyone is accountable for contributing his fair
share. If some team members feel they cannot (or will not)
step up to the plate in equal measure during peak times,
you need to determine whether this is an exceptional situa-
tion or, perhaps, whether the true demands make this job a
poor fit.
• Ask people to make every attempt to address their con-
cerns with other team members privately, as a first step.
Encourage honesty and clarity as to how the behavior of the
other person is affecting one’s own work. For example, John
may not be aware that if he leaves his piece of the project
undone as of Friday at 6 p.m., Greta will have to work an
extra four hours this weekend to finish up John’s work, before
starting on her own. Conversely, they may discover by talk-
ing it through that if John puts in just a half-hour of extra
time on Friday to complete a key task, Greta will be able to
get her work done over the weekend, and John can finish his
up Monday morning.
• Recalibrate the overall work of the team to make sure
that working excessive hours is not the norm. Scope creep
is inevitable, especially when resources are constrained and
pressure to deliver is high. If you find that any team members
are continually expected to work overly long hours to meet the
demands of the work, as team leader you need to make some
decisions to change the dynamic. For example, you may need
to renegotiate the workload with your manager or client, or
request additional resources, even if only for crunch time. You
might also consider how best to reallocate the overall work-
load, either by shifting tasks, or by shifting the sequence or
duration of activities.
• Give team members a say in determining how best to bal-
ance the workload. Most people like to feel they’re pulling
their own weight, and few people will knowingly inconve-
nience their teammates. Set up regular team discussions to
review goals, deliverables, workloads, interdependencies, and
likely stress points proactively. Encourage team members to
94 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

decide how best to work together to meet current demands.

For example, it might be possible to break up deliverables
into smaller chunks, or to skip one task and cycle back later.
Which processes can be streamlined? Which work can safely
be omitted? Left to their own devices, team members usually
do a remarkable job coming up with equitable solutions that
restore harmony.
• Build in a “workload assessment” conversation into every
1:1 meeting. Some people just aren’t willing to speak up in
a team setting, especially if they fear they’re alone in their
struggles. Remind yourself to do this with a list of ques-
tions on hand to start off or end each meeting, such as, “To
what extent do you feel confident that you can complete X by
Friday without having to put in crazy hours? Is there a way
another team member can take a piece of your work? Can we
figure out how to rescope or reschedule at least part of your
work so you can avoid putting in an unreasonable amount of
extra time?” or “How important is this work in the scheme of
things?” Encourage team members to come to the table with
options to explore with you when the workload threatens to
become untenable.
• Separate the “urgent” from the truly important. Many peo-
ple classify requests as “urgent” simply because they haven’t
managed their own time well, or because they have an inflated
sense of the relative importance of their work compared to
others’. Encourage team members to examine which work is
truly important in the scheme of things, and which “urgent”
matters can be safely put on the back-burner while attending
to the important stuff. Make sure they know you have their
backs if they must defend their priorities to those making the
requests.
• Examine work habits. This is easier said than done when
you can’t observe day-to-day routines firsthand. If you
suspect that someone is putting in extra hours needlessly
due to inefficient work habits or a lack of understand-
ing about how to use certain tools, have them walk you
through the aspects of their work that seem to be eat-
ing up the most time. Brainstorm alternatives together as
 Ma n agin g P erf o rm a n c e f r o m A fa r 95

you go along. Sometimes it just takes talking it through

with another person to reveal “aha” ideas for saving time
or short-circuiting protracted processes. It may also be the
case that this person simply has a problem with time man-
agement in general, which can be addressed in a number of
different ways.
• Define what “out-of-office” means to your team. Be clear
about what issues warrant intrusion during regular off-hours
and weekends. Under what circumstances can someone be
interrupted when taking personal time off, or on vacation,
or home sick? Set up a “triage” system within your team, so
other team members are able to pinch-hit for those who are
unavailable, whether planned or unplanned. Keep a shared
calendar that shows major deliverables by person, as well as
planned time off.
• Cross-train and cross-pollinate. Enable team members
to stretch into other areas by giving them the skills, tools,
and knowledge they need. Encourage frequent conversations
among members most likely to share tasks, and set up peri-
odic “lessons learned” sessions to make cross-pollination and
informal cross-training easier.
• Reward and recognize those who consistently go above and
beyond. For starters, make sure to bestow genuine gratitude,
both privately and publicly, for heroic efforts. Reward the
hard workers with time off (with no interruptions allowed for
work!) from time to time. A caveat: If there are one or two
people who consistently stand out for their tireless work, it
may be a sign that you need to load-balance the work across
the team.

At any given time, some people may be called on to do more, or

work longer, than others. Sometimes this inequity is unavoidable, due
to the roles people play or a particular phase of a given project. In
other cases, a thoughtful allocation of work up front might help pre-
vent workload imbalance. Whatever the reason, when workloads are
out of whack, it’s time to create some team norms to help apportion
work across the team. It can do wonders to restore harmony, if not
create perfect equity, and makes for a stronger, happier team.
96 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

6.8 Celebrating, Recognizing, and Rewarding Great Performance

It’s easy for virtual team members to feel invisible, unnoticed, and
unsung, especially those who work far away from the core team. Find
ways you can celebrate victories, recognize a job well done, and reward
excellent performance for all of your team members, both individually
and as a team.
Here are some tips I wrote with Beverly Winkler, a senior human
resources director in the utility sector, to help virtual leaders celebrate
achievements and recognize remarkable performance for virtual teams.

6.8.1 Creating a Shared Sense of Community

• Build a sense of community and shared team identity. For

example, logos, T-shirts, and team names all go a long way
toward creating a sense of identity that co-located teams feel
more easily. Send them out before an important team call,
especially one where achievements will be noted. Anything
that someone can pick up and touch and see has a way of
creating the feeling of “teamness” far more than any virtual
depiction of that team.
• Use videoconferencing to help create the sense of “togeth-
erness.” If you have clusters of team members in a couple of
locations, ask them to open up a video stream so they all can
see each other as they celebrate.
• Create a shared space where people can post ideas that
worked for them, best practices they have applied, or sug-
gestions that others can use. Give team members a place
where they can share ideas and ahas on their own, freeing you
from having to be the conduit every time.
• Hold a virtual “breakfast bunch” or “lunch bunch” session
periodically, inviting team members to bring a meal and
drink and gather around the virtual table to catch up, check
in, or just say hello. Adding a video component can help create
camaraderie. Such a session would not replace your regularly
scheduled team meetings. Rather, it would help to re-create
the kind of water cooler or cafeteria conversations that virtual
teams have little opportunities for serendipitously.
 Ma n agin g P erf o rm a n c e f r o m A fa r 97

6.8.2 Recognizing and Appreciating Noteworthy Performance

• Play to individual preferences. One person might appreci-

ate a handwritten card; however, another might just as soon
receive an unexpected phone call expressing thanks. Consider
the preferences, demographics, and culture of each team
member as you decide how best to say thanks.
• Kick off every team meeting with a few minutes of for-
mal and informal kudos to acknowledge recent successes.
When people work virtually, they have few opportunities
to share victories, unless special time is carved out. Kudos
may come from the leader first, who encourages members to
pat each other (and themselves) on the back. Once this kind
of self-acknowledgment becomes part of the team culture,
members will recount their own successes without prodding,
and will more easily acknowledge others’ achievements as
well. This can also be a great way to end a team meeting on
a high note.
• Show appreciation for contributions, achievements, and sac-
rifices by making 1:1 contact with each team member. Send
cards, either the paper or virtual kind, or personal e-mails. Or
try picking up the phone to say thanks and check in.
• Acknowledge both team and individual accomplishments.
People who feel their good work goes unnoticed by others
will especially appreciate being recognized for it in a public
situation, such as a team call or e-mail. Make sure to recog-
nize achievements by everyone, at least from time to time.
Use team meetings when you can, and invite senior managers
to bear witness to some of your team’s more notable achieve-
ments. Send e-mails or group IMs to share the good news
with others on the team or those outside your immediate
team. Even those whose performance is not stellar on a day-
to-day basis appreciate kudos from time to time.
• Send something from the heart. This might take the form
of a handwritten card, a meaningful book, a fun desktop
object, or even a basket of fruit or flowers. Few people take
the time to send real cards or specially chosen gifts these
days, and team members will appreciate that you went the
98 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

extra mile for them to do it. These important messages really

let individuals know they matter to you and the business.
An added benefit is that family and friends of a particularly
hard-working team member may be impressed by the ges-
ture, and may just be a little more understanding the next
time a family event has to be missed or postponed to meet a
work deadline.
• Make it official. When people work virtually, they appre-
ciate having something tangible in their hands to remind
them that they belong to a “real” team that’s worthy of being
recognized. You can find templates online, or right in your
slide-making or word-processing software, that make it easy
to create and print custom-made certificates. The certificate
can denote a team achievement (e.g., Excellence Award for
Exceeding Sales Goals in Q3), or it can reflect an individual
achievement, such as best sense of humor in the face of adver-
sity or most improved performance. Mail the certificate in an
envelope so the individual can open it when the achievement
is announced during the team meeting.
• Call your team members on the phone. Sounds simple. But
in today’s techy age, we all IM, text, and e-mail. The sound
of your voice will add enormous credibility and provide a spe-
cific message that’s meant especially for this person.
• In addition to using phone, e-mail, IM, or team meetings to
say thanks, also try web postings to spotlight great ideas or to
celebrate the completion of especially important milestones.
Make sure that members’ managers are kept in the loop.
• Shout it from the virtual rooftops. Of course, thought-
ful e-mails that recognize great performance are also much
appreciated, especially if the message reflects that the sender
clearly took time and thought to compose it. Copying a wider
audience, such as fellow team members and other leaders, can
amplify the positive effect.

6.8.3 Planning and Running Virtual Celebrations

Virtual leaders know that, perhaps even more than co-located teams,
virtual team members need opportunities to celebrate achievements
 Ma n agin g P erf o rm a n c e f r o m A fa r 99

all together to sustain great performance. That’s because for virtual

team members, out of sight can easily mean out of mind. The feeling
of isolation can be especially acute when the team has accomplished
something particularly heroic, with no discernible fanfare.
A team celebration presents a rare opportunity for virtual team
leaders to capture the hearts of team members and inject energy in
ways that ordinary team meetings and congratulatory e-mails cannot.

• Celebrate the small wins. Remember to highlight the good

things that happen in small ways on a daily basis. In addition
to recognizing achievements and milestones, team leaders
might also acknowledge instances of cross-pollination, col-
laboration, or creative use of resources (e.g., the pinch-hitter
of the week award goes to Carol for all her help; the light-bulb
award for May goes to Juan for his great ideas about how we
can make better use of our team portal; or the negotiator of
the year prize goes to Sarah for convincing Operations that
we all need new desktops).
• One, two, three cheers for us! Even though people may
be sitting far away, they can feel like they’re sitting at the
same table as they get ready to hoist a cup in celebration. If
you’re sharing coffee or tea with people nearby, plan ahead
for those who work far away by sending gift cards to a nearby
coffee house or another favorite nearby beverage joint. Before
the meeting, make sure everyone has her favorite brew ready
to sip. An especially thoughtful touch is to send out a special
mug to represent the team. This can be one you have made
with a team logo or emblem of some kind, or it can be a store-
bought mug whose color, shape, or design represents the team
in some way. Once you get on the call, ask everyone to toast
to the team’s success at the same time. If you have access to a
webcam, so much the better!
• Pizza, popcorn, or pastries, anyone? Ordering in a pizza or
making popcorn for a team celebration sounds easy, but for a
team that works remotely, celebrating with food can be a bit
tricky. There is something to be said about “breaking bread”
together that makes a celebration special. You can send gift
cards so everyone can buy their food of choice. (After all,
10 0 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

people in Australia may not crave pizza at 6 a.m. local time!)

Or you can send something nonperishable and relatively
­inexpensive, such as a bag of microwavable popcorn or a box
of candy. Whatever the treat, make sure everyone has some-
thing to share when it comes time to recognize the team’s
success. Ask team members to describe what they are eating.
(And if it’s popcorn, you may have to ask people to mute their
phone while munching!)
• Create a celebration center. If you don’t already have an
online team site using SharePoint or another kind of collabo-
ration software, set one up. Add tabs for birthdays, anniversa-
ries, hobbies, vacation pictures, or anything people would like
to share or celebrate. (You can use a low-tech tool for a similar
purpose, such as asking team members to create a “fun fact
sheet” about themselves and posting it in a shared location.)
Kick off meetings by acknowledging special occasions. One
step better would be to have everyone sign and send a virtual
card. Or ask people to record a more personal greeting via
webcam, which can be posted or sent.
• Time it right. If you have far-flung team members who span
multiple time zones, be considerate of everyone when you
plan a same-time celebration. This might mean rotating the
time of celebratory meetings every so often. Or you might
create a “virtual same-time” celebration by uploading vid-
eos of local gatherings so all can see in one place, if not at
one time.
• Invite a senior leader to your team meeting. Ask the leader
to share personal thanks to the team. Leave time open for the
team to ask questions about the business. Leaders get a double
payback from this one: recognition from a senior leader and
increased knowledge about the business.
• Stage a FTF event to celebrate big wins. If you can only
pick two times you’ll bring the team together, invest in the
team kickoff and the successful closure of a big project.
You may need to find time to get a little work done, too,
but focus on the achievements of the team and find time to
celebrate and have fun, without being encumbered by too
much work.
 Ma n agin g P erf o rm a n c e f r o m A fa r 101

People who work virtually need constant reinforcement that they

matter: to each other, to their leaders, and to the overall organization.
Although it takes more planning and creativity to celebrate achieve-
ments of individuals and virtual teams alike, the payoff is great.
Remember, celebrations are the moments when team members feel
like they belong to something bigger outside their virtual office. And
the more team members feel their contributions are appreciated, the
more engaged, energized, and motivated they are likely to be. Plus,
you’ll have more fun as the leader too!

6.9 Summary

All aspects of managing performance, of both individuals and of your

entire team, need to be recast when your team is virtual. Some team
members will require more of your time and attention than others,
the degree of which might ebb and flow over the life of a team or the
span of a particular project.
Be prepared to allocate more time than you think you’ll need for
these important conversations, especially when the team is new, or when
members have recently joined. By setting aside the time these conversa-
tions deserve, you’ll give team members the confidence and competence
they need to become self-sufficient in their current roles, and infinitely
more capable of stretching to reach even higher levels of performance.
The extra payback for you as team leader is that ultimately, this will
mean they’ll need far less of your time to make decisions or take action.
The sample and template shown in Table 6.1 gives you an idea of
what a performance action plan might look like for each team mem-
ber. You might have different ideas for the “aspects that need address-
ing” for your team, or for a particular team member.
What’s important is that you have a way to keep track of action
plans that you or your team member will take, by target date, along
with the expected outcome. The expected outcome might be quanti-
fiable (John will respond to e-mails within 48 hours), or qualitative
(Maria and her team will feel more appreciated and inspired to take
their performance to the next level).
Whether you use this template or one of your own design, make
sure you have a consistent place where you take careful notes and have
them ready for each 1:1 meeting.
 10 2

Table 6.1 Managing Performance from Afar: Quick Reference Guide

MANAGING PERFORMANCE—ACTION PLAN BY TEAM MEMBER—SAMPLE
ASPECT THAT NEEDS ADDRESSING
ENGAGE DELIVER
TEAM AND PERFORMANCE SUSTAIN GREAT
MEMBER MOTIVATE FEEDBACK PERFORMANCE HOW/ACTION PLAN WHEN EXPECTED OUTCOME
Sample: X • Leverage 1:1 Meeting … Preplan by August 8 • Reach mutual agreement to
John Doe framing a feedback statement that stay with team norms (respond
focuses on behavior and impact on team to e-mails within 48 hours)
(e.g., lack of responsiveness) Revisit at next 1:1 meeting

X • Assign as team meeting facilitator for August 15 • John will feel more energized
month of Sept., with my support – gauge at team meetings and will
interest at mid-Aug. 1:1 hone his skills in facilitation
and time management
L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

Sample: x • Acknowledge the performance of her Team meeting • Maria and her team will know
Maria team over the last month at upcoming July 28 how much we appreciate their
Johnson team meeting. Send personal thank you Send card July amazing performance and will
card for Maria to share with her team. 22 or sooner be inspired to take it to the
next level
 MANAGING PERFORMANCE—ACTION PLAN BY TEAM MEMBER—TEMPLATE
ASPECT THAT NEEDS ADDRESSING
DELIVER PERFORMANCE SUSTAIN GREAT
TEAM MEMBER ENGAGE AND MOTIVATE FEEDBACK PERFORMANCE HOW/ACTION PLAN WHEN EXPECTED OUTCOME
Ma n agin g P erf o rm a n c e f r o m A fa r

Source: Created by Nancy Settle-Murphy of Guided Insights, in collaboration with Mary Rose Wild and Beverly Winkler.
10 3
 7
N av i g atin g acros s
C ultures , Time Z ones ,
and the G ener ati onal
D i v id e

Most virtual teams that work within large global organizations tend
to span cultures, generations, and more often than not, multiple time
zones. And even when most team members work in close proximity
to each other, chances are many cultures and generations will be part
of the mix.
Navigating through the trip wires of multiple cultures can be tough
even when team members have the ability to read nonverbal cues such
as body posture, gestures, and facial expressions to help decode the
meaning of certain words. But absent the ability to correlate visual
cues to written or verbal expressions, with few opportunities for real-
time conversations, members of global teams often struggle to identify
and address barriers that get in the way of successful communication
and collaboration.
There are many reasons. For starters, it can be awkward and uncom-
fortable to discuss cultural differences openly. Many leaders have little
experience in discussing cultural differences, and may be afraid that
they will be perceived as someone who unfairly stereotypes members
of other cultures. In addition, some leaders really don’t understand
how cultural differences are affecting their particular team, either
because they have not taken the time to learn about the differences, or
they don’t know where to find the right training or resources.
Probably the main reason cross-cultural differences are often swept
under the table is the belief that “at the end of the day, we’re all the
same.” Although it’s true that there may be universal beliefs and
­values shared by many team members, to a great degree our respec-
tive cultures define how we as individuals make decisions, give and

10 5
10 6 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

receive information, form relationships, seek affiliation, reach con-

sensus, argue ideas, assess trust, write reports, juggle priorities, and
a host of other habits and behaviors that affect collaboration and team
communications.
Likewise, it can be dangerous to employ a “one-size-fits-all”
approach when team members represent multiple generations. In fact,
for the first time in the history of the workplace, organizations need
to accommodate the contrasting communication styles of four d ­ istinct
generations. This chapter offers tips to help virtual leaders navigate
through both cultural and generational differences that are most
likely to get in the way of effective communication and collaboration.
In this chapter is a global communications tip sheet (Table 7.1) that
covers relationship building, written and oral communications, and
creating and delivering presentations. These might be especially help-
ful for those who are new to leading global teams, or those who want
to avoid some of the most common cultural differences that have a
way of tripping up global teams.

7.1 Galvanize Global Virtual Teams with Clear Operating Principles

The best way to get a new team out of starting gate is to pull everyone
into one room for a few days to carve out goals, hammer out dif-
ferences, develop team norms, and agree on deliverables, schedules,
and roles. Investing in this process allows a team to get through the
“storming” phase quickly. In today’s global organizations, however,
most teams don’t have the luxury of face-to-face (FTF) bonding time.
Team members tend to work across countries, time zones, and orga-
nizations. They must rely on remote interactions, both synchronous
and asynchronous, to mobilize the team and get everyone moving in
the right direction.
Virtual teams that invest time and energy up front in creating
explicit operating principles and team norms stand a far better chance
of moving forward more quickly than teams that omit this critical
step. Here are some tips I co-authored with LeaderGrow, Inc. pres-
ident Robert Whipple, focusing on a few crucial areas that global
teams most need to pay attention to when articulating their operating
principles. (See Chapter 4 for more on best practices team norms for
virtual teams.)
 Nav i g atin g ac r o s s C ult ure s 10 7

Table 7.1 Global Communications Tip Sheet

KEYS TO SUCCESS FOR VIRTUAL TEAM LEADERS: THE BASICS
Listen! Watch (if you can)! Observance is the most effective communications skill of all. If
you’re in doubt about the proper protocol, listen and watch (if you’re using videoconferencing
or webcams) closely for cues, which may be subtle. If you’re confused, it’s usually better to
ask than to assume you’ve guessed it right.
Learn the languages (at least a few key phrases): Don’t be daunted if your accent isn’t
impeccable. Your team members will appreciate any attempt to meet them halfway. Start
with the basics (hello, thank you, excuse me, good morning/evening) and build from there.
Know your audience beforehand: Take the time to understand important cultural factors that
may affect your business or personal relationships. You can collect information many ways,
including:
• Talk to those who have been there, or who are natives of that country. Ask them what
they see as the greatest differences between your cultures, both personally and
professionally.
Go online and scan the local newspapers or magazines to get a feel for noteworthy current
events, cultural values, and possible topics of conversation (avoid politics at all costs).
• Pick up a language book to learn key phrases.
Read an historical novel of the region or area, which tends to convey more nuances about
the culture than a nonfiction book.
• Watch some films made about that country, or by the country’s filmmakers, to get a sense
for the values, means of expressions, and other important elements that can help you
communicate more effectively.
• Search online for articles and guides about the countries of interest. Subscribe to RSS
feed, blogs, and other online resources.
Familiarize yourself: Learn the status/rank, level of influence, educational background,
relationship to others, and other important characteristics of as many key people as
possible. It’s always helpful to learn as much as possible in advance, to avoid potential
embarrassments later.
Punctuality: Most Northern European countries place great value on being on time, especially
for business meetings. (Latin-based cultures are considerably more forgiving if you show up a
few minutes late.) Make sure you factor in these cultural conventions before you decide
whether to start the meeting on time, or wait for latecomers.

RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING: TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

Introductions and formalities: Because there are as many variables associated with
introductions and other formalities as there are countries of the world, take the time to learn
the preferred customs. Don’t assume that first names will be warmly received, unless you
know that to be true about a particular person. In many countries, first names are not used
until a good relationship has been established. This is changing with younger generations,
and varies by company culture, to some extent.
Make sure you’re familiar with the correct (preferred) title. For example, PhDs in most
other countries of the world go by “Doctor” (or Herr Doktor) versus Mr., Ms., Miss, or Mrs.
(or Herr, Frau, or Fraulein). Similarly, occupational designations, such as “Professor” are
often used in place of, or in addition to, Mr., Ms., or Mrs.
(Continued)
10 8 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

Table 7.1 (Continued) Global Communications Tip Sheet

RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING: TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

The art of “small talk”: In some cultures, small talk is essential for building a trusting
relationship. Some, such as Southern Europeans, Latin Americans, and Asians, find it
imperative to get to know their business associates on a level other than business, before a
solid foundation may be built. Others, such as Northern Europeans and Americans, often find
such chit-chat to be unnecessary and distracting to the business at hand. Know the
difference, and be prepared to either indulge in small talk, or skip it altogether. Build in the
appropriate amount of time in your virtual team meetings as well as your 1:1 sessions.
Use (or nonuse) of humor: When it doubt, don’t! Many Americans are fond of opening meetings
with some light humor, as an ice-breaker, or a way to defuse tension. Humor has little place in
business settings in many parts of the world. (And even when it does, it’s critical to know
what kind of humor is best employed, and what topics are best avoided.) If you feel compelled
to add a bit of humor to your presentation, check with a local colleague to make absolutely
sure it will have the intended effect.

CAN YOU PUT THAT IN WRITING?

Among most Northern European countries and in the United States, business people look for
extensive documentation loaded with details, facts, and figures. In other European countries, such
as France, meticulous documentation may be considered overkill. Corporate norms also will affect
the frequency, content, and details expected for written communication. Here are some general tips:
• Test for possible interpretations: Before you send out that important document, ask
someone fluent in the business language of that country to check the meaning against
your intended meaning.
• Formal versus informal: This will vary according to both country and corporate culture.
Make sure you understand the accepted norms, and tailor your correspondence accordingly.
• Speed of response required: Your response time can set the tone for the relationship to
come, especially if your first communications are in written form. Be prompt, be thorough,
and be clear in your responses, especially if the recipient is not fluent in your language.
• Watch out for currency denominations, dates, and other confusing terms that differ from
region to region:
• If you’re using U.S. dollars, say so; many other countries of the world use dollars, too
(such as Australia and Canada). People in most countries would prefer a translation to
their own currency, as well.
• Dates are often written differently than we are used to seeing them. In many countries,
October 2, 2013 would be written as 2 October 2013, or abbreviated as 2/10/13. Make
sure you know which convention is being applied. It’s best to spell out the month in your
correspondence, lest you cause unnecessary confusion that could mean major problems
later on.

MAKING YOURSELF PERFECTLY CLEAR

Clear speech: Enunciate clearly. Many accents are difficult for nonnative speakers to follow.
Speak slowly (not loudly): Just because your audience doesn’t speak fluent English, it doesn’t
mean they are hearing impaired. Take the time to emphasize key syllables, and leave plenty of
pauses so your audience can do the mental translation back into their own language. Don’t be
afraid to check in with them from time to time as to your pace.
 Nav i g atin g ac r o s s C ult ure s 10 9

Table 7.1 (Continued) Global Communications Tip Sheet

MAKING YOURSELF PERFECTLY CLEAR

Simplicity: The KISS principle applies in most other countries, where elegance and a clear sense
of the big picture is more valued than a mass of details (except in some countries such as
Germany, where details are paramount). Avoid compound sentences or elaborate statements.
Parcel out your ideas in bite-sized pieces that can be easily digested and assimilated.
Active verbs: Use as many as possible to convey your meaning. Passive sentences tend to
confuse and dilute meaning. Avoid using the word “get,” which means nothing and everything
in “Overseas English.”
Paraphrase: This is a useful technique to check if the intended meaning has been properly
conveyed, without embarrassing yourself or anyone on your team. When we communicate
virtually, we have to be vigilant about testing for understanding or shared meaning. Asking,
“Anyone have questions?” or “Did everyone get what Juan just said?” will likely result in
silence. Instead, take the initiative to paraphrase important ideas to give everyone an
opportunity to hear the idea twice, in different ways. Example: “I think Juan just made a key
point. I want to repeat it, using different words, to make sure I understand it correctly. Juan,
please let me know if I have missed anything.”
Avoid acronyms and idioms: We tend to pepper our speech with idioms and allegories that
are well understood in our own countries, but may be utterly confusing to someone from
another country. In the United States, sports allegories have widely infiltrated our everyday
speech, often unconsciously. Consider the phrases so commonly used in the United States,
such as “out in left field,” “the whole nine yards,” and “full court press.” Imagine the
confusion of an audience whose major sports do not include baseball, basketball, or
American football! Avoid local idioms and trendy business buzzwords whenever possible.
What’s a widely embraced term in one country may only cause confusion in another. It’s
best to double-check both spoken and written words with a resident of the targeted country.

DESIGN OF PRESENTATIONS
Bite-sized pieces with frequent breaks: Whether you’re using an interpreter, or going it alone,
allow plenty of extra time to present to nonnative-speaking audiences. You’ll be speaking
more slowly than usual, paraphrasing to check for meanings, and giving your audience time
to do the mental translations. A good rule of thumb is to plan to spend about 50–100% more
time than you would to an English-speaking audience. Allow for frequent breaks if you’re
presenting for more than an hour at a time. Translation is mentally exhausting; your audience
will need time to refresh their minds.
Visual aids: Be sure that any visual aids reflect a sensitivity to the local culture. One U.S. client
I worked with used a basketball hoop as his central metaphor throughout an entire slide
presentation that he intended to use around the world. He got as far as Canada, when he
realized that basketball analogies had little relevance outside the United States. Another client
wanted to show the Statue of Liberty as a “universal symbol of freedom,” until it dawned on
him that for people outside the United States, the statue may hold no such symbolism.
Although slides shouldn’t be cluttered with a lot of text, they should contain some brief
text to amplify your points. Non-English speaking audiences will appreciate the ability to
verify that what they think they’ve heard you say is in fact what you meant to say. Many
people find it easier to follow the written word than the spoken word. Provide them with
both, augmented by graphics that convey your primary messages with simplicity and
clarity.
(Continued)
110 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

Table 7.1 (Continued) Global Communications Tip Sheet

DESIGN OF PRESENTATIONS
Level of interaction: You may find yourself being interrupted by a steady flow of challenging
questions or philosophical disagreements in France, whereas in Korea, the most interaction
you might receive from your audience is a polite question. When you’re planning your team
meetings, think about how you’d like your audience to interact, and what you can reasonably
expect, given the culture. Many presenters like to lace their presentations with questions—or
challenges—to the audience. Be prepared to forego your usual style, if the norms of the local
culture don’t call for a high level of interaction between presenters and audience members.
To sum it all up: Most audiences will look for your major points to be restated at the end of your
presentation. Don’t disappoint them; make sure you clearly convey your key points at the end,
even if it is the third or fourth time you have made these same points.

• Selecting the right people: In the formation of an inter-

cultural remote team, the selection of individuals is critical,
assuming you have a say. Establish a list of needed charac-
teristics for team members, and screen all proposed members
with care. For example, ideal global virtual team members
have an understanding of and tolerance for cultural differ-
ences that can affect work patterns. They are also flexible with
respect to work hours and feel comfortable using multiple
forms of communications. Effective virtual team members
have a high tolerance for ambiguity and can work easily with
little direction.
• Setting realistic expectations: Think about the areas in
which unrealistic expectations are most likely to trip up the
team, such as deliverables, schedules, resources, and support
required. As a team, clarify mutual expectations and validate
whether they are realistic. Create a means by which members
can reset expectations when needed. Remember that some
cultures are more conservative when setting expectations and
need to consider the big picture first. Other cultures tend to
be overly ambitious in their promises and need frequent real-
ity checks by others to ensure they’re really able to deliver.
• Establishing a “safe” environment: The online environment
offers the opportunity for people to raise issues, ask questions,
offer opinions, or contribute new ideas without inhibition.
By establishing a culture where everyone feels encouraged to
contribute openly, the team leader can tap into a rich diver-
sity of ideas. Agree on ways people can ask for help without
 Nav i g atin g ac r o s s C ult ure s 111

embarrassment, and determine how concerns can be surfaced

without fear of retribution. Know how different cultures are
likely to assess the meaning of “safety.” Consider anonymous
forms of participation to lower inhibitions, especially when
topics are regarded as contentious or difficult.
• Handling conflict: Consider what type of conflicts are likely
to arise, particularly those that may be most difficult to han-
dle remotely. For example, what if one member consistently
fails to fulfill commitments? Or what if vital information is
not shared openly with all? Agree how certain conflicts will
be handled, who will be involved, and what communication
method will be used. Make sure to reflect the cultural make-
up of the team when thinking through your choices. Some
cultures are more comfortable being direct and assertive
whereas others place greater value over group harmony than
speed of execution.
• Varying time zones: When working in a synchronous, or real-
time, mode (instant message, web meeting, telephone, video
conference), some remote team members are forced to work at
awkward times. Agree as a team when same-time meetings
are necessary, and consider rotating the times to share the
burden of working during normal sleep time. Consider which
work can be done asynchronously (e.g., via e-mail or a shared
workplace) to allow all team members to work at the most
convenient times.
• Making decisions: Decision rights need to be discussed so
there are no surprises. Once the lines of authority have been
established, all team members need to remain compliant or
people may start playing political games, which will quickly
undermine trust. Intercultural teams must accommodate the
various negotiating styles of different members. For exam-
ple, many western cultures call for “first, best offer” tactics,
whereas some eastern cultures expect some dickering. Keep in
mind that many virtual teams have no obvious leader, which
makes agreement regarding decision rights more challenging
and more critical.
• Reporting relationships: With virtual teams, the reporting
structure is rarely static. Team leadership can morph as the
112 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

nature of tasks changes during the life of the team. All team
members need to feel that they are contributing with maxi-
mum creativity and energy. Learn how different cultures are
likely to regard the relative importance of hierarchy, author-
ity, and reporting relationships. For some, it’s sacrosanct,
and for others, it’s almost completely irrelevant. (Of course,
certain functions and organizations have their own values
assigned to notions of hierarchy and power, which must also
be considered.)
• Project scheduling: When mapping out a project plan, keep
local customs in mind. For example, include all national
and religious holidays. Consider planned vacations as well.
In some countries, especially in Europe, team members will
be taking extended vacations in the summer. Some cultures
accept working on weekends or during vacation times; how-
ever, many others do not. Make sure that the entire team
works from a shared calendar, which should be posted in a
place to which all members have ready access. Encourage
team members to block out time well in advance on their elec-
tronic calendars to make scheduling across borders and time
zones easier.
• Tracking progress: Many team activities will span a signifi-
cant time period. To give the team a greater sense of progress
needed to maintain momentum, try tracking progress against
subgoals. This way, the team can modify tactics if necessary
and can celebrate many successes—small and big—along the
way. Using some type of visual barometer, such as a dash-
board or thermometer, can be especially helpful for a global
team when not all members have the same proficiency in the
shared language. Make sure everyone understands the criteria
for reporting progress. For example, if a dashboard is used,
agree on what “green” really means.

Global teams need to learn how to operate successfully in a virtual

world, navigating through cultural differences which, if ignored or
dismissed, can easily thwart progress. Organizations that know how to
nurture and support global virtual teams have a competitive advantage
over organizations that treat all teams and their members the same.
 Nav i g atin g ac r o s s C ult ure s 113

7.2 Real Cultural Assimilation Takes Patience,

Time, and Willingness to Adapt

Many virtual team leaders have been fortunate enough to have had at
least one opportunity in their professional careers (or college days) to
live and work in another country. For many organizations, in fact, the
rotation of managers through functions, regions, and roles is a vital
element of their talent management strategy.
When I took a post in Hong Kong in the early 1990s, I had rela-
tively few resources at my disposal to learn more about the business
and social cultures of the countries in which I would be working
throughout Southeast Asia. I interviewed a couple of people, read the
relatively few intercultural business books then available, and went off
to my assignment on little more than a wing and a prayer.
Today’s leaders have many more means by which they can learn
about other cultures before they become immersed. Cross-cultural
books and videos are ubiquitous, as are training programs (both online
and in-person) and reference guides. In addition, those who work as
part of a global team can tap teammates for a quick primer on aspects
of their culture that are intriguing or confusing. Still, successful cul-
tural assimilation takes extraordinary patience, superb listening skills,
and exceptional powers of observation. Here are tips I wrote with my
colleague Clint Cuny of Export Trading Group USA, to help lead-
ers and members of cross-cultural teams to develop rich relationships
that lead to successful collaboration, more quickly.

• Take the first best guess. It’s true that stereotypes can unfairly
bias us toward a particular group of people. Our predispositions
are a collection of our personal and professional life e­ xperience.
But it’s also true that making some generalizations about a new
culture can help us avoid some costly missteps early on. For
example, if we know that in a particular country, e­ mployees typi-
cally defer to their leaders as experts, we may not expect a brain-
storming session to yield many responses if the leader is present.
Or if we learn that some cultures are reluctant to make decisions
without first cultivating a personal ­relationship, we can calibrate
our conversations accordingly. Without some ­ well-informed
generalizations about a culture, we typically revert to approaches
that are comfortable for us, a tactic that’s sure to backfire.
114 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

• Understand how underlying values drive behavior. Think

of culture as an iceberg where observable behavior is the 10%
you can see and 90% is hidden. It’s one thing to observe a
behavior, say, that workers are generally respectful about tak-
ing direction and don’t make it a habit to check in until their
work is due. Unless you understand the cultural factors at play,
you may unintentionally offend your colleagues if you request
periodic progress reports because you can’t stand to be left in
the dark. Discovering cultural values takes time. Try reading
books or watching films to augment what you learn from your
colleagues, who usually do not take an anthropologist’s view
when explaining their own behaviors.
• Listen and observe before acting. Pay careful attention to
interactions among people and groups and seek understand-
ing of what is really happening. Who’s making eye contact
with whom (assuming you have access to visuals)? Is there a
usual order in which people tend to speak? How much direc-
tion do people seem to need or want? Are meetings con-
sidered open forums in which people can ask questions and
debate, or are they led by senior leaders with little room for
discussion? Take copious notes, including questions you have
as you observe interactions unfolding. Find a time and place
in which you can sit down with someone you know and trust
to state your observations and ask open questions about what’s
intriguing or puzzling to you. Try scheduling regular “cul-
tural coaching” sessions with one or more colleagues, espe-
cially early on.
• Pace yourself. Americans, especially those of us from the
northeast United States, tend to operate at a pace that oth-
ers find unnecessarily frenetic. People who work at a more
deliberate pace can drive us crazy. Discover how the other
culture regards time from a number of aspects, such as punc-
tuality, levels of responsiveness, decision-making processes,
and planning horizons. Determine how you’ll have to adjust
your own style or create strategies for adjusting to theirs. (For
example, if you have a low threshold for being kept wait-
ing, try bringing something to work on if you suspect your
colleague may be tardy. If you tend toward snap decisions,
 Nav i g atin g ac r o s s C ult ure s 115

postpone announcing decisions, lest others think your deci-

sion may not be well thought out.)
• Adjust to different work habits. In some environments,
people work heads-down for 12-hour days, up to six days a
week. In others, people sashay in a tad too late for your taste,
take a long leisurely lunch, and then leave an hour or two later
than you may be used to. We have seen some managers try to
impose their own “work ethic” on people of other cultures. To
avoid mutual frustration and distrust, be prepared to adjust
your expectations about the hours you can realistically ask oth-
ers to put in, based on local cultures and labor laws. If you’re
used to persuading team members to work weekends or during
vacation time to meet a critical deadline, don’t assume that will
work in this case. Plan projects to safeguard personal time.
• Practice patience. Many Americans assume, implicitly or
explicitly, that our penchant for speed is necessarily valued by
other cultures. We tend to move “full speed ahead” in seeking
input and consensus from all, gaining rapid agreement, and ask-
ing for direct feedback. We also move to quickly knock down
any barriers that get in the way of speedy progress. In reality,
however, many cultures take a more deliberate approach and feel
uncomfortable being rushed to premature conclusions. Take your
cues from your colleagues, and err on the side of moving more
slowly than you may feel necessary to gain trust and win allies.
• Relationships matter. For some cultures, trusting relation-
ships can be a prerequisite for doing business and matter more
than achieving a particular business outcome. Many Americans
value efficiency and speed in achieving “results” so much that
they often overlook the importance of personal relationships to
others. (After all, it takes time to grow a relationship, which is
simply not very efficient!) Rushing to conclude an agreement
or make a speedy decision inevitably causes the opposite to
happen, especially in cultures where building a trusting rela-
tionship with the other person is a necessary first step.

Even if you take the time to learn everything you can about another
culture before you immerse yourself, you’ll need large reservoirs of
patience and understanding to eventually succeed. (And no, success
116 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

will not come overnight.) Add a day or two to the time you’d normally
expect a report. Don’t complain if people don’t join conference calls
(in some countries, such as in Africa, conference calls can be inordi-
nately expensive and facilities don’t exist in many locations). Know
that not everyone will keep to the agreed-upon schedule.
There is a saying among Americans doing business in Africa:
“TIA,” meaning “This is Africa.” Change that letter “A” to whatever
culture or country in which you are working and remind yourself that
you need to work hard to adapt to their culture, and not the other way
around. In the end, most people are decent, are eager to do the right
thing, and want to be respected. Our interactions should reflect these
principles. So watch, observe, don’t anticipate, and leave your predis-
positions at the proverbial door.

7.3 Surfacing and Addressing the Cultural Differences

That Most Affect Virtual Teams

Some aspects of teamwork tend to suffer more due to cultural differences

that are ignored or dismissed. Here are some aspects which, if success-
fully addressed, can catapult a global virtual team forward surprisingly
fast, once they get through the tough but necessary conversations.

• Decision making: Some cultures (notably Americans) are

known to value speed above all when it comes to making
decisions, even if it means they’re made with incomplete
information and insufficient buy-in. The unfortunate result
is that decisions often must be revisited and recast, leading to
costly rework. Other cultures—Japan, for example—tend to
be more holistic in their thinking, requiring considerable time
to assess the rationale and impact of decisions, methodically
seeking buy-in from a variety of stakeholders. Decisions may
take longer, but implementation comes faster. When you’re
part of a virtual team, it’s important to articulate operating
principles about how this team will make decisions, including
timing, criteria, process, approvers, input required, commu-
nication of decisions, and so on. Different types of decisions
might require different principles. Be prepared to engage in
some spirited debates as you get to common ground.
 Nav i g atin g ac r o s s C ult ure s 117

• Information sharing: Some cultures share and request infor-

mation freely, up, down, and across the organization, without
regard to hierarchy. If they need information to get their jobs
done, why stand on ceremony if it means an avoidable delay?
Generally speaking, in the United States, open sharing is the
norm. Some other cultures tend to parcel out information on
a need-to-know basis. Information is compartmentalized and
funneled along functional or organizational lines. Because
same-time conversations are rare for most virtual teams,
members need explicit agreement about how information
will be shared. For example, what kind of information will be
posted on the team’s SharePoint portal versus sent via e-mail?
Who has access? To create this kind of “information architec-
ture,” team members must spell out for each other what infor-
mation they most need, at what point, to get their work done.
• Level of participation: Formal cultures that place value on
hierarchy and seniority may not be as willing to assess an idea
in front of others, especially if a senior manager is present.
Team members may tend to wait until spoken to, and even
then, may not offer any contradictory or critical views. Other
cultures may enjoy a lively debate and in fact relish the idea
of proffering opinions to anyone who will listen, without fear
of any negative repercussions. Team leaders need to be sensi-
tive to these dynamics and carefully plan their meetings to
accommodate differences. For example, if people of different
seniority levels are on a call, make sure that junior people have
a comfortable way to participate, such as by providing a web
meeting tool that allows for anonymity. Also consider how
you’ll coax quiet participants to speak. Some respond well
to being called on, whereas others resent the attention. Find
ways to encourage lively participation from everyone, even if
it means providing different tools, at different times.
• Motivation and rewards: Some cultures don’t seek out or
expect recognition or rewards, and are inherently gratified by
simply doing their jobs well. Other cultures, however, often
expect some type of reward, monetary or otherwise, for meet-
ing their goals. In addition, some cultures tend to value indi-
vidual recognition, whereas for other cultures, it’s the team
118 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

effort that people like to see rewarded. When considering how

best to motivate, reward, or recognize a cross-cultural team (or
its individual members), realize that you need not always have
a one-size-fits-all kind of reward or recognition that works
equally well for everyone. Also pay attention to local laws and
norms, especially when deciding upon any type of monetary
reward.
• Punctuality and deadlines: Everyone’s schedule is jam-
packed, with people on back-to-back calls throughout the day
(nights, too!). That’s why it’s especially important to establish
a team culture that values punctuality for virtual meetings,
even when a member’s cultural predisposition is to show up
“whenever.” Set ground rules about punctuality and stick to
them (e.g., “Latecomers catch up on what they missed after-
wards.”) Likewise, some cultures want precise deadlines and
hold these sacrosanct, and others see deadlines as a goal that
can be flexed depending on the circumstances. “Status reports
due next week” may mean Monday at 9 a.m. CET to some
and Friday at “end of day” EDT to others. Make sure every-
one agrees when important deliverables are due, making clear
the impact of slipped deadlines. If some deadlines matter
more than others, say so.
• Policies and procedures: Some cultures like to tackle one
task at a time, completing one before moving on to the next.
Logical, sequential, well-defined processes are necessary
conditions of work. Other cultures regard a frenetic work
environment and frequent interruptions as vital and even wel-
come. Relationships come before processes, and distractions
offer unplanned opportunities to learn. For a virtual team,
acknowledging these differences and deciding how to address
them as a team is crucial. For example, some may turn off
e-mail a few hours a day to maintain focus; others like to send
IMs whenever the mood strikes, and get frustrated when they
don’t get an instant reply.
• Work/life balance: Extended vacation times for some team
members may be resented by those who have to pick up the
slack, especially during crunch times. In general, Americans
tend to have far less vacation time than their European
 Nav i g atin g ac r o s s C ult ure s 119

counterparts, and are more likely to work through weekends

or holidays if that’s what the project takes. Before ill will can
fester due to this perceived inequality, discuss principles and
values regarding work–life balance, including what’s accept-
able to ask and what’s out of bounds. Discuss how the negative
effects of prolonged absences can be mitigated. Make sure that
everyone has a world calendar so everyone can plan around
local holidays like the 4th of July in the United States, New
Year’s Week in China, or Bastille Day in France.

When working as a virtual team, cultural barriers tend to get mag-

nified. We often revert to viewing others through our own cultural
lens and often see other cultures as a “not-quite-right” version of our
own. Be actively curious about how cultural differences are affecting
your team in both positive and negative ways. Learning about other
cultures is only half the equation. Find ways to learn how your culture
is perceived by other cultures. When in doubt, enlist a “buddy” from
another culture with whom you can check assumptions, get feedback,
and ask for advice as you find your way along.

7.4 Communicating across Cultures:

Designing for International Transportability

As a virtual leader, you may sometimes be charged with creating

global communications strategies beyond those of your team. Let’s
say your organization is poised to launch a new program that will rock
the world of almost everyone across the organization, in all regions of
the world. You’ve spent weeks with marketing, HR, and legal to ham-
mer out a set of crisp consistent messages. At last, you have sent the
content to your team members around the world, leaving you time for
last-minute tuning and tweaking.
Just as you’re about to breathe a sigh of relief—prematurely, it turns
out—you receive a stream of heated e-mails asking, essentially, “What
on earth were you thinking?!” You’re shocked and confused. After all,
you worked weeks to create core messages that could be translated
from English without losing much meaning in the process. And what
about that multichannel communications matrix that took you days to
put together, designed to accommodate different cultural preferences?
12 0 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

Here are seven key steps that any virtual team leader needs to take
in creating and implementing a global communications plan designed
to resonate with those most affected by the change.

• So, what’s the big deal? The magnitude of any given change
will vary by the segment of the employee population, such
as job type or role, as well as by location. It’s dangerous (and
costly) to make sweeping generalizations by polling only the
people closest to you. In fact, you need to cast a very wide net
at the outset to determine how people in different countries
or regions are likely to be affected by the change. Set up time
to speak with country contacts, either 1:1 or in small groups.
These contacts can act as your “change translators” who can
help you to gauge the anticipated level of resistance, or recep-
tivity, this change will engender in their locations. Consider
also setting up a virtual conference area where your contacts
can contribute to a larger “idea bank” at their convenience.
Publish and discuss your results with your project team, as
well as with your contacts who have contributed their ideas.
• Create a context for change. As you begin creating your com-
munications plan, find out what other changes lay ahead. What
is the nature and scope of other changes? What’s the likely
disposition of affected stakeholders? Timing? To what extent
will different project teams have to compete for mindshare? Is
there an opportunity for “co-marketing” multiple projects at
one time? If you’re lucky, your organization might have an “air
traffic controller of change” who is aware of all projects rolling
out, potential intersections, possible conflicts, and opportuni-
ties to streamline. In addition, you’ll need to find out what
other activities might affect your project at a local level, such as
a planned shutdown, a wave of downsizing, or a recent merger.
• Maintain a global network of “go-to” change consultants.
These people may play different roles from country to country
or region to region; for example, they may be members of your
extended project team, local communications professionals,
HR consultants, or interested stakeholders. Whatever the title,
these are the people you will rely on to validate messages, solicit
communications advice, pilot communications samples, and
 Nav i g atin g ac r o s s C ult ure s 121

generally provide guidance to the project team every step of the

way. These may or may not be the same people as the “change
consultants.” Plan to meet network members frequently, at least
weekly in the early planning phases and during rollout.
• Consider the relative importance of global messages. Many
organizations insist on “globally consistent” messages and in so
doing, may generate content that’s pretty much useless in other
locations. Sure, a company has to make sure that its brand-
ing is consistent around the world. But for change that affects
an organization’s own employees and managers, country and
regional representatives need latitude when it comes to inter-
preting the implications. In addition, the people communicat-
ing the changes need to feel comfortable adding their own spin,
adjusting for their personal style of communicating. When pre-
cise language is required for legal reasons, stipulate that clearly.
Otherwise, messages will be far more credible when they can
be refined for local influencers and their audiences.
• Avoid getting lost in the translation. Assuming you already
know which countries require language translation (and who’s
paying for it), make sure you allocate sufficient time for your
local project team contacts to review the translated content
first. After all, only those who really grasp the changes and
related implications can make sure that the translation is
accurate, clear, and preserves the intended meaning. Also
make sure you know which groups need content in the local
language. Not all employees within a given country need a
local translation. As a rule, for U.S.-based corporations doing
business in other countries, the more senior the country team,
the less likely they are to need content in the local language.
• Respect the power of local gatekeepers. The gatekeep-
ers who will be transmitting the messages for local audi-
ences need to be selected with great care. First, they must
be regarded as credible effective communicators in their own
right. To maintain credibility, they need to have an in-depth
knowledge of the project, because they’ll need to field ques-
tions from local audiences in real time. (Simply providing a
set of FAQs to someone who has just a cursory knowledge
of the project won’t cut it.) In addition to understanding the
12 2 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

project inside out, they must be sensitive to the perceptions,

fears, and concerns employees are likely to have regarding the
change ahead. Poll these local gatekeepers well ahead of time
to find out how the project team can best equip them to be
successful communicators of change in their areas.
• Create a flexible communications menu. At a project level,
you may have a core set of communications pieces lined up,
such as e-mail templates, FAQs, PowerPoints (PPTs), arti-
cles, project blogs, and scripts, all modifiable by local con-
tacts. Interview your local change translators or gatekeepers
(who may or may not be the same people) as to what commu-
nication devices are likely to have the greatest impact, given
this change. In some facilities, for example, tent cards and
posters are more effective than e-mail or blogs. In parts of
Europe, miniposters in bathroom stalls are common to grab
people’s attention. A mousepad or mug might be popular in
some places, whereas they may be seen as an expensive turnoff
in others. Weave a global “tapestry” of communications offer-
ings, indicating the best use of each, and let local contacts
assemble the best combination of elements as they see fit.

Invest the time in building trusting relationships with your local

contacts. Find people who can act as reliable change translators and
communications advisors. Earn credibility by seeking out and incor-
porating their ideas into your overall project planning. Take time to
familiarize yourself with the “senders,” or gatekeepers, to find out what
makes them tick. The bottom line is to be prepared to spend time on
the front end of the project to create and cultivate ongoing relation-
ships with trusted local contacts. Otherwise, you’ll need a lot more
time on the back end to deal with the likely resistance, confusion, frus-
tration, and costly delays at the time of launch, and perhaps long after.

7.5 Listening and Learning across the Generations:

Strategic Communications Planning for Better Collaboration

Regardless of their ages, many managers fail to take generational

preferences and styles into account when mobilizing and motivat-
ing their teams. Instead, they develop team norms and operating
 Nav i g atin g ac r o s s C ult ure s 12 3

principles that may run counter to what individual members might

need or value. Although the different generations go by a variety of
names, here we refer to them as Traditionalists (born 1927 to 1945),
Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964), Gen Xers (born between
1965 and 1980), and Gen Yers (born after 1981).
For example, a Boomer manager may insist that all people work
from a central office during typical working hours. However, many
Gen Yers are most productive at 10 p.m., working from the comfort
of home. Some Gen Xers, on the other hand, may need an after-
noon off for family obligations, coming back online later that evening.
Instituting a rigid policy about work hours or locations may leave
some team members feeling alienated, excluded, and ultimately, not
very productive.
Here are some tips co-authored with my colleague Sheryl Lindsell-
Roberts of Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts & Associates to help connect
people from different generations through more targeted communica-
tions. (Please note that although each person deserves to be treated as
a unique individual, making some “best-guesses” about communica-
tion styles and preferences is an important first step toward creating a
team communications plan that works for most.)

• Rethink “normal” work hours. Apart from some govern-

ment offices and banks, the 9-to-5 business day has given way
to more flexible work times and locations, with people work-
ing at all hours from multiple locations. For a team that works
virtually, it’s much harder to find an agreed-upon window for
group meetings, whether face to face, phone, web conference,
or videoconference. A Boomer manager may feel more com-
fortable when all team members convene FTF for the weekly
8 a.m. status meeting. But consider a Gen Xer who is caring
for a family, and needs to battle traffic for 90 minutes to get
there. Or the Gen Yer who insists he is most productive from
11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Many Traditionalists easing their way into
retirement are also demanding more flexible work arrange-
ments. Managers must consider the comfort level and prefer-
ences of all participants when deciding which team meetings
really need to take place FTF and which can be done via con-
ference call or web conference.
12 4 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

• Sharing vital information. When time is of the essence and

you need to get critical information to team members, what’s
the best choice? It depends on a host of factors, including the
likely preferences and habits of members representing dif-
ferent generations. Older generations tend to rely on e-mail,
phone, or FTF as the default, whereas many younger mem-
bers may look to instant messaging, blogs, wikis, or texting as
their primary means of giving and getting important infor-
mation. Consider multiple channels for information-sharing,
especially if you have people with strong preferences for dif-
ferent communication methods. At the same time, make sure
you have an agreed-upon method for sharing urgent infor-
mation, such as news likely to affect the work of the team or
missed deliverables that will trip up others. Keep in mind that
younger generations tend to be natural and eager collabora-
tors, and often do so from a distance as a matter of routine.
• There’s no place like “home.” Create a team portal that’s easy,
quick, and intuitive for members of all generations to use.
Younger generations expect and demand highly efficient web-
sites where needed information takes just one or two key clicks
to find exactly what they need. Otherwise they may tune out
quickly. Older generations may require a bit of prodding to
regard the team portal as the place to go to share and view the
latest and greatest information. If people are slow to gravitate
to your team portal, try pushing out e-mails that contain a sen-
tence or two about what content can be found on the team site,
and refrain from including the actual information in e-mails
so they have more incentive to visit the portal. Constantly seek
feedback from team members representing all generations as
to how the team space can be made even more useful.
• Instant gratification versus patience as a virtue. Younger
workers typically expect responses and information right now,
as evidenced by the surging use of social apps of all kinds,
and the proliferation of text messaging and IM over phone
and e-mail. Waiting a day or two to receive a return e-mail
or voicemail is a nonstarter. Older workers tend to expect a
reply to take a little more time, and likewise may be slower to
respond themselves, especially if they have to wade through a
 Nav i g atin g ac r o s s C ult ure s 12 5

jammed inbox to reply. Create agreed-upon norms for respon-

siveness to certain types of inquiries or issues, and then deter-
mine how best to use specific tools to get the job done. If one
person insists on an IM or a blog update and another prefers
an e-mail, work together to agree on the best ways to meet
as many needs as possible without extraordinary effort from
any one.
• Wide open versus buttoned up. Older workers tend to prize
consistency, predictability, accuracy, good grammar, and
thoroughness in communications. Even the most creative
ideas may be dismissed if such ideas crop up randomly, with-
out context and without a way to prioritize them. After all, if
the ideas don’t lead to something tangible, you’ve just lost a
lot of time! Younger workers, on the other hand, are adept at
brainstorming and collaborating with people who have shared
interests, including total strangers, for the sheer joy of creating
something new and fresh. Social networks enable this type of
spontaneous collaboration that may lead to great new ideas
that may do nothing more than satisfy intellectual curios-
ity. Openness and creativity are especially valued by younger
generations versus playing by prescribed rules of engagement,
which is something their parents may be more prone to do.
• Ramping up and ramping down. People from different gen-
erations have a lot to teach each other, if we create the right
opportunities for knowledge transfer. Many younger people
coming on board bring rich new perspectives, a keen appre-
ciation of how best to apply the right technology tools, and a
passion to learn. They embrace challenges with gusto and are
devoid of the “this-is-the-way-we’ve-always-done-it” mind-
set. Older people, many of whom might be nearing retire-
ment, have accumulated wisdom about the business, industry,
and organization, and know what it takes to operate success-
fully within the enterprise. Two-way mentoring programs,
pairing a younger employee with a more senior counterpart,
afford the opportunity for both to learn from each other. The
result is that new people position themselves for success more
quickly and older workers can leave behind valuable knowl-
edge skills and knowledge for the next generation.
12 6 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

The bottom line is that organizations need to examine the most

s­ ignificant generational differences and determine how best to antici-
pate and address the implications within each work team. The outcome
is high-performing teams that consciously take advantage of genera-
tional differences instead of ignoring or dismissing them.

7.6 Open Communication and Mutual Respect:

Keys to Intergenerational Harmony

With multiple generations working side by side for several years now,
we have learned a lot about the differences most likely to affect the
ability of multigenerational teams to collaborate successfully. Some
organizations have taken this advice to heart and consciously work
to reflect these differences when it comes to selecting and cultivating
teams. Others have dismissed the advice as irrelevant, unimportant,
or simply too overwhelming to do much about.
Most of what’s been written has come from those of us who are
considerably older (and more experienced) than our Gen X and Gen
Y counterparts. Here my colleague Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts and I
sought the perspectives of some of our Gen X and Gen Y colleagues.
After all, for all of the wisdom we older generations think we have
to offer, the Gen X and Y folks of the world have a lot to teach us,
too. Here are observations and advice culled from interviews with our
younger counterparts:
• Take the time to teach us. We know that you have wisdom
we can benefit from, but sometimes we don’t know the best
way to get at it. We know, for example, that a lot of thought
must go into making some of the tough and complex deci-
sions you need to make, but unless we understand the logic
and rationale, we can’t learn from you. Plus, we may not be
happy with some of the decisions you make if we can’t under-
stand why you made them. Ask us for our input. Involve us in
making decisions when it’s appropriate. Find time to spell out
for us the reasons you say and do the things you do so we can
capitalize on your knowledge. And who knows? We may have
ideas of our own that you can use as well.
• Give us the opportunity to teach you. Even though we may
be relatively new to the business world, we have interesting
 Nav i g atin g ac r o s s C ult ure s 12 7

perspectives and fresh ideas to offer. Just ask us. And if you
don’t know how to use instant messaging, or if you feel uncom-
fortable texting, or if you have reservations about using wikis,
blogs, or social networks, we can show you how. We know
that some of you are much more comfortable talking face to
face or using the phone, and we respect your choices. But we
ask you to open your minds to trying new avenues so we can
all feel more confident and comfortable communicating.
• Let’s appreciate each other’s communication styles and
preferences. You have a way of communicating that’s typi-
cally more formal than ours, and we know that this is a qual-
ity we have not mastered. We, on the other hand, tend to favor
quantity over quality, given how many devices we constantly
use to send and receive messages. We are more casual and
familiar, and we like to use cryptic abbreviations, emoticons,
or pop culture expressions as a way to build relationships.
Don’t assume this means we’re immature or disrespectful.
This is simply how we build bridges. If you ask us to be more
thorough or more clear, we may complain that you’re slowing
us down, although we realize that this could be a good thing
at times. Let’s have an open discussion about what styles and
preferences work best and under what conditions. If our busi-
ness requires a certain set of norms we can all agree to, so be
it. But if it’s simply a matter of communication preferences,
let’s respect the fact that each of us has styles and methods
with which we’re comfortable.
• Don’t make distinctions between cultures and classes. We
may not have seen as much of the world as you have, but our
generation doesn’t seem to notice or care as much about the
differences between this culture or demographic and that one.
We’re used to operating in a global arena, and we tend to cre-
ate our own communities of interest that span countries and
cultures. So when you talk about the communication styles or
attitudes of people from this country or that region, we don’t
often experience those differences in our own communica-
tions with people from those areas.
• Tell us what information you need, how you want to receive
it, and why. We are adept at collecting information from a
12 8 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

hundred different sources and putting it all together as fast as

we can. You may complain that our reports seem half-baked
or superficial, and we may feel that your information require-
ments are burdensome and pedantic. If there are good rea-
sons for your requests, such as regulatory requirements or the
need to adhere to standard financial reporting procedures, let
us know. But if these requirements have simply been passed
on as a result of some reporting structure that made sense
20 years ago, let’s work together to create requirements that
make sense for the business today.
• Realize that multitasking is not all bad. In fact, using a bunch
of different communications devices at any given time is a way
of life for us. We are not necessarily being disrespectful when
we don’t focus 100% on a given conversation (although we can
see how you might think we are). It’s just that we’re hardwired
to receive and relay information constantly, and it’s hard for
us to suddenly stop. Why not find ways to put our penchant
for multitasking to good use, such as incorporating a variety of
communication tools into our real-time meetings? If our multi-
tasking is getting in the way, then we ask you to find better ways
to engage us by encouraging our ideas and active participation.
It’s important for all of us to remember that all the “rules” that once
governed the workforce no longer exist. Today there are no rules. The
companies that thrive (not merely survive) are the ones that respect
and harness the potential of today’s rich and diverse multigenerational
workforce. This increases the bottom line, serves customers better,
and makes for a cohesive working environment.

7.7 Summary

One of the most rewarding aspects of being part of a global virtual team
is the rich diversity of perceptions and experiences that different cul-
tures and generations bring to bear. Thanks to an ever-flattening world,
we have opportunities to collaborate and learn from people we may
never meet face to face. The challenge for the virtual leader is to create
a team environment where cultural and demographic differences are
openly discussed and differences are bridged, thereby creating a team
culture that blends and transcends multiple cultures and generations.
 8
Troublesho otin g Tip s
for V irtual Te ams

Let’s face it. All teams run into trouble now and then. Even those
that are humming along beautifully for months at a time can sud-
denly veer off the rails without so much as a warning (or so you
thought at the time). Sometimes the signs are obvious, and team
leaders have time to make effective interventions to head off small
issues before they grow to be debilitating problems. Other times,
the problems are more insidious and nuanced, making them harder
to spot.
For virtual teams, discovering dysfunctions both large and small
can be very tricky, even for the most astute listener. In the absence
of visual cues, team leaders can’t easily tell whether those prolonged
silences from a particular team member are a sign of ennui, frustra-
tion, or simply maniacal multitasking. If a couple of team members
repeatedly fall short of commitments, it’s harder to figure out if there’s
been an innocent misunderstanding, or whether there are more seri-
ous issues at play that need to be discussed. Discovering the existence
of issues from afar is one thing. Successfully addressing them when
working remotely is quite another. In this chapter, we offer tips for
troubleshooting virtual teams when things go awry, either a little or
a lot.

8.1 Six Management Practices That Don’t Cut It in a Virtual World

Managers who have demonstrated impressive leadership skills work-

ing with co-located teams often mistakenly assume that as seasoned
management professionals, they’ll automatically excel working in the
virtual world. In fact, it’s the managers who presume instant com-
petence when moving to a virtual role who struggle the most. That’s
because they have not felt a burning need to seek out new skills,
12 9
13 0 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

erroneously assuming that leading any kind of team pretty much

requires more or less the same skills and time-honored approaches.
If you have been wondering why your own proven management
approaches don’t seem to be hitting the mark with your virtual team,
here’s why, in a virtual world, some “traditional” management tenets
backfire, along with alternatives that will yield better results.

• Don’t trust what you can’t see. Leaders who micromanage

mistakenly believe that the more one checks up on people, the
faster they’ll produce results. Not so in a virtual world, where
this kind of pestering may force team members to pull back or
pull out, many times with no one really noticing. Far better to
pick up the phone or send an e-mail or IM to ask how things
are going, using a friendly and supportive tone. However, do
this sparingly, as people may start to see this show of alleged
concern and support as micromanagement in disguise.
• “Because I said so.” A command and control style rarely
works outside the military in any work environment, but in a
virtual world, it’s a nonstarter. Some managers imagine that
people will be motivated to perform high-quality work just
because their manager declares that they must. Hardly. In a
virtual world, where it’s so much more challenging to ensure
that a team is aligned to work toward shared goals, it’s critical
that everyone buys into the overall goals, business case, and
the context for both their team and their individual contri-
butions. Without such an explicit agreement, team members
may work at cross-purposes, if they work at all; and when the
lack of alignment is finally spotted, it can be too late to pull
them back in.
• Keep important information close to the vest. Think that
holding back vital information will make you more respected
and powerful? Think again. One of the most critical roles of
a virtual team leader is to ensure that people have a way to
share and access the content and knowledge they need to do
their work. In the absence of informal ways of exchanging
ideas and knowledge, virtual teams require multiple channels
and methods for creating, sharing, accessing, and building
on information. Creating a team information architecture is
 T r o ub l e sh o o tin g Tip s f o r Vir t ua l T e a m s 131

ultimately the responsibility of the team leader, with input

from the team. When in doubt, err on the side of enabling
members to access more information rather than less.
• Zero tolerance for mistakes. Making examples of team
members who slip up, miss a deadline, or otherwise disap-
point can create a culture of fear and distrust. Creating an
environment where people feel pressured to appear perfect
may lead team members to hide real problems, fail to surface
critical issues, or pretend to be meeting goals and achieving
deliverables when they’re really not. In a virtual world, it’s
harder to discover what’s going unsaid, because team mem-
bers have few means by which to share what’s really going
on. To foster an environment where honest conversation can
flourish, team leaders must find supportive ways to encour-
age people to acknowledge shortcomings without fear of
retribution.
• Do as I say, not as I do. If you’re a typical manager, you may
arrive at your meetings late, expecting to be caught up on
what you missed. You might then sidetrack the agenda with
unplanned topics as you silently multitask, hoping no one
notices. Yet, when a team member demonstrates this same
behavior, you may show little tolerance. Leaders of virtual
teams must model the kind of behavior that enables real col-
laboration. Otherwise, your team members will start showing
up late, checking out early, and participating halfway, simply
because it’s so easy to do when no one can see you, and when
the boss has set the precedent. Set the standard for the behav-
ior you expect from others. If you must arrive late, apologize
in advance and catch yourself up on the proceedings through
active listening.
• Light a fire under people and they’ll do great work. Many
managers use magical thinking when making unrealistic
demands of their teams; for example, “If I set a really ambi-
tious deadline, people will somehow find more hours in a day
to get the work done on time.” The result, most often, is dam-
aged morale, frustration, erosion of credibility for the team
leader, and ultimately, the inability of the team to deliver
timely work. When deliverables are slipping, sounding alarms
13 2 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

can be difficult and scary for virtual teams, especially when

the leader refuses to back off from a preposterous deadline.
Far better to ask the team what they can deliver by when and
what they need from you and each other. Agree on ways to
track progress and identify gaps so all can quickly discover
impediments that require quick rectification.

8.2 Avoiding the Unintended Consequences of Micromanagement

How do you know that your team members are working as efficiently
and effectively as they could be? How can you be sure they’re really on
target with their committed deliverables? One of the toughest chal-
lenges virtual team leaders face is knowing when to check in or other-
wise intervene, and when to pull back to see what happens.
Without the ability to informally check in, virtual team leaders
often must rely on formal communication channels to be apprised of
deliverables, such as weekly 1:1 check-ins, team status reviews, online
dashboards, and the like. This means that when a team member is in
trouble, it may take an unacceptably long time to find out. On the
other hand, by checking in too frequently with team members, you
may be inadvertently telegraphing signs that you don’t trust them to
follow through on their commitments.
Team leaders who have a habit of micromanagement, however
noble their intentions, tend to have difficulty mobilizing, motivating,
and energizing their team members. What’s more, they tend to cre-
ate a kind of enforced helplessness among team members. Not only
does this require considerably more management time and attention,
but it also prolongs the time in which team members can develop
self-sufficiency. The frequent outcome is that team members cannot
perform to their true capacity, and team leaders become increasingly
frustrated at the neediness of their team members.
Some situations certainly call for more check-ins rather than fewer,
especially if there’s a lot on the line, and you’re not completely comfort-
able that team members are doing what’s needed to achieve agreed-
upon goals. Other situations will be less clear-cut. For example, a new
team member from another country has repeatedly promised some
information that would be nice for the team to have right now, but
it’s probably not essential for their success. You wonder, “Do I check
 T r o ub l e sh o o tin g Tip s f o r Vir t ua l T e a m s 13 3

in yet again, or should I hang back, waiting to see what happens?”

It depends.
Here are some tips to help you decide how best to make sure every-
one’s on track, on target, on schedule, and on board, without having
to become the kind of micromanager that most people prefer to avoid
at every opportunity:

• Gain agreement as to how project updates will be handled.

For example, what level of detail is needed, by whom, and by
when? Will updates be sent to everyone, to just a few, or will
details be posted somewhere instead?
• Discuss under what conditions are certain delays accept-
able, and who needs to be notified when unforeseen cir-
cumstances occur. Will you as team leader always need to be
notified ASAP, or are there some cases where a slight delay in
notification is acceptable?
• Create an environment in which it’s OK to acknowledge
problems or to raise issues that can hamper success. Make
sure team members are not withholding vital project informa-
tion because they fear retribution or criticism for themselves
or their team members, especially in a public forum. If you
punish the bearers of bad news, you’ll find it harder to get any
news at all.
• Verify that the perceived value of creating project updates
justifies the time and effort that may be required to pro-
duce and attend to them. If not, some team members may
put dealing with project updates at the bottom of their prior-
ity list. For example, do all team members have equal access
to the means by which project-related information will be
documented and shared? If so, do they actually have the time
required to plug in and routinely update their data, and do
they have time (or inclination) to read everyone else’s?
• Recognize the importance of an agreed-upon communica-
tions plan. Be sensitive about how team members prefer to
provide and receive information. Although some may agree to
populate a spreadsheet, for example, they may feel more com-
fortable offering verbal updates on weekly calls. (See Chapter
5 for more tips on virtual team communications planning.)
13 4 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

• Be aware of how cultural and language differences may

affect the frequency, content, formality, and timeliness of
communications. “A brief status report sent out early in the
week” may be interpreted a hundred different ways. Notions
of “brief ” will certainly vary, as will “early in the week.” If
specificity and consistency are important, be explicit right up
front, and make sure you have a shared understanding.
• Listen to how people receive your requests for information.
Are their responses increasingly terse? Do they seem pleased
or annoyed that you’re interested? If the latter, ask yourself
why. Better yet, ask them, diplomatically, and encourage
them to give you an open honest response. This is best done
1:1 via phone rather than in writing or on a team call.
• Evaluate whether your requirements for information are
realistic or even necessary. When a team is far flung and
you feel a need to keep vigilant watch over their activities,
consider the impact your requests for information will have
on their morale and workload. Is this request something
you have control of, or is this something that the company
requires? If the latter, explain the reasoning. People may not
like having to get you the needed information any better, but
at least they’ll appreciate that you took the time to provide a
rationale.
• Be conscious of whether you’re assuming the best or the
worst about people, and assess how your actions and atti-
tudes reflect your beliefs. For example, if you believe that
most team members are doing all they can to fulfill their com-
mitments, think about what kind of message you’re sending
by insisting on daily written reports and weekly conference
calls. If you know they’re drowning in work, acknowledge
that fact, express appreciation, and help them to sort priori-
ties if you sense your guidance might be welcome.
• Be flexible at different intervals. Some phases of a team, or a
given project, require more intense, frequent communications
than others. Ask yourself, as well as your team members, at
what point it’s appropriate to declare that “enough is enough.”
Question whose purposes are really being served at any given
time, and be prepared to modify requests accordingly.
 T r o ub l e sh o o tin g Tip s f o r Vir t ua l T e a m s 13 5

When the pressure is high and all eyes are on your team to pull off
some heroic achievements, micromanagement can be a natural ten-
dency. But that management style can be particularly damaging to
virtual teams when trust can be so difficult to create and cultivate, and
so easy to break. If you can thoughtfully balance your desire to keep
tabs on everyone’s work with the need for team members to develop
the kind of confidence and competence they need to establish self-
sufficiency, everyone wins.

8.3 Recognizing and Addressing Signs of Dysfunction

to Avoid Irrecoverable Problems Later

If you’re part of a virtual team, you learn to develop a sixth sense

for knowing when dysfunction has crept in. The signs become clear
over time, even though you can’t see vital body language or hear side
conversations. People start making excuses for missing the weekly
conference calls. Or maybe they don’t even bother to RSVP. When
people do show up, they grunt monosyllabic responses as they pound
away on their keyboards. Conversations that take place are often
stilted and terse, with little real interaction. When people commit
to deliverables, they sometimes renege without warning. When you
try to discover what’s wrong, members politely refute the notion that
anything is awry.
It’s tough enough to lead a dysfunctional team when you can see
the members and speak openly eye to eye. But when you’re leading
a virtual team that’s become disengaged and dispirited, it takes spe-
cial skills and approaches to re-engage and motivate those who have
drifted away. Here are some practical steps virtual team leaders can
take to get team members back on track:

• State your observations with specific examples and express

your concerns. Start by sending an e-mail with a strongly
worded header to implore people to attend the next team
meeting. In your header and in the first few lines of your mes-
sage, state your observations about the team’s behavior. (For
example, “I have noticed that many people have dropped off
our calls. People who attend are not really present. Some of
you are reneging on promises, and others are declining to
13 6 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

pitch in to help others as you used to. As a result, I feel like

the team is falling apart. I am asking that all of you fully
participate in our next meeting so that we can explore the
real issues and decide what we can do to get ourselves back on
track.”) Follow up with a phone call to make sure people have
read your message and plan to attend.
• Listen intently. Once on the call, describe in more detail
the kind of behavior you’re noticing that’s causing the team
to deflate. Leave room for silence and reflection. If no one
responds after a while, ask for validation. Are they seeing
things the same way? Is there something you are not seeing?
You may start by acknowledging some of your own issues
(e.g., you haven’t had enough time to provide thoughtful
feedback to everyone lately, or you have a new manager who
is pulling you in multiple directions). By sharing your own
perspectives, you can encourage others to discuss their own
barriers to participation.
• Create a safe discussion space. Consider opening up an
anonymous conference to precede, augment, or follow up on a
realtime phone discussion. Craft some carefully worded ques-
tions to elicit honest responses without inhibition. Include a
variety of questions such as: on a scale of 1–10, how energized
do you feel to be part of this team today? Or: One of the
toughest challenges I face in fully participating on this team
is   . Or: One of the greatest rewards of being on this team
is   . Providing an avenue for anonymous written com-
ments may help create a level playing field among different
cultural or personality types.
• Crystallize the underlying problems. Your team has iden-
tified the symptoms that are preventing real collaboration.
Now it’s time to name the real problems that are causing the
behavior. You can try doing this on a team call, especially if
your team had demonstrated a high degree of trust for each
other, and for you, in the past. You might also try using a web
conference tool to enable anonymous input, either synchro-
nously or asynchronously. Alternately, you can ask someone
who is not part of your team to interview team members in
confidence. After all, if you are perceived to be the problem,
 T r o ub l e sh o o tin g Tip s f o r Vir t ua l T e a m s 13 7

members will be reticent to say much on a team call regardless

of the vehicle. As a team, set priorities for problem-solving,
starting with problems that have the greatest impact on the
team’s performance.
• Collaborate on the best solutions. Once the team has
developed a deeper understanding about the dysfunctional
behaviors and the underlying problems, it’s time to brain-
storm solutions. Generate ideas for at least a few quick hits
right away, such as arranging a meeting time more conve-
nient to all, or setting up a team portal for easier document
sharing. Tackle the tougher issues next, such as reducing
the amount of rework required when the organization
shifts direction, again, or identifying resources outside the
team who can be tapped to help in certain circumstances.
Document the related actions and responsible people, and
keep the team updated as to your collective progress. Try
using a web conference tool to solicit an impressive array of
ideas in a short time.
• Seek commitments to be part of the change. Elicit from each
team member specific actions he will take to lead to more suc-
cessful collaboration. These commitments should be made to
the entire team. For example, a team member who habitually
skips the weekly team meeting might make a commitment to
be present at least 75% of the time. Or the person who mul-
titasks her way through every call might promise to clear her
desk and calendar and be fully present at future meetings. The
person who says yes to everything but fails to deliver almost
every time might promise to be honest about what he can take
on, and will alert everyone ASAP if he was being unrealistic
about what he could deliver.
• Take the team’s temperature often. If a team has been
allowed to drift apart for any length of time, it may take many
attempts to get them back on course. Find a variety of ways
to check in, both as a team and with individuals. Try a simple
periodic phone call to each member to check in. Or ask for
feedback on a call. You can also try using some sort of online
tool that allows all members to provide a few quick responses,
the results of which can be later shared with the team. Of
13 8 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

course, observing the team’s performance against agreed-

upon measurements may be the best indicator as to whether
the team is collaborating successfully.
• Reach out to disaffected individuals personally. Some peo-
ple will be harder to turn around than others. In some cases,
you may have to let go of those whose behaviors are toxic to
effective remote collaboration. Take the time and energy to
reach out personally with greater frequency for those whose
active participation is vital. Make calls, send e-mails, or meet
them face to face if possible. Express your concern, lend your
support, and provide candid feedback. You want to be honest
about your frustration or disappointment, emphasizing the
impact on the work of the team. At the same time, you need
to praise their knowledge and skills so critical for the team to
achieve its goals.
• Consciously model best practices behavior. Treat team calls
as the most important event on your calendar. Let people know
what’s expected of them in advance. Come prepared with an
agenda and stick to it. Check in to see how people are doing.
Project enthusiasm and energy. Applaud team and individual
achievements both large and small. Make team meetings
engaging and productive. Use technology wisely when it can
accelerate results, elicit needed input, or otherwise increase the
effectiveness and efficiency of each meeting. Respond promptly
to e-mails with insightful information. Admit when you feel
you’re falling short of expectations, and explain why.

The best way to overcome dysfunctional behavior of remote teams

is to nip it in the bud. To do this, you need to develop antennae sen-
sitive enough to alert you to the first sign of trouble. So, if people
have stopped exchanging ideas on calls or if team members are ignor-
ing e-mails from others, check in with the team as soon as possible.
Be direct about what you’re observing, articulate the impact on the
team and its shared goals, and declare what you need to have the
team do as a result. Diagnosing team problems without benefit of
nonverbal behavior is difficult. But applying remedies that can help an
ailing remote team get back on track is harder still. Avoid problems
­altogether by checking in early and often.
 T r o ub l e sh o o tin g Tip s f o r Vir t ua l T e a m s 13 9

8.4 When Your Team Is about to Implode: Watch for Signs, Act Fast

Earlier, we discussed how to develop carefully tuned antennae to

sense when things are going off track. In this section, we’re looking at
a worst-case scenario, where the virtual team leader is blind-sided by a
precipitous collapse of a team, where the leader may not have seen the
warning signs, or simply did not know how and when to intervene,
and with whom.
Many of us who follow the Boston Red Sox may prefer to forget the
Great Collapse of 2011, when they went into an unstoppable tailspin
in the final month of the season, erasing what many thought to be an
unconquerable lead, losing a playoff berth in the final inning of the
final game of regular season play.
Although it’s true that baseball is only a game and that the
2011 Red Sox were just an overpaid underperforming group of play-
ers, I wanted to salvage something positive about their shocking
demise. Specifically, I wanted to get a better grip on how and why a
talented skilled group of players can suddenly stumble into oblivion.
(Notice, please, that I did not refer to the 2011 Red Sox as a team.
They were a collection of individuals who each seemed to speak a dif-
ferent language, play by his own set of rules, and work toward his own
goals. There was no apparent chemistry, cohesion, or collaboration
that are the hallmarks of truly great teams.)
All of us can learn from the following checklist of contributing
factors. For virtual team leaders, the underlying reasons for under­
performance may be much harder to root out, and the interventions
more tricky to apply. The key is to act as soon as the first red flag goes
up, rather than hoping the problems will just go away on their own.
• Creating a team culture. When new players join the team,
they need help becoming immersed in the “local culture.” For
example, each team has its own principles and norms about
socializing, practicing, public behavior, surfacing issues, and
resolving conflicts. Team leaders need to make sure that new
players become assimilated as quickly as possible into the pre-
vailing team culture, which might mean assigning a “buddy”
or two to shepherd them along in the early days. “Ultimately,
you don’t need a team that wants to go out to dinner together,
but you need to have a team that wants to protect each other on
14 0 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

the field and be fiercely loyal to each other,” said n ­ ow-former

Sox manager Terry Francona. “That’s what ultimately is really
important.”
• Seeking superficial harmony instead of facing conflict
­head-on. Some managers try to bolster spirits in the clubhouse
by giving players positive strokes. Confronting underlying issues
directly and encouraging players to speak plainly about their
own performance as well as the team’s allows players to hash out
their differences and shift destructive behaviors. Avoiding con-
flict and tip-toeing around tough issues may feel like the “safe”
thing to do, but it’s actually one of the surest ways to accelerate a
team’s demise once it’s started going in that direction.
• People are not operating from their real strengths. Like a
sports team where some excel at defense or offense or speed
versus strength, each team member brings certain gifts,
experience, talents, and expertise. Add to that, some players
devote more time to honing their skills than others. Leaders
need to provide an environment where people can move out
of their comfort zones, stretch themselves, and excel in brand
new areas, rather than performing merely competently by
executing the same level of performance that they have done
for years. Even if you have a team member who is capable of
greatness, if that person does not exploit her potential, her
contributions will be no greater than, and perhaps even less
than, some of your inexperienced staffers.
• Avoiding accountability. When team members aren’t
accountable for their own actions, they hurt their own per-
formance. But when they duck responsibility for calling out
other team members for their behavior, the performance of
the whole team suffers. For example, if a right fielder knocks
over the center fielder when both try to catch a fly ball, they
both quickly need to agree on a ground rule to prevent catas-
trophe the next time. Similarly, if you have a team norm that
says people who don’t do prework must get caught up on their
own time, everyone needs to call out the transgression when
someone interrupts to ask a question that was covered in the
prework. A close-knit team knows how to hold each other
accountable without rancor.
 T r o ub l e sh o o tin g Tip s f o r Vir t ua l T e a m s 141

• Egos getting in the way. We may cheer when our team outbids
a competitor for a sought-after superstar. But when the celebra-
tion’s over, we know that stardom often brings with it big egos,
the kind that can divide a team and breed resentment. When a
team has multiple stars, whether it’s the deified athlete, a social
marketing whiz kid, or the fair-haired child of the CEO, big
egos can lead to problems that can e­ scalate quickly. Regardless
of the quality and depth of stardom a team may possess, leaders
need to be scrupulous about requiring that everyone be treated
fairly, playing by the same rules, and working toward the same
goals, regardless of stature or salary. Otherwise, power strug-
gles can quickly deplete energy and derail a team.
• You’ve got the wrong players. Half the team might have
exceptional skills in certain areas, whereas other talents are
notably lacking. Some players may have been inherited, some
were invited to join based on past successes, and o­ thers may
have been picked up because no one else claimed them. In
addition to the skills each brings to bear, consider the extent
to which some people like to collaborate and others want only
to pursue individual goals. If you can’t find a way to coax and
cultivate your team’s talent to make the best use of what they
have, and to make up for what they don’t, you’ll have to decide
who stays and who goes. The longer you put off the decision,
the harder it will be to pull together as a team.
• Magical thinking. We all fall prey to irrational optimism,
especially when we have run out of ideas about how to turn
things around. (“If only we can get through this series, we’re
sure to go the rest of the way”; or, “We can overcome our
­project delays if we all work hard and do our best.”) Really?
You think so? This kind of unrealistic hopefulness, although
it might act as a salve at the moment, can actually disable us
from taking any real action to get the team back on course.
It’s true that hope can act as a powerful motivator. But hope
without an accompanying plan for change can keep a team
mired in the muck, unless of course you happen to have the
benefit of a magic wand.
• Negative thinking. It’s one thing to be aware of your
­limitations and have a plan to work around them, but it’s
14 2 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

another to become hobbled by self-doubt. Anyone who

watched the Sox play the last games of the season saw a group
of men who went through the motions, spirits lagging, while
the o­ pposing teams exploited their weaknesses, which had
far less to do with physical problems than collective despair.
Remind team members of the brilliance they’re capable of
and explore ways they can regain their lost luster. Well-placed
honest feedback can do wonders to turn a team around, but
constant ­haranguing will lead to a pervasive negativity that
can’t easily be overcome.
• It’s just no fun anymore. When people dread going to work,
they simply won’t be operating at peak performance. No one
expected the 2004 Red Sox to win their first world ­championship
in 86 years. Throughout the playoffs, they stayed loose, joking
and laughing both on and off the field. As outfielder Johnny
Damon said, “We are just a bunch of idiots, having a great time.”
It’s no coincidence that they became the only team in baseball
history to come from three games behind to win a seven-game
playoff series. When people have fun and like their work,
unhampered by pressure, they aspire to p­ erform their best. Find
ways to make work fun, especially when the pressure is on.

Even the mightiest team can fall apart without apparent warn-
ing. Leaders need to be vigilant about looking for those small telltale
cracks before they become irrevocable fissures that can tear a team
apart. As (now former) Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said
after his team’s epic collapse:

When you go through what we just went through, you can’t look past
anything. You have to take a hard look at every aspect of the organiza-
tion, one’s self included, and ask, “Is this exactly the way we want it to
be? If everything is going right … if we’re exactly who we want to be,
is this element of the organization functioning the way we want it to?”
If the answer’s no, then we have to go out and fix it. And that’s going to
be a very difficult, very painful, painstaking, thorough process. But the
bottom line is we failed.

For virtual leaders the signs of disaffection and dysfunction can be

harder to detect. But at the first sign of discord, whether it’s a sarcastic
 T r o ub l e sh o o tin g Tip s f o r Vir t ua l T e a m s 14 3

tone, an angry word, or a passive-aggressive response, it’s time to

act quickly and decisively. Worst case: you may be overreacting to a
momentary lapse. Best case: you may have helped the team avoid an
irretrievable meltdown with just a few thoughtful interventions.

8.5 How to Disengage Your Virtual Team in 10 Easy Steps

One major challenge that comes up in just about all of my virtual lead-
ership coaching sessions is how to keep virtual team members engaged,
enthusiastic, motivated, and energized. Rather than coming up with a
list of practical tips to keep virtual team members engaged, I decided
to create this list of sure-fire steps virtual leaders can take to disengage
members. If you spot any of your behaviors here, think about what you
can do differently to flip it around and keep team members engaged.

1. Allocate tasks that encourage independence. The less

dependent people are on others, the more likely they’ll be to
get their work done on time. Structure assignments so people
can complete their work on their own. You know how some
of these people just love to chat! Don’t give them any more
reasons than you have to. Once they get on the horn, there’s
no telling how much time they might fritter away.
2. Keep goals fuzzy for greater flexibility. You never want to
be too explicit about team goals, in case you need to change
them in a hurry. Better to give out a slew of tasks and dead-
lines conveying the appropriate sense of urgency, keeping
people so focused on their deliverables that they won’t have
time to figure out how their contributions fit together toward
achieving group goals (if in fact, by some miracle, they do).
After all, it’s much easier to check off items on a task list than
stepping back to see how actions support overall goals.
3. Don’t bother with team norms. People will just ignore them
anyway. And you’ll have the unenviable job of insisting that
everyone live by them. There’s no way you can stop John from
multitasking on team calls, or Mary from sending hourly
e-mails to everyone on the team, or Max from criticizing
everything people have to say, so why even bother? Better to
ignore dysfunctional behavior and hope it goes away of its
14 4 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

own accord, or better yet, hope that someone else on the team
takes care of it for you.
4. Check in with team members early and often. Don’t waste
time asking about how people are doing or what you can help
with. Cut to the chase and ask them when they’ll be done with
their latest assignment. After all, you can’t see how they’re
spending their days, and you want to make sure they’re focused
in all the right places. Use IM, e-mail, phone, text, and any-
thing else you can think of to make sure they know you’re con-
cerned about them (and the state of their projects). Some may
call this micromanaging, but you know you’re just keeping tabs.
5. Dole out important information to certain people first.
Start spreading the news with people to whom you’re closest.
Grab a cup of coffee so you can give them the low-down and
hear what they have to say. Catch the others up when you
have time, maybe at next week’s team meeting, or in your
Monday morning team e-mail. They’ll probably find out the
news from other people first, anyway. They can’t really expect
you to take the time to call each one, can they?
6. Emphasize efficiency and brevity on team calls. Keep meet-
ings super-quick by discouraging questions and dismissing
divergent perspectives. Who’s got time for a real conversa-
tion? Send out overly crammed agendas in advance, so no one
will be tempted to bring up any out-of-bound topics. If people
insist on bringing up issues or questions that you don’t want to
cover, encourage them to send an e-mail instead. (Of course,
you’ll never have time to respond, but they’ll feel better get-
ting it down in writing.)
7. Economize your communications. Your days are busy enough
getting your own work done and catching up with people who
work nearest you. How on earth can your remote team members
expect you to be spending so much time with them? Instead
of getting caught up in time-consuming calls, send e-mails or
IMs. In extreme cases, especially where performance is lagging,
set up a 1:1 meeting to provide needed coaching, but make sure
they know this will be the exception and not the rule.
8. Cancel unnecessary meetings. Most of us need more meet-
ings like a hole in the head, right? If you have team meetings
 T r o ub l e sh o o tin g Tip s f o r Vir t ua l T e a m s 14 5

or 1:1s scheduled, try using e-mail or IMs instead. As a

courtesy, cancel meetings at least an hour in advance, and let
participants know you expect them to use this gift of time
productively. Invite them to call you if they have something
urgent to discuss. Use caller ID to ward off questions that are
likely to be a big time sink for you.
9. Let the big talkers take over. Think of all the work you can
get done while someone else takes over your team meeting. If
some people keep quiet, they either just don’t have anything
to say, or maybe they’re multitasking, too. You don’t want to
pull teeth to force people to speak. It takes way too much
energy. Plus, insisting on hearing from everyone will soak up
too much time. Consider it a blessing that only a couple of
people ever say anything.
10. Take advantage of always-on technology. Every team mem-
ber has a smartphone, courtesy of the company, so it’s only
fair you insist that they use it to get work done. Any time.
From anywhere. With a smartphone, it’s easier than ever for
people to slip away from a family dinner, soccer game, or even
a vacation, to access an important document, join a team call,
or answer an urgent question. Insist that people be accessible
via IM or text around the clock, just in case. After all, work-
ing flexible hours goes both ways.

There are hundreds of ways, large and small, in which virtual team
leaders can alienate their employees without trying very hard. If you
want to engage your team members, take a few of these tips, and try
the converse.

8.6 Summary

Even the strongest teams lose their way once in a while. So do the
most talented team leaders. The successful virtual leader must be vigi-
lant about detecting signs of trouble early (and sometimes often), pay-
ing attention to even the most seemingly innocuous telltale signs. At
the first hint, act quickly and decisively to validate issues, discover
root causes, and then collaborate with your team members to create
solutions that help get people back on track.
 9
S pecial C hallen g es
of Facilitatin g
Virtual M ee tin g s

First, let’s define what we mean by virtual meeting. To start off, just
because some or all participants are remote, a virtual meeting is no less
real than a meeting where everyone participates face to face. So virtual
meeting = real meeting. As such, it deserves every bit of thoughtful
planning and masterful facilitation as a face-to-face (FTF) meeting.
Even if only one person attends remotely, and all others participate via
speakerphone from a conference room, we consider this to be a kind
of virtual meeting that must be designed and facilitated differently
from one where all participants are located together.
“Hybrid” meetings are those where some participants attend
from one location and others join remotely. These can be the most
challenging kind of meetings to get right, as you have to work
hard to create a level playing field when some participants are per-
ceived to have potential advantages associated with being physically
together.
Virtual meetings can be same time (synchronous) or any time
(asynchronous), or a combination of the two. For example, partici-
pants might cover the first agenda item by typing into an asynchro-
nous online conference area, and then convene via phone and web
meeting sometime later, to cover the rest of the agenda. For this book,
“virtual” and “remote” meetings mean the same thing.
A final definition: a meeting is a formal structured event that typi-
cally has a defined purpose, intended outcomes, agenda, particular
participants, and a meeting leader. This is in contrast to chat forums,
social media hangouts, wikis, microblogging feeds, e-mails, IMs, and
the dozens of other ways virtual team members can communicate
outside of regularly scheduled meetings.

147
14 8 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

9.1 What Makes Virtual Meetings So Challenging?

In virtual meetings, when some or all people can’t see each other, the
meeting leader faces a host of challenges when trying to keep conver-
sations focused and people engaged. For starters, people can tune out
invisibly and without notice, leaving the meeting leader to wonder,
“Are people listening? Are they interested in the topic? Do they agree
or oppose? Are they upset? Bored? Are they all doing e-mail? Is this
meeting worth having right now?”
Next, in the absence of nonverbal cues, we have a hard time get-
ting an accurate read on the meaning of one’s tone, cadence, silence,
snickering, throat-clearing, or other audible cues. If we see people
folding their arms and rolling their eyes, we have a pretty good idea
how they’re feeling. When we go only by our ability to listen, we have
to work much harder to decipher cues, which often lend themselves to
misinterpretation.
Because virtual meetings must be kept brief to accommodate
ever-shortening attention spans, meeting leaders are pressured to
achieve objectives in a relatively short time. (And if you think that
a half-day FTF meeting can be replaced by a three-hour v­ irtual
meeting, think again!) This means that everyone must come pre-
pared to jump into a productive conversation from the first moment,
which almost always requires that some kind of prework be done
by all.
Cultural differences can be tough enough to navigate through,
even when people do have nonverbal cues to go by. In virtual
meetings, when our powers of observation are limited to our ears
alone, the opportunities for misunderstandings and frustration
due to c­ultural differences are exponentially greater. When par-
ticipants speak different native languages, meeting leaders need
to allocate more time for conversations. They also need to consider
whether they’ll need to modify their facilitation techniques for a
­multicultural, ­multilingual audience. When global teams span sev-
eral time zones, finding a meeting time that’s convenient for all can
be tricky.
Given that some people regard virtual meetings as “not quite
real,” some teams tend to be more casual about follow-up, including
taking and sending meeting notes, following through on actions, and
 Vir t ua l M ee tin g C h a l l en g e s 14 9

making good on commitments. The frequent result is that much time

is wasted in the subsequent meeting to rehash decisions, actions, and
next steps, especially if more than a week or two has elapsed since the
prior meeting.

9.2 Six Critical Factors for Running Productive Virtual Meetings

My colleague, Julia Young at Facilitate.com, says it best, “The goal

of any successful virtual meeting leader is to facilitate an engaging
conversation around a focused agenda with only the necessary people
who are prepared to accomplish a clear set of outcomes.”
Sounds pretty straightforward, but it can be very tough to
do without a great deal of practice. Julia’s “Six Critical Success
Factors” model (shown in Figure 9.1 and detailed in Table 9.1) pro-
vides a logical, practical framework for thinking about how team
leaders can achieve this goal through a ­v irtual meeting (or series
of meetings). The centerpiece of this model, keeping participants
engaged, is the single most challenging aspect of planning and run-
ning a productive virtual meeting, and it’s the ­element that all the
other success factors must support.

Focused,
Objectives & interactive Essential
agendas
Outcomes Participants

Maintaining
Effective
momentum
use of
between
Keeping technology
meetings
participants
engaged

Time Group
Constraints Building Dynamics
Preparation
trust &
and
social
prework
capital

Figure 9.1 Six critical success factors for virtual meetings. (© Facilitate.com. Reprinted with
permission. All rights reserved.)
15 0 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

Table 9.1 Six Critical Success Factors for Virtual Meetings

• Designing a series of focused agendas. Effective virtual collaboration tends to be done
through a series of short virtual meetings, up to 90 minutes at a time. Prework (i.e., work
done by participants prior to the meeting) is often an essential tool to limit actual meeting
time and ensure that the precious “realtime” spent together is focused and productive. As
we plan our virtual meetings, it is important to determine the level of interaction needed to
meet our objectives, whether they be information sharing, data gathering, idea generation,
problem solving, or decision making. The type and level of interaction needed for each part
of our meeting will, in turn, determine the tools and technology we need to use. Organizing
a virtual team’s work into a series of short meetings enables us to involve only the people
necessary at each stage. Large virtual meetings can be unwieldy and tend toward one-way
communication rather than meaningful interaction and collaboration. A series of short
focused meetings with good communication in between allows us to involve the right mix of
people at the right time.
• Effective use of technology. There are many different kinds of technology available today
for augmenting teleconferences with tools to increase participant engagement and
interaction. As virtual meeting leaders, we need to be aware of the full range of technology
tools available to us and become practiced and proficient in their use. There is no shortcut
here; we need to do the research and hone our skills. We also need to make sure all
participants are equally confident and comfortable in the use of virtual meeting tools.
Low-tech options can work equally well in a virtual meeting as in a FTF meeting. Use a
simple handout if that is all that is needed. First and foremost, we need to create the right
environment for a productive conversation.
• Preparation and prework. There are two important reasons to design prework into our
virtual meetings. The first is to prepare participants to take full advantage of the session by
thinking ahead about the content, formulating ideas, or getting to know others in the group.
Participants who have completed well-thought-out prework assignments are “primed” for
active and open participation in the realtime event. The second is to get ourselves ready to
run the session effectively. By knowing more about our participants and their interests, we
are in a position to develop focused questions that will stimulate ideas and keep
participants engaged.
• Building trust and social capital. Trust and a comfortable level of social or personal
interaction are key ingredients of effective virtual meetings. As meeting leaders, we lose
some of our influence in managing the team dynamics in the absence of physical presence,
and need to find new ways to create a healthy dynamic within the group. We also need to
help create a level playing field among all meeting participants, and need to find ways to
cultivate trust for ourselves and across the team.
• Maintaining momentum between meetings. Transitioning from a FTF event to a series of
short virtual meetings means that we have to work harder to maintain momentum and
motivation between meetings. Meeting leaders must wear many hats at once: project
manager, logistics coordinator, and the social glue that holds the group together. Although
meeting leaders need not take on the full responsibility for maintaining momentum, we do
need to recognize the importance of continued communication and engagement and devise
ways to keep in touch with participants and keep them in touch with each other.
(Continued)
 Vir t ua l M ee tin g C h a l l en g e s 151

Table 9.1 Six Critical Success Factors for Virtual Meetings

• Keeping participants engaged during the virtual meeting. We all know how difficult it is to
stop people from multitasking in a virtual meeting. (Who among us is not guilty of this
ourselves?) As meeting leaders, our ability to keep participants engaged starts well before
everyone is on the call. Each of our critical success factors contributes to maintaining
participant engagement: if we design a short focused meeting, select the right technology,
invite the right people, prepare participants well, attend to the group dynamics by building
trust and social capital, and create momentum with good communications, we’re far more
likely to keep people engaged.
Source: © Facilitate.com. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

9.3 Summary

In the next few chapters, we explore these success factors through the
series of tips that cover planning, design, and facilitation of success-
ful virtual meetings in much more depth. Designing and planning a
great virtual meeting may not be rocket science, but it takes a surpris-
ing amount of thought, trial and error, and plenty of practice to get
it right.
 10
ABC s of D esi g nin g
G re at Virtual M ee tin g s

Bringing people together for face-to-face (FTF) meetings can be

costly, in terms of time, money, and missed opportunities when peo-
ple have to put their “real work” on hold for extended periods of time.
Some people insist that there’s no acceptable substitute for eye-to-eye
contact with people in the same room, especially if a key goal is to
build new relationships or mend broken fences. And although that
may be true in some cases, virtual meetings have become the norm,
especially for global organizations.
That’s why today’s virtual leaders need to “crack the code” for design-
ing, planning, and leading virtual meetings that keep people energized,
actively participating, and focused on the conversation at hand.
In this chapter, we focus on some of the most critical variables to
consider when designing and planning a great virtual meeting. Make
no mistake: planning and leading virtual meetings that are consis-
tently productive and engaging takes creativity, thoughtful planning,
and a lot of practice. We include tips to design “hybrid” meetings,
where some people are physically together and others are remote,
which are especially tough to do well.
First, a word about knowing when to push for FTF meetings over
virtual conversations. Certainly, there are situations when meeting
face to face will be crucial to achieving goals, especially when a high
degree of trust is required among certain members. Consider which
relationships are most important to the team’s overall success, as well
as the quality of existing relationships. In cases where people are heav-
ily dependent on each other for their success and where no trusting
relationships have been created, meeting face to face may be essen-
tial. Or when a subset of the team needs to collaborate intensively to
accomplish a great deal of work in a short time, investing in a FTF
meeting can have a huge payoff.

15 3
15 4 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

If you are wondering whether you can have a successful meeting

by meeting remotely versus speaking eye to eye, Table 10.1 provides
a checklist to help you assess the likelihood of success. If you agree
with most of the statements in the first part of the table, chances are
a FTF meeting will help you achieve your objectives better than a
remote meeting. If, however, your responses suggest that a remote
meeting may be just as effective, consider the questions in the second
part of the table as you make your plans. If you answer “yes” to most
questions in the second part, then with good planning and clear com-
munications, chances are you will have a successful remote meeting.
When requesting a FTF meeting, be sure to make a persuasive
business case, quantifying expected results both with and without
the meeting. Also consider how videoconferencing can help achieve
some of these objectives, especially if you have access to high-quality
“telepresence” videoconferencing solutions where participants feel
as though they are all physically present. Not all videoconferencing
capabilities are created equal, and some systems may actually interfere
with collaboration, rather than enabling it.

10.1 Creating a Realistic Agenda for a Productive Virtual Meeting

When planning a virtual meeting agenda, a few rules almost always

apply:

• Aim to go no more than 90 minutes, even when you’re con-

vinced that your meeting will be completely captivating for
all participants. Two hours is the maximum recommended
virtual meeting time, and only if you absolutely must.
• Because most people are hard-wired to multitask these days
(even meeting leaders!), think about how you can design
a meeting where “multitasking on task” plays a central role.
That is, capitalize on participants’ predilection for juggling mul-
tiple tasks by embedding various kinds of multitasking into the
conversation. For example, I like to set up online flipcharts for
brainstorming ideas or problem-solving solutions. Participants
can type in responses within a few minutes, and then we can
discuss ideas as a group. Thus, I am giving participants some-
thing useful and topical to do with their itchy fingers, which
might otherwise be typing up e-mails or ­surfing the web.
Table 10.1 Meeting Face to Face or Remotely: Evaluating the Options
STRONGLY STRONGLY
AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE DISAGREE
1. If we achieve our intended outcomes, we have a lot to gain. If we don’t, we have a lot to lose.
It’s critical that we’re successful.
2. We have a great sense of urgency to achieve our goals. Time is of the essence. Delays are
unacceptable.
3. A high degree of trust among team members is critical if we are to meet our objectives.
4. In-depth conversations are necessary for us to make well-informed decisions and reach
agreement.
5. Topics of discussion are likely to be contentious or may cause conflict or evoke emotion.
6. Tapping the enthusiasm and energy of all participants will be important for us to achieve
our goals.
7. It is unlikely we can achieve our objectives over a series of several brief meetings.
8. Creative brainstorming and problem-solving will occupy much of our meeting time.
9. It’s critical that we test understanding, validate assumptions, and clarify expectations.
10. Key participants represent a variety of cultures and time zones.
11. Not all participants have equal access or comfort with technology used for meeting remotely.
12. The cost for failing to achieve our objectives is likely to exceed the costs for assembling
participants face to face.
A B C s o f D e si g nin g G re at Vir t ua l M ee tin g s

(Continued)
15 5
 15 6

Table 10.1 (Continued) Meeting Face to Face or Remotely: Evaluating the Options
PLANNING FOR A SUCCESSFUL REMOTE MEETING
1. Are participants likely to stay focused on the work if we meet remotely? Yes No
2. Do we have access to facilitators who are skilled in planning and running remote meetings? Yes No
3. Is it possible to carve up the agenda into smaller “chunks” and still achieve the desired results? Yes No
4. Can some of the work we would ordinarily do face to face be accomplished either before or after the meeting instead? Yes No
5. Are participants likely to pay attention to prework and advance reading that may be necessary if we run the meeting remotely? Yes No
6. Do most participants know each other and work well together? Yes No
7. Are most participants accustomed to working in a distributed fashion already? Yes No
8. Have we considered ways to follow up, maintain momentum, and track progress remotely? Yes No
Source: Created by Nancy Settle-Murphy of Guided Insights, and Penny Pullan of Making Projects Work Ltd. Reprinted with permission.
L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s
 A B C s o f D e si g nin g G re at Vir t ua l M ee tin g s 15 7

• Plan for 80% active participation and no more than 20%

passive participation. That is, design your virtual meeting
so that people are actively engaged in conversation about 4/5
of the time, and in listening mode only 1/5 of the time. (Yes,
that means posting those lengthy presentations or documents
for review in advance of your meeting, leaving precious meet-
ing time for active conversations vs. one-way monologues.)
• Assume some kind of prework or prep will be needed by all
participants. Virtual meetings have to be kept brief to ward
away the tendency to multitask; therefore, we need to make sure
that all participants come to the virtual table ready, w
­ illing, and
able to contribute from the first minute. This means that all par-
ticipants need more or less the same level of knowledge or back-
ground information about the topic at hand. This almost always
means that some type of prereading or prework is required.
Here are more tips to keep in mind when creating your virtual
meeting agenda:
• Break down your objectives into manageable bites. Most
meetings have multiple objectives. Say, for example, you had
planned a three-day project team kickoff meeting intended to
build new relationships among participants, reach agreement
on the project scope, clarify roles and responsibilities, cre-
ate a shared team communications plan, brainstorm the top
issues facing your division, agree on priorities, and map out
an action plan. Each of these objectives can probably be met
in ways that do not require any FTF meetings by all (or most)
team members. Create a three-column table with objectives
down the left side, one per row. Next to each objective, list
participants who need to be involved in the middle column,
signifying the nature of their involvement (e.g., provider of
input, decision maker, idea g­ enerator, approver, etc.). Finally,
in the right column, list possible ways to achieve each objec-
tive. Compartmentalization of meeting objectives is the first
step to designing workable virtual options.
• Be realistic about what conversations need to take place,
and by whom. You can’t expect to cram an agenda meant for
a three-day FTF meeting into a two-hour virtual meeting.
15 8 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

Consider which objectives require real-time conversations

and which can be achieved in other ways, such as via e-mail
or chat forums. Also think through the type of conversations
that are needed. For example, are healthy debates required to
reach a decision? Do people need to spend time brainstorm-
ing a solution? Some conversations take longer than others.
Make sure you aren’t trying to accomplish too much.
• Work with the time you really have. Consider time across
several dimensions. First, how soon does the team need to
deliver results? Is two weeks from now too late? Will par-
tial results within a week be acceptable? Second, how much
time are participants willing to give? Will they allocate time
for preparation and participation in three 90-minute work-
ing sessions over the next 10 days, or are they more likely to
set aside time over the course of a single day? As you divide
objectives into manageable chunks, consider how much total
time you’re asking of each participant, and set expectations
right up front.
• Create and communicate clear objectives, both in advance
of the meeting and at the start. Test for shared understand-
ing to make sure you’re all in sync. Allocate sufficient time
to do this, especially if the topics are likely to be complex,
contentious, or sensitive. Although you may accept modifica-
tions, resist attempts to overhaul or add to objectives. After
all, you’ve created an agenda and invited exactly the right
people for the original objectives. “Park” any other objectives
for the end of the meeting, when you can agree how best to
handle them. Be prepared to refer to objectives frequently as a
way to keep conversations focused.

See Table 10.2 for a template of prework communications.

10.2 Selecting the Right Participants

One reason so many virtual meeting participants tend to multitask is

that they really don’t need to be there. (And who can be faulted for
multitasking when most of the meeting is irrelevant and uninteresting
to them?)
 A B C s o f D e si g nin g G re at Vir t ua l M ee tin g s 15 9

Table 10.2 Virtual Meeting Prework Communications Plan Template

MEETING:
DATE/TIME:
TELECONFERENCE # AND PASSCODE:
ONLINE ACCESS: HTTP://__
FORMAT (E-MAIL,
TIMELINE COMMUNICATION PHONE, IN PERSON)
A Announcement/invitation to attend
Purpose and outcomes
Date and time
Who should attend/why you should attend
Expectations for participation including prework
Requests for response
Contact information for questions
B Prework instructions
Reading attachments
Online prework steps and log-on information
Connections with other participants
Deadlines
Requests for confirmation
C Calendar appointment
Date and time
Reminder alert for meeting and prework
Teleconference access information
Online meeting tools log-on information
D Meeting reminder
Purpose and outcomes
Date and time
Agenda
Ground rules
Request for confirmation/cancellation
Contact information for questions

PARTICIPANT A B C D PARTICIPANT A B C D
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Source: © Facilitate.com. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
16 0 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

Another reason to think carefully about who needs to participate,

and when, is that it’s nearly impossible to have an interactive conversa-
tion with more than a few people at a time. For many team leaders,
it’s easier just to invite everyone than it is to think through which
people really need to be there. In addition, team leaders are reluctant
to convey a message to some team members that their participation is
not wanted or needed. So rather than providing a rationale for select-
ing some participants and not others, many team leaders take the easy
way out and open all meetings to everyone, which can have many
unintended consequences, and few of them positive.
Here are some tips for selecting the right participants for the kind
of conversation your team needs to have:

• Consider who really needs to be involved and in what way.

Does the entire team really need to be involved in every single
activity or conversation? Or is it possible for a subset of peo-
ple to tackle some of these objectives, such as brainstorming
solutions to top issues or mapping out a section of the over-
all action plan? Ask yourself who needs to provide input or
feedback before or after a meeting, and who really needs to
be involved in the actual conversation at the same time. For
example, people can post ideas in a virtual conference room,
on a team blog, or even via e-mail in advance of, or after, a
real-time meeting. Interviews can also help unearth valuable
perspectives in advance or afterwards.
• Try having some people join for just the portion of the con-
versation that most directly affects them, as long as partial
participation does not disrupt the flow of the entire meeting.
In any event, let everyone know how much you appreciate
how valuable their time is, so some don’t feel put off when
they are not invited.
• Consider time zones, native language, and relationship to
other team members when determining who should be involved
in which conversation. In many cases, conversations among a
subgroup can be an effective way to make rapid progress.
• Make sure the meeting is relevant for everyone. Maybe
some people can join only at critical junctures, freeing them
to focus on other pressing work. Perhaps not everybody needs
 A B C s o f D e si g nin g G re at Vir t ua l M ee tin g s 161

to participate, or can catch up on decisions via a postmeeting

summary. The smaller the group, the more that people will
feel their voices are really heard, giving them a greater incen-
tive to pay attention. As the number of people who partici-
pate on the periphery goes up, so does the likelihood of their
“wandering off” to tend to other things.

10.3 “Rightsizing” Your Virtual Meeting Depending

on Objectives and Group Size

The design of your virtual meeting will rely heavily on a number of

variables. A key factor is the number of participants. For example, you
can’t expect to have a truly interactive conversation with 150 people,
or even 20 people, especially if you are relying solely on an audiocon-
ference to connect those participants in real time. You can, however,
expect to have rich conversations if you keep the number of active
participants to 10 or fewer. See Table 10.3.
On the flip side, if your virtual meeting needs to involve dozens
or hundreds of participants, such as when a major new organiza-
tional change will be presented, then your virtual meeting needs to
somehow accommodate Q&As without disrupting the flow of the
real-time presentation.

10.4 Selecting the Right Combination of Technology

Tools for the Highest Level of Engagement

If your organization is like most others, you have a host of virtual

collaboration tools at your disposal. For example, you probably have
at least one web meeting tool that most people tend to use. (Or you
may have one “sanctioned” web meeting tool, and others that people
might bring in from time to time, with or without IT approval.) Some
of your virtual collaboration tools may allow for asynchronous partici-
pation, such as chat forums or web portals, whereas others might be
better suited to real-time communications.
How best to combine technology tools for the most engaging vir-
tual meeting experience? That depends on a host of factors, starting
with your objectives. To what degree is real-time interaction impor-
tant? How many people do we need to hear from, and at what point?
How can we use asynchronous participation for those in different
16 2 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

Table 10.3 Tailoring the Interactive Experience to the Size of Your Group
A virtual meeting gives you the opportunity to increase the number of people who can participate.
Your meeting objectives will determine the optimal group size. In turn, the group size will affect
your meeting design. In general, the smaller the group is, the greater the opportunity for
personal interaction and sharing among the participants, and the larger the group, the less
personal the experience.
Creative use of technology and facilitation techniques, however, can maximize the opportunities
for interactivity even in larger groups. An ongoing series of project meetings or team conference
calls offer more opportunities for connection and depth than a one-time event.
• Mini-meetings/webinars: 5–10 people. These are characterized by a conversational tone
and the feeling of sitting around a table with everyone having airtime. There is the
opportunity to get to know each other and build social capital that can lead to sharing of
personal stories and experiences in a trustworthy environment. Many FTF activities are
adaptable to this size group.
• Small meetings/webinars: 10–25 people. These are characterized by limited airtime for all
participants. Web collaboration tools allow everyone to get ideas down quickly on a shared
online flipchart to stimulate and focus the discussion. Use voting tools to facilitate the
quick collection of priorities, help groups move toward consensus, and confirm agreement
with decisions. Share materials ahead of time for more interactive discussions.
• Medium-sized meetings/webinars: 25–50 people. Here, the connection with and between
participants is more distant and less personal. Web collaboration tools are critical for a high
level of interaction and to keep people engaged. Guest speakers help focus discussion and
create interesting debriefings on group input. Meetings and webinars of this size require
tightly facilitated Q&A; online chat or brainstorming tools can capture questions for a
moderator to paraphrase.
• Large meetings/webinars: 50–150 people. Panel discussions keep audio conversation
lively while collecting comments back and forth between participants on a shared online
flipchart. Deliberative polling (pre- and post-) focuses participant attention on the key
issues and illustrates changes in ideas over the course of the webinar. Capture group
comments online for a documented takeaway. Use teleconference services for breakout
group discussions.
Source: © Facilitate.com. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

time zones? How can we set up prework in such a way that all can
respond to and view questions in advance, before the actual meeting,
to make for a more productive real-time meeting?
Here are some guidelines to help you narrow down your choices.
Regardless of the specific tools you use, consider only those tools that
are accessible to all participants, and comfortable for them to use.
Depending on your goals and budget, you may also consider buying
or licensing a tool for a particular meeting.

• Make it easy for people to participate at a time and place

convenient for them. One of the great benefits of meeting vir-
tually is that more people can participate with relatively little
 A B C s o f D e si g nin g G re at Vir t ua l M ee tin g s 16 3

effort and at practically no cost. Consider how you can use

asynchronous means, such as setting up a virtual conference
room with electronic flipcharts, to hear input from those who
won’t be participating via conference call, given time zone dif-
ferences, language barriers, or role. You’ll save precious phone
time by coming to the virtual table with top issues or proposed
solutions in hand for discussion. You can use the same virtual
conference room later on by inviting feedback, posting minutes
or other meeting documents, or asking people to build on ideas
generated during the call. Use the same web meeting tool for
the actual meeting as you do for any asynchronous work, so
people have had a chance to try it on their own before the call.
• Provide multiple communication paths to generate more
ideas from more people. Using the telephone alone places
unnecessary constraints on a group’s ability to generate ideas
or solve problems, especially given how brief a virtual meeting
must be to keep people actively engaged. Try using web meet-
ing or conferencing tools that enable people to enter ideas for
all to see and build on during verbal discussions. Tools that
allow participants to prioritize and vote are especially helpful
when time is of the essence.
• Enabling anonymous contributions can help reduce bar-
riers to participation, especially if topics are contentious or
participants are reticent to speak openly due to fear, shyness,
or language differences. Find out what meeting tools your
organization already has in place, and determine whether
they have the capabilities you need. If not, such tools can be
licensed, purchased, or rented per event. Some require down-
loads and others simply require Internet access. When evalu-
ating the cost, consider how much time you may be able to
save, given the hourly cost of participants’ time, as well the
value that can be gained by accelerating results.
• Use meeting technology only when it can accelerate and
improve results. In some cases, an audioconference alone might
be sufficient, especially where the key objective involves relay-
ing information to others. However, if you must solicit multiple
opinions, generate new ideas or make complex decisions, using a
web collaboration technology in conjunction with simultaneous
16 4 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

audio can produce dramatic results. In general, the more you

can design your session to take advantage of the right technol-
ogy, the less time you’ll need. Know when the use of certain
kinds of tech tools are overkill and may actually inhibit the kind
of free-flowing conversation your team may need.
• Create a level technology playing field. If you’re using any
tech tools in addition to the phone, make sure that everyone is
proficient in the use of given functions. Getting everyone up
to speed at the start of a call can eat up several precious min-
utes very quickly. Have people practice the tool first in a low-
risk way. For example, set up an online conference in advance
of the meeting, where people have a chance to experiment on
their own time. Invite people to call in 10 minutes early if they
want some assisted practice before the meeting begins. Above
all, refrain from using all possible bells and whistles, unless
there’s good reason, because it can be confusing for others and
tough for you to manage, unless you’re lucky enough to have
a production assistant.
• Be sure to have a back-up plan in the event of glitches.
For example, you may want to push slides and documents
out in advance of the meeting in case people are unable to
access and download during the meeting. (This can happen
for just one or two people, or for everyone.) If bandwidth
differences enable some people to fully contribute and oth-
ers to be delayed or shut out, consider what workarounds are
viable. In an extreme case, you may need to reschedule the
meeting if the technical problem appears to be temporary.
Or you might try reading some content out loud for those
who can’t easily access the real-time content as it’s created, or
ask them to voice their opinions, and offer to type them into
the virtual meeting area. (See Chapter 12 for virtual meeting
troubleshooting tips.)

Technology can be a virtual meeting planner’s best friend and, at

times, our worst nightmare. Before you choose your set of collabora-
tion and meeting tools, be clear as to how each tool can enable and
support participants in achieving meeting goals. Design the meeting
according to your key objectives, and then select the combination of
 A B C s o f D e si g nin g G re at Vir t ua l M ee tin g s 16 5

technologies that can best support your goals. Don’t let the capabili-
ties and functions of your web meeting tools constrain your ability to
achieve your meeting objectives. Instead, start with your objectives
and figure out how and when to use certain tools accordingly.

10.5 Making Prework Work

Virtual meetings, whether via videoconference, conference call, web

meeting, or some combination, must remain focused and relatively
brief if you hope to keep everyone from diverting energy and attention
to e-mail or other fire drills that compete for attention. To ensure a
sharply focused meeting, people must come fully prepared to contrib-
ute from the first minute. That means sharing and reviewing docu-
ments, including slide sets, in advance. (After all, nothing shouts
“time to read e-mail” like a long-winded presentation!)
Here are some tips for helping ensure that everyone comes ready to
fully contribute at your next virtual meeting:

• Give people a reasonable amount of time to prepare.

Establish conventions and ground rules to support thorough
preparation by all. Examples include: preparation work must be
able to be completed in no more than 90 minutes. Documents
must be available for review at least three business days prior
to the call. All documents will be available for viewing on the
team’s SharePoint directory in a place clearly labeled with the
meeting date. Participants who enter the meeting unprepared
will have to catch up on their own time. Make sure to enforce
ground rules equally for all, regardless of role.
• Insist on planning and prework from all participants.
Especially when objectives are ambitious and the sense of
urgency is great, participants will need to invest time prepar-
ing for a productive conversation. What can be sent ahead of
time for review and comment? How can you poll the group for
input in advance? What homework can you assign to sharpen
the focus? Think about how you can create a level playing field
in advance, enabling participants to launch right into a great
conversation. Consider enlisting the aid of a senior executive
if you suspect prework might be a tough sell.
16 6 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

• Be specific about the type and amount of prep work required

when you send out your meeting details, and be realistic
about how much time people are really likely to spend. For a
two-hour call, you might realistically expect about an hour of
prework. For a longer meeting, you can probably ask people to
invest more time in preparation.
• If you want people to do prep work, post or send content at
least a few working days ahead of time. Ask people to take
a specific action as they prepare; for example, “Review the
proposed budget and identify three places your team can cut
expenses in the next three months” or “After reviewing com-
petitors’ data, be prepared to name the two areas we should
be most worried about, with suggested ways to address them.”

Table 10.4 (from Facilitate.com) provides several tips for making

prework more compelling. Preparation and prework are needed, to

Table 10.4 Tips to Help Make Prework More Compelling

• Provide incentives. Offering a meaningful reward to those who complete their prework first
(or on time) is an effective way to communicate that the prework has extrinsic as well as
intrinsic value. Incentives can be fun and may help build a sense of team cohesion. Peer
pressure to complete tasks on time can be more effective than reminders from the meeting
facilitator.
• Implement accountability. Establish an explicit contract between you and your participants.
Agree that you will design meaningful prework and deliver a session that meets stated
objectives, and that they will come prepared to participate fully. How you do this depends on the
type of session and group. You can’t use the same techniques for an information-sharing
meeting with a group of colleagues as you would for a senior management team.
• Establish consequences for not completing the prework. This can include disinviting
participants after several unmet reminders or allowing them to “deselect” themselves from the
session voluntarily. If this approach isn’t appropriate for the group, you may need to ratchet
down the objectives of the session, if people are not likely to come well prepared.
• Whatever the consequences, be sure to communicate them early and clearly. For groups
that are meeting for one time, explain the prework requirement from the beginning and ask for
acknowledgment as part of the registration process. For teams that meet frequently, initiate a
conversation about prework agreements to help ensure meetings are productive. Revisit how
well this is working and let the team manage the consequences for themselves.
• Develop and execute a communication plan. Preparing a communication plan for the
prework is worth the effort for two good reasons. First, it is the vehicle for communicating
the value, urgency, incentives, and consequences of doing the prework. Second, time spent
in advance, building personal connections, is enormously valuable in creating a trustworthy,
supportive team environment that enables true sharing and honest interaction. A bit of
advance phone and e-mail work will pay big dividends.
Source: © Facilitate.com. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
 A B C s o f D e si g nin g G re at Vir t ua l M ee tin g s 16 7

at least some extent, by all participants, regardless of the roles they

play. The majority of meeting participants may need to review a report
and submit a few questions in advance, as an example. Subject mat-
ter experts or presenters may need to come to the virtual table with
specific content, such as answers to questions submitted in advance,
or a graphical depiction of a new service model. An executive sponsor
might need to be prepared to deliver a rousing three-minute pep talk
at the beginning of a kickoff meeting, or a sober commitment to fol-
low through on actions at the wrapup.

10.6 Importance of Thorough Preparation for Virtual Meeting Leaders

The meeting leader, of course, needs the most extensive preparation of

all. Inasmuch as virtual meetings must be kept deliberately brief, with
competing priorities beckoning participants bent on multitasking,
given the opportunity, the virtual meeting leader can leave nothing to
chance. All aspects of planning and facilitating virtual meetings must
be exceptionally well orchestrated.
Table 10.5 is an example of a premeeting checklist created by
Facilitate.com for virtual meeting leaders. Create your own premeet-
ing list with the details that make the most sense to you and your
team. For example, you may want to include URLs and other point-
ers to let participants know where they can access content to review
in advance. You also may want to specify who’s taking notes, who’s
facilitating the conversation, and who’s keeping time for any given
meeting, to make sure there are no surprises.
You may also want to identify “exclusions” (i.e., what this meeting is
not about), to minimize opportunities for a last-minute disconnect,
which can quickly derail a virtual meeting before it has a chance to get
off the ground. For example, let’s say the primary goal of the meeting
is to agree on a new stakeholder communications plan in advance of a
major new IT rollout. You may want to specify, in advance, that certain
conversations will be excluded, or out of scope, such as detailed project
planning, discussions about personalities and politics, or budget requests.
It’s also helpful to mention assumptions in the meeting document
you send in advance, asking people to take note and let you know
if they have different ideas. This way, you stand a better chance of
starting your virtual meeting with everyone on the same page at the
16 8 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

Table 10.5 Planning a Virtual Meeting—Checklist

• What is the primary purpose of this meeting?
• What are our desired outcomes, tangible and intangible? Which are the most important?
• What decisions or action items do we need to walk away with?
• What can we expect to be completed in 60 minutes or 90 minutes of allotted time?
• What do we need to let go or do at another time?
• How would I plan my agenda if this were a face-to-face meeting?
• How might we organize our conversation or activities into 15-minute segments?
• What level of participant interaction is important to each activity?
• What can we do asynchronously? What needs to be realtime?
• How can we limit the amount of information sharing during the meeting to maximize the
amount of participant engagement and interaction?
• How might breakout groups or side conversations support participant engagement?
• Who needs to be involved at each step?
• Who can provide information ahead of time?
• Who needs to be informed afterwards?
• How can I best prepare participants?
• What technology will best support each step of the process? What’s available?
• What handouts and worksheets will facilitate participant engagement and understanding?
• What materials can we send out in advance?
• What obstacles can I anticipate? How can I address these?
• What role do I need the client or sponsor to play?
• How much time will it take me to coordinate this meeting or series of meetings?
• What additional help do I need?
• Will this virtual process meet our objectives? What do I need to renegotiate?
• How will I evaluate the effectiveness of this meeting?
Source: © Facilitate.com. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

outset. Using the example of a stakeholder communications plan in

support of a new IT rollout, assumptions you may identify include
• All employees throughout the organization will be affected by
this rollout, some more than others.
• We will pilot the new application in Singapore, Malaysia, and
the Philippines from July 1 through July 31, with full-scale
rollout to take place September 1 through January 31.
• Stakeholder types will vary by region, function, and organi-
zation.
• Some stakeholders are more important, and will be given
more time and attention, than others.
• We will focus our meeting on the top three stakeholders, as
agreed to by meeting participants in our premeeting poll.
 A B C s o f D e si g nin g G re at Vir t ua l M ee tin g s 16 9

10.7 Creating a Realistic Virtual Meeting Agenda

Start by knowing the kind of conversation you need to have. For

example, is this a weekly status report meeting, where people will
each provide a brief update and surface any outstanding issues? In this
case, your agenda might be straightforward and easy to plot out. Or
perhaps team members need to hash out some tough decisions that
may be weighed down by heavy emotional content, which will require
considerably more time, and perhaps multiple conversations. Think
through what kind of conversations are needed, how they’re likely to
go, who needs to participate, and how easy or difficult it might be for
you to manage the conversation successfully within the allotted time.
Also consider how many people will be part of the conversation, how
well they know and like each other, the extent to which they’re likely to
be in sync, as well as language and culture differences. Make sure to set
aside at least a few minutes for welcoming people and reviewing objec-
tives, ground rules, assumptions, and exclusions as needed. Likewise,
make sure to leave at least five to ten minutes for wrap-up, summary,
and next steps. See Table 10.6 for a virtual meeting template.

Table 10.6 Virtual Meeting Template

PURPOSE:

OUTCOMES: PARTICIPANTS:

DATE/TIME:

TELECONFERENCE # AND PASSCODE:

ONLINE ACCESS: HTTP://     

TIME (MIN) AGENDA ITEM ACTIVE/INACTIVE

5 Getting Started Preparation:
15 Preparation:
Engagement:
15 Preparation:
Engagement:
15 Preparation:
Engagement:
10 Wrapping up—Next Steps Action Items:
Source: © Facilitate.com. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
17 0 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

10.8 Tips for Designing a Successful Hybrid Meeting

A hybrid meeting is one where some people join from a conference

room or someone’s office and the rest join remotely from wherever
they work. Remote participants often feel alienated or ignored, espe-
cially when they are in the minority. If it’s absolutely essential for
people to participate together from one location while others remain
remote, here are some tips to consider for creating a more satisfying
meeting experience for everyone:

• Be sure the virtual participants can be heard. Use a good-

quality speakerphone, making sure it is well positioned and
away from distracting table noises for people who call in.
Make sure speakers are centrally placed. Test audio capability
at the start of the call so you can calibrate whether in-person
participants need to shift location when they speak.
• Pay attention to making the virtual participants feel
“­present.” Try using a visual reminder of phone participants.
For example, make a large tent card with the virtual partici-
pants’ names and, ideally, their photos. Place them around
the table, or around the phone, and make sure they can be
seen by all. You can also try tying a balloon to the phone as
a reminder that there are participants on the other end of the
phone. When going around the room to ask for opinions or
ideas, start with those on the phone to make sure you don’t
inadvertently leave them behind.
• Compensate for nonverbal cues. Ask all FTF participants
to describe any activities that cannot be guessed at without
visual cues such as writing on a flipchart, drawing a picture,
or underlining important words on a flipchart. Make sure that
you describe out loud any observations that convey important
nonverbal communication, such as “Everyone is nodding” or
“People are rolling their eyes.”
• Make sure that productive virtual participation does not
depend on people seeing what is happening in the room,
unless you plan to use high-quality videoconferencing or some
other means of “sight.” For example, if people in the room are
engaged in creating some type of graphics, you might send
 A B C s o f D e si g nin g G re at Vir t ua l M ee tin g s 171

a photo file to virtual participants when they join the call, so

you can all be seeing the same thing at the same time.
• Limit the time that phone participants must spend in any
given hybrid meeting. Invite them to participate only at critical
junctures, such as to give input at the start of the call, review the
output of the group at the end, or to provide important perspec-
tives related to a particular topic. It’s unfair to everyone if virtual
phone participants are left hanging for hours with little to do.

Here are some ideas for creating a level playing field in hybrid
meetings:

• Ask people in the room to say their names before speaking.

People on the phone should do the same. Exceptions: People
with distinctive voices or accents, or people with whom every-
one on the call is familiar probably won’t need to state their
names.
• Try taking a digital picture of people in the room and send-
ing to all virtual participants, so they have a clearer picture
of what (and whom) they’re missing. Ask virtual callers to do
the same.
• Better yet: Ask someone to create a quick slide with an oval
in the middle to represent a table with photos of people and
their names scattered around the table. Suggest that people
keep a printout of this slide in plain sight during all calls, to
create a stronger sense of team.
• Eliminate side conversations, which are distracting and
discourteous to those trying to follow the conversation. This
applies both to people in the room and on the phone. If you
must have a sidebar, mute the phone briefly. Don’t make this
a practice, however, or you risk having others feel that they’re
being left out.
• If participants in the room take a break, make sure people
on the phone know exactly how much time they have before
the meeting resumes. You may want to mute the conference
room phone until all participants are back. If people are late
coming back into the room, let your phone participants know
how much extra time they can take.
17 2 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

• Mute selectively. If some participants insist they must join the

meeting via phone, despite the fact they don’t have an obvious
role, consider permitting them to listen in only, keeping the
phone mute. (Of course, all on the call will need to know who’s
on the line, even if they remain entirely in listening mode.)

10.9 Setting and Enforcing Virtual Meeting Ground Rules

Ground rules, when enforced, help to keep meetings focused, on time,

and on track. Virtual meetings, although they may share some ground
rules with their FTF counterparts, have some unique variations. Here
are some sample ground rules that may apply equally well for both
FTF and virtual meetings. Consider which ones will be most impor-
tant to live by when planning and running your own virtual meetings.
Remember: once agreed to, ground rules should remain fairly stable
for any given group. At the same time, participants should be flexible
when certain ground rules don’t fit a p
­ articular situation.

• 100% participation: Everyone will stay focused on the con-

versation at hand and will avoid multitasking. This means
putting aside any potential distractions and minimizing
opportunities for disruptions during the meetings (e.g., close
down all other apps, clear the pile of papers off your desk, and
take one more minute to send that last burning e-mail).
• No mute: Keep yourself off mute, unless you’re in an air-
port, call center, or otherwise have ambient noise. Staying off
mute has a way of encouraging conversation and dissuading
multitasking.
• Identification: Say your name before speaking, unless every-
one knows each other’s names by voice.
• No hold: Avoid using the “hold” function of your phone if you
need to break away. Some phone systems play music when put
on hold, which will immediately derail the group’s conversation.
• Handling off-topic issues/questions: We will record on an
electronic flipchart or some other shared document any top-
ics, questions, or issues that can’t be addressed during this
meeting. We will allocate time at the end of this meeting to
review next steps.
 A B C s o f D e si g nin g G re at Vir t ua l M ee tin g s 173

• Staying focused and on track: All participants help keep dis-

cussions focused by calling out when they see a discussion as
being a digression. (This can be done by a show of hands if
your meeting tool supports this capability, a quick poll, or
simply by stopping and asking people if this topic is best cov-
ered now or later.) Ask someone to be timekeeper and let you
know when time is almost up for a particular topic.
• Punctuality: The facilitator starts promptly and ends
promptly. Latecomers and early departures take responsibil-
ity for catching up on their own time.
• Share the air: Be aware how much you have spoken com-
pared to others, and be prepared to let others voice their opin-
ions and offer their ideas. This means not interrupting people
before they’re through, and keeping track of participation,
both yours and others. Raise your virtual hand to speak if
several people seem to want to jump in.
• Confidentiality: What’s said in the virtual room stays in the
room, unless otherwise agreed to.
• Clarity: Be explicit about the treatment of legal issues, such
as use of proprietary information, antitrust legislation, and so
on. When people can’t see what others are recording or writ-
ing, it’s especially important to call this out.
A few more important points about the use and enforcement of
ground rules during virtual meetings:
• Enforce ground rules to keep people focused and on track.
Once people start to tune out, the meeting can quickly
degrade into a chorus of half-hearted monosyllabic responses.
Much better to establish ground rules right up front, prefer-
ably at least a few days prior to the meeting, so people can
commit to being fully present during the whole session. As a
result, you’re far more likely to drive to a successful conclusion
within the allotted time.
• Set meeting ground rules and gain agreement from every-
one. Depending how countercultural some of the ground
rules might be (e.g., no multitasking for an IT project team
that’s under pressure to put out dozens of fires each hour), send
ground rules in advance so people can plan accordingly. Once
174 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

you gain agreement, reinforce ground rules vigilantly. The min-

ute it’s obvious that some people are multitasking or monopo-
lizing the conversation, everyone will assume they can do the
same.
• Make sure ground rules are appropriate for all cultures.
For example, a ground rule of “all are peers” is not likely to
gain traction in a culture where hierarchy and seniority mat-
ter deeply.
• State ground rules about participation plainly at least twice:
in advance and right before the meeting. In your meeting
preparation document, try writing something like: “The deci-
sions we need to reach are crucial, so it’s essential that you
focus your full attention during this hour.” You might also get
specific and ask that people refrain from handling other tasks
during the meeting.
• When you begin the call, reiterate the need for everyone’s full
attention. Ask if anyone has a special situation that requires
her to take time away from the meeting, and when that tem-
porary departure needs to take place, so that you can plan the
discussion accordingly. By gaining verbal commitments from
attendees right up front, they’re less likely to slink away.

10.10 Guidelines for Great Global Team Meetings

Thanks to advances in technology, project team members scattered

around multiple time zones work together as a matter of routine.
However, without a keen understanding of important cultural differ-
ences that are most likely to affect collaboration, many virtual global
project teams struggle to achieve their goals, or sometimes simply fall
apart. Although some of these tips may be true for most virtual or cross-
cultural teams, they are especially important for global project teams that
rely on virtual communication as their primary means to collaborate.
I co-authored the following tips with my colleague Rich Johnston,
an IT architect for UTC’s Climate Controls and Security Systems
in Syracuse, NY, who has honed his skills in leading cross-cultural
project teams over the last several years. We wrote these tips with
North American–based companies in mind, focusing on same-time
meetings. However, these tips can be applied to globally dispersed
 A B C s o f D e si g nin g G re at Vir t ua l M ee tin g s 17 5

organizations based anywhere. (Also refer to Chapter 7, “Navigating

across Cultures, Time Zones, and the Generational Divide,” for more
tips related to leading global teams.)

• Start with an unambiguous realistic agenda. State what you

plan to achieve in clear simple language. Especially if new
members are joining, indicate that the meeting will be held in
English. Build in sufficient time to allow nonnative English
speakers to translate into their local language and back into
English, which can take up to 50% more time than a native
English speaker may need. Make it clear what you expect
from each participant in the form of prework and participa-
tion during the meeting. Let team members know if substitu-
tions or additions are acceptable, which is often the case if a
strong command of English is required.
• Establish and enforce meeting norms. At the start of the
meeting, summarize which countries, languages, and time
zones are represented. Ask people to clear their desktops
of any additional work during the call to allow for full and
active participation by all. Remind people to speak clearly
and avoid making interruptions. If you’re using a web meet-
ing tool, review the functions you plan to use, such as raising
hands or sharing desktops. Make sure all know how to mute
the phone, and remind people to say names before speak-
ing. Indicate under what conditions team members may use
instant messaging (or tweets). Remind people of the need to
stay focused on the objectives, and indicate how you plan to
capture and address “parking lot” issues that you won’t have
time to discuss during this meeting. Another norm that helps
all feel equally valued regardless of location is to rotate meet-
ing times to give everyone a chance to wake up at 5 a.m. or
stay up until midnight.
• Keep the language simple. Use the fewest number of words
to get your point across, which may require extraordinary
preparation. Enunciate each word clearly, taking pains to pro-
nounce them in a neutral accent. (This can be especially dif-
ficult for those with strong regional accents, but very critical
for nonnative English speakers who may become quickly lost
17 6 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

when hearing a dropped “r” or a flat “a.”) Avoid idioms and

metaphors, which can confound or offend others. Americans
in particular tend to use sports metaphors that have little or
no meaning elsewhere, such as home run, out of left field, or
slam-dunk.
• Set the pace. Allocate time for checkpoints at key junctures
in the conversation. Pause periodically to allow silence to let
all participants absorb what’s just been said. Some people—
Americans in particular—often feel compelled to puncture
silence with a comment. For that reason, you may need to set
a ground rule to ensure that people maintain these planned
moments of silence. If you’re using a web meeting tool, you
can invite some participants to make comments in writing
during these periods of reflection.
• Engage all participants equally. Many people can converse
more easily by speaking and others by writing. Whenever
possible, offer participants a chance to communicate in the
ways they feel most proficient and comfortable. In addition to
the phone, make use of web meeting technology that allows
people to submit questions or offer responses in writing.
People in some cultures may be reluctant to discuss sensitive
or contentious topics out loud, especially where hierarchy is
important. In this case, you may want to use a web meeting
tool that allows for anonymity. Some people, whether due to
culture or personality, may be reticent to speak. Make sure to
go around the virtual table and solicit input from each team
member. Be thoughtful about how best to pose a question
that makes it safe for each to respond. Examples would be:
what do you see as the greatest advantage/disadvantage of this
solution? If you could change one thing about our proposal,
what would it be?
• Choose the best combination of tools. Some meetings, such
as a routine weekly status review, might be fine with just
phone, as long as everyone has access to the needed docu-
ments. A business requirements discussion, on the other hand,
would be most productive if people had multiple ways to get
their ideas across, such as by writing on an electronic flip-
chart or posting notes for all to see. Videoconferencing can be
 A B C s o f D e si g nin g G re at Vir t ua l M ee tin g s 17 7

especially valuable for new virtual team members who want to

get a feel for each other’s culture and working environment.
When different time zones are involved, allow for asynchro-
nous participation of some sort, such as by posting comments
or questions in a virtual conference area whenever it’s most
convenient. Make sure that meeting notes are posted during
the call as a way to verify for accuracy and understanding.
Whatever the tool, make sure that all have reasonable access.
• Identify and address miscues. If you suspect that someone
has responded to a conversation point in a way that suggests
she has misunderstood a key point, acknowledge her com-
ment and then proceed to paraphrase the original point and
invite her to make an additional comment. If you have trouble
following someone’s accent, let him know you are having dif-
ficulty hearing him (rather than complaining that you can’t
understand his accent), and ask him if he can repeat his point
a bit more slowly. If you still can’t comprehend the point he is
trying to make, you might try following up with him privately
offline.
• Use analogies for shared understanding. If you believe that
the information you want to convey may be overly complex,
consider using an analogy that all can understand regardless
of culture or native language. For example, when describing
the actions to be completed prior to closing out a particu-
larly complex project, you might use an analogy of a cargo
ship leaving port, with all of the many tasks that have to be
orchestrated in a certain sequence before the ship can push
off. People can often connect best with a shared image,
making it easier for them to agree on tasks, milestones, and
dependencies.

Leading a global project team requires diplomacy, preparedness,

superb listening skills, and the willingness to invest time in learning
how cultural differences are likely to affect successful collaboration.
Check in with a representative sampling of team members from time to
time to hear how they’re feeling and learn what improvements you and
the team can make. Developing the needed skills and cultural literacy
doesn’t happen easily or fast, but once cultivated, can last a lifetime.
178 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

10.11 Summary

Whatever the goal—whether it’s to make well-informed decisions,

generate innovative solutions to vexing problems, or to create a shared
strategy—all virtual meetings accomplish the most in the least time
when the right people come together for a focused conversation.
Setting the stage for such conversations is particularly challeng-
ing when the participants all work from a distance, given that the
margin of error is so small, and it’s so easy to lose control once people
tune out. For each key objective, consider what kind of conversation
is called for, how long it might take, what preparation is needed, and
who needs to be involved, and then plan accordingly.
 11
K eepin g R emote
Participants E n g ag ed

Even with the best-laid plans, not all of your virtual meetings will
go as planned. Although some problems crop up due to a techno-
logical glitch, most often the toughest problems relate to the degree
of engagement (or lack thereof) of meeting participants. The virtual
meeting leader has to learn how to identify and address a number of
tough challenges, all within a matter of seconds. Common challenges
include:

• Some or all participants are very quiet, leaving the meeting

leader to wonder what’s causing the silence. Are they paying
attention at all? (And if not, why not?) Are they upset? Bored?
Angry? Doing e-mail?
• Some people dominate, whereas others give up trying to speak.
• Serious digressions threaten to take the group irrevocably
off track.
• Lukewarm responses signal boredom or lack of interest (or
perhaps multitasking).

In this chapter, we look at tips and techniques for maintaining bal-

anced participation, keeping people engaged from afar, and dealing
with dysfunctional behavior.

11.1 Understanding How and Why People Become Disengaged

The first step concerns the fact that virtual team leaders need to be
able to detect why people have become disengaged before knowing
what intervention or technique is likely to work best. Think about
times when you have drifted in and out of virtual meetings yourself.
We all try to pay attention during virtual meetings. We really do!

179
18 0 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

But then something diverts our attention (it doesn’t take much) and
we find ourselves tuning out, despite our best intentions.
It could be that a teammate just IM’d us with an urgent SOS for
help. Or that our workload is too crushing to ignore as we put our-
selves on mute and type away. Alternatively, it could be that the meet-
ing is frankly just so dull that we stop paying attention, or that we
really have nothing very valuable to add. Or maybe we were told we
have to be here, when in fact there’s nothing relevant for our work in
any of the discussions.
It’s a different story when we’re the one trying to run a v­ irtual
meeting, however. When our participants become disengaged,
we tend to become impatient and frustrated when others are not
paying attention. After all, it’s our meeting, and we think the
conversation warrants attention. When you sense people have
­
become d ­ isengaged, it’s important to take a first best guess as to
why some p ­ eople have become disengaged in the first place, before
you make an intervention.
You can pay a high price for getting it wrong. For example, if you
gently suggest that people stop multitasking when in fact they’re sim-
ply bored or offended, you may quickly lose their attention for the rest
of the call at least, as well as credibility and trust. Here are some of
the reasons virtual meeting participants typically become disengaged,
followed by quick tips to help reel them back in.

• People imagine they can do several things reasonably well,

at the same time (even though study after study has proven
that no one can really bifurcate their frontal lobes very suc-
cessfully). Establish ground rules up front, both in the meet-
ing details you post or send in advance as well as at the start
of the call. Remind people how important their participation
is and ask them to clear their minds, desktops, and computer
screens. Ask them to close down any applications they don’t
need for this call. Give them a minute or two to send that last
e-mail, if need be. In exchange, you promise to keep everyone
focused and on track.
• People don’t see the meeting as a good use of their time.
They’re not sure why they’re on the call, and have no idea
how or when they’ll be contributing. (And they have lots
 K ee pin g Rem o t e Pa r ticipa n t s En g ag ed 181

of other work they could be paying attention to right now.)

To begin with, make sure you have invited the right people.
The temptation is to invite everyone, because selecting the
right people takes a lot of time and thought. Figure out who
really has to be involved in this conversation, and find ways to
involve others before or after the meeting. It’s tough having a
productive conversation with more than a handful of people,
especially when a weighty decision must be made. You may
need to come right out and ask people who seem particularly
quiet if they feel this meeting is a good use of their time,
without a hint of sarcasm. They may be very happy to make a
graceful exit.
• The conversation is drifting here and there, with little
regard (or memory) for the stated objectives. Make sure that
you (and everyone else) have an agenda in mind and readily
visible, so you can all track progress. Periodically refer back to
the objectives, which should likewise be visible at all times.
When you design the meeting, be realistic about how long
each part of the agenda should take. If you find that you’ve
miscalculated partway through a meeting, give people a
choice to keep going on this topic, schedule a follow-up meet-
ing, or park this topic for now. Appointing a timekeeper lets
you focus on the group dynamics.
• People are simply bored because there are limited oppor-
tunities to interact. A good rule of thumb for virtual meet-
ings is to allow for interaction about every five to seven
minutes. Use virtual meeting technology to the fullest
advantage. Build in opportunities for participants to multi-
task on task. Enable people to type in comments and then
discuss. Encourage people to “talk across the table” with
each other. Go around the virtual room to ask everyone
to respond to a quick question relevant to the topic. Make
it easy to pull everyone back in. If the group simply does
not perk up quickly, be prepared to flex the agenda in the
moment, or end the meeting early and build in more inter-
action the next time.
• People are afraid to speak up. This may be due to cultural
differences (national, organizational, or functional), personal
18 2 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

styles, demographics, the sensitivity of the topic, or any num-

ber of factors. Find ways to make it safe for everyone to speak
up. Consider using web meeting tools that allow people to
participate anonymously, either prior to or during the call.
Structure questions in a way that elicits feedback without
requiring criticism. For example, instead of asking partici-
pants what challenges they are struggling with, you might
ask what one thing they’d like to see changed. You may need
to reach out to certain people another way, either before or
after your meeting, to hear their perspectives if you feel they
have been reticent during the call.
• The meeting does not inspire energy. People may not be say-
ing much because the meeting leader doesn’t project enough
energy and enthusiasm to get them talking. If you’re leading
a virtual meeting, make sure you project sufficient “pep” to
act as group cheerleader. Stay focused on what’s being said
(or not being said), vary your tone and volume, and change
the way you ask questions or otherwise involve the others in
conversation.
• Take a quick temperature check of the group (this can be
as easy as raising virtual hands) or ask people for a verbal
quantification of their current energy level, on a scale of
1–10. If energy is low, ask everyone to stand up and move
around to take a 30-second stretch break. Be prepared to
shuffle the agenda around if that’s what it takes to raise
the energy level. (If your own energy level is low, drink
some water, stand up, or otherwise shift the dynamics.
When the ­facilitator’s energy is low, you can “infect” others
quickly.)

It’s harder than ever to capture and maintain people’s attention in

any kind of in-depth conversation these days, even when we’re speak-
ing face to face. But when people can’t see us and we can’t see them,
it’s much more difficult to discern why people have become disen-
gaged, making it infinitely harder to find just the right way to pull
them back in. A well-thought-out meeting design, coupled with the
intelligent use of tech tools and facilitation techniques, can work won-
ders to maintain focus and attention.
 K ee pin g Rem o t e Pa r ticipa n t s En g ag ed 18 3

11.2 Discourage Multitasking with Clear Ground

Rules and Focused Meetings

Try as you might, it’s really tricky to enforce a no-multitasking

ground rule. Much better to take responsibility for running a meeting
that draws people in from the beginning and keeps them engaged
throughout. Here are some tips:

• Allocate meeting time appropriately. Think about hav-

ing people read documents in advance or listen to a virtual
presentation so that you use the meeting time for discussion,
debate, and decision making. Don’t force people to listen to
a boring presentation or review documents that could have
been read more quickly in advance, leaving time for interac-
tive conversation.
• Stick to your stated agenda and strive to ensure that the
team meets objectives through a well-directed conversation
that’s perceived as valuable by all. If you allow a conversa-
tion to stray too far off course, you’ll have trouble maintaining
the kind of credibility you need to insist that people pay full
attention. When you fail to fulfill a commitment as the meet-
ing leader, you make it easier for others to give themselves a
virtual “hall pass.”
• Keep the pace quick and discussions concise. Nothing can
drive someone to another task faster than a boring meander-
ing conversation. You can ask for help right up front by indi-
cating that you have a packed agenda, and that the only way
you can help keep it focused is by having everyone else act as
“co-facilitators” who can all help keep topics from straying too
far off course.
• Come prepared to keep people on their toes. For example,
have a list of questions to which you’ll be seeking responses.
(Some examples are: What are the top three challenges our
sales teams are facing today? What is our single greatest
opportunity to outpace our nearest competitor? What priority
would you assign items in the following list? What do you like
best/worst about X?) If you can let them know what you’ll be
asking in advance, all the better, because they’re more likely
to attend with thoughtful responses they’re eager to share.
18 4 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

• Vary the order and way in which you ask questions. Keep
people guessing to add a little boost of energy. For example,
you might note the order in which people join the call, and
assign each a number on a clock, starting with 1:00. For one
set of questions, start with 1:00 and go clockwise (or counter-
clockwise) until you hear a response from everyone. Another
time you can ask for volunteers to go first, and check to see
whether others have additional ideas not already covered. If
you have a team photo, you can use this to go around the vir-
tual room, noting who’s participating and who’s not. (Creating
a team photo is as easy as asking people to post or send jpg
files to you, which you can pop into a Word or PowerPoint
(PPT) template, along with their names, seated around an
imaginary table. I like to post these in our virtual conference
area, and often also push them out in advance, with a request
to print and have handy at the meeting, so everyone can be
aware of the relative level of participation during a meeting.)
• Try reversing the usual “all on mute except speaking”
ground rule. Ask everyone to stay off mute so they can be
ready to participate instantly. This way, you’ll hear any errant
key clicks that reveal multitasking is occurring, and you
can be prepared to make some well-timed comments. (This
ground rule is not as viable under some circumstances, such
as when participants work in very noisy environments, when
there’s a mysterious buzz that’s impossible to locate easily, or
when there are 15 or more people on the line.)
• Use technology when possible to focus attention. For exam-
ple, a virtual classroom environment allows everyone to par-
ticipate both via phone and within a web-based “classroom”
area complete with whiteboard, a chatlike capability to pose
questions, a chance to vote, ability to share applications, and
even—if appropriate—throw tomatoes and award gold stars.
The more dynamic and interactive the application, the less
likely people are to toggle to an unrelated activity.
• Pick up the pace. If you sense that energy is dissipating or inter-
est is fading, stop a minute to decide how best to proceed. If
you’re on a conference call, it’s reasonable to say something like,
“I am not hearing from many of you. I don’t know whether this
 K ee pin g Rem o t e Pa r ticipa n t s En g ag ed 18 5

means we’ve lost you, or you’re thinking what to say, or you’re

busy doing e-mail. Can someone help me understand what’s
going on?” Chances are, you will re-engage those you have lost.
If you can, maybe it’s time to speed up the conversation, deter-
mining (with participant agreement) whether it’s OK to skip
over certain topics in favor of devoting more time to others.
• If participation is lagging, you might offer choices such as
taking a quick stretch break, checking in to see how people
feel about the process, or reflecting back on the objectives and
asking people whether they feel they’re on track. Inject energy
and project enthusiasm especially when group energy is low.
• Know when to end. Just because you’ve scheduled a two-hour
meeting doesn’t mean you have to use the whole time. If you’ve
achieved most of your goals and people seem ready to end, let
people know you’re prepared to end the meeting early, and
spend the last few minutes wrapping up loose ends, such as
action planning or mapping out next steps. Review the objec-
tives one final time and summarize what the group has done
to achieve them. If there are outstanding questions or issues
not yet addressed, gain agreement as to how best to move
them forward. If, on the other hand, you realize you can’t
possibly achieve your objectives in this meeting, call it right
away and discuss with the group how best to ­proceed. One
option is to end the meeting now and reconvene another time,
perhaps with different participants or with new information.

Despite your best efforts to keep people focused on the conversa-

tion at hand, one or two people may still find a way to multitask.
If someone is diminishing the value of the conversation by habitual
multitasking, you may have to come right out and say so. You’ll need
to consider how well you know the person, how formal or informal
the meeting structure, the topic at hand, and your authority to control
behavior, among other things.
You might try something such as (with humor): “Now Carol, can
those telltale key clicks really be coming from you?” Or (more seri-
ously) “Bill, I realize you have a ton on your plate now, but if you
can just give us 15 more minutes of your undivided attention, we can
let you go. Would that be OK?” The more you ignore the offending
18 6 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

behavior, the more others are likely to assume that your tacit permis-
sion makes it OK for everyone to follow suit.
If worse comes to worst and you suspect that most meeting partici-
pants have moved on to something else, you simply may have to announce
that you are ending the meeting, but before you do, you need to know
when people can be prepared to spend focused time on completing the
unfinished tasks. Try asking for a few smaller chunks of time, rather
than trying for a longer period that may be difficult to schedule.
With everyone paying full attention, most phone-based meetings
can end far more quickly, with better results. Your job is to persuade
participants that their contributions are truly valuable, and that you
plan to take your job of running a productive meeting very seriously.
The more you can show that you’re capable of leading the team to
meet their objectives, the more likely they’ll be to find other meetings
in which to multitask.

11.3 Rx for Problem Participants Who Threaten

to Derail Your Virtual Meetings

We’ve all suffered when the bad behavior of just one person can derail
a whole meeting. Maybe it’s been the know-it-all who steamrolls over
anyone who tries to speak. Or the person who folds her arms and rolls
her eyes without a word. It could be the guy who has nothing good to
say about anything, or the one who keeps running in and out of the
room to put out fires.
Even the most accomplished facilitator can be thrown off guard by
problem participants. But sometimes all it takes is a perfectly worded
phrase or a simple gesture that can help snap the meeting back on
track. But when the meeting is virtual, you can’t use those same non-
verbal cues that can help shift behavior when you’re sitting face to face.
Here are some tips and techniques for handling five of the most
disruptive types of participants I have come across as a long-time
facilitator of virtual meetings:

• The Apparition: He grunts occasional monosyllabic

responses so you know he’s on the call, sort of, but you
get the sense he is not really there. You’re not sure if he’s
muted the conversation so he can tend to his e-mail or if he
 K ee pin g Rem o t e Pa r ticipa n t s En g ag ed 18 7

simply has no interest. Whatever the reason for his divided

attention, you need to pull him back in before everyone else
follows suit. You can try saying his name to first get his
attention before asking him a pertinent question: “Dave, in
what ways were your experiences similar to Linda’s?” Or you
can announce that you’ll be going around the virtual room to
ask each person for a quick response to a burning question,
even if you have to make one up on the fly. If he continues
to sound distracted, state your observations straight up and
ask for his help: “Dave, your input is crucial to this deci-
sion. Can we ask you to take part in the conversation for the
next 15 minutes, so we make sure we’ve evaluated everyone’s
input?” Of course, your relationship with Dave and the rest
of the team will determine how, exactly, you will call him
out and ask for his help.
• The Great Debater: When everyone else seems about to agree
on a key decision after a long discussion, the Debater goes on
to regurgitate the very same options the group has assessed
for the last hour. You suspect that she may have a hard time
reaching closure, or that she may disagree with the deci-
sion (or she may simply enjoy being a contrarian). State your
observations: “Jennifer, it sounds like you want to revisit an
option that we’ve already discussed. I am not sure that further
discussion will affect our vote. But let’s ask the others.” Poll
the group to test your assumption. If some feel that Jennifer’s
option merits further discussion, set a firm time limit. If not,
suggest that the group move to a vote. If Jennifer continues to
object, implicitly or explicitly, you may need to ask her directly
whether she feels ready to have the group make a decision. If
Jennifer’s commitment to the decision is critical to successful
implementation, you may need to end the meeting without a
vote and reach out to Jennifer 1:1 before you resume the dis-
cussion as a group. Otherwise, it’s probably time to end the
debate and simply vote.
• The Curveball Pitcher: Out of nowhere, she throws you a
curveball, bringing up a topic that seems to have nothing to
do with the conversation. You can’t see whether everyone else
is just as confused, and you suspect that if you let her go off
18 8 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

on this tangent, the conversation will go way off track. When

she pauses to take a breath, try jumping in to paraphrase her
concern and bring the conversation back on track: “Kathy, it
sounds like you want to make sure that our partners can link
to our IT portal. Is that right? Great. Let’s capture that in our
notes for our next meeting. Now, we have 10 minutes left to fin-
ish brainstorming new ideas for our new campaign logo. Who
has some more ideas?” This way, Kathy knows her concern has
been heard and you have a plan to address it, and you’ve quickly
invited others to rejoin the previous conversation. If she persists,
you may need to enlist the group to help: “We have 10 minutes
left to achieve our objectives, so we have a few choices. We can
add 15 minutes to this call, schedule an additional meeting, or
continue Kathy’s topic at our next meeting. What would every-
one like to do?” The majority will likely vote to park Kathy’s
topic in favor of a timely closure to the meeting.
• The Steamroller: Every time someone else tries to offer an
opinion, this guy interrupts with his own ideas, many of which
are repeated over and over. If you allow him to continue to
hijack the conversation, you’ve lost the others for the duration
of this call, and possibly long after. Because you can’t give him
the evil eye or kick him under the table, you need to be quick
about yanking the virtual microphone out of his hands. Try
succinctly summarizing his key points and acknowledging
what you’ve all learned from his opinions. Then go around the
virtual table and ask each participant to build on Jorge’s ideas,
or offer new ones based on their own experience. If Jorge still
can’t resist jumping in, firmly restate the meeting objectives
and remind everyone about the ground rules all agreed to at
the start of the call. If this isn’t enough to rein Jorge in, try
asking if he can take some time after the call to summarize
his ideas via e-mail (or blog, wiki, etc.) and make his notes
available for the group later on. If Jorge is a repeat offender,
he may also need some 1:1 coaching after the call so he under-
stands how his behavior affects the rest of the team.
• The Buzz Kill: Although everyone else on the call is revved
up brainstorming new ideas, Laura responds critically to
every idea before it’s even fully formed, and offers no ideas
 K ee pin g Rem o t e Pa r ticipa n t s En g ag ed 18 9

of her own. Other participants suddenly shut down. To get

the fountain of ideas flowing again, start by restating ground
rules for brainstorming (e.g., quantity vs. quality, no ­critical
comments, use of “and” vs. “but,” etc.). Then summarize what
you’ve just observed. “We had some great ideas flowing there
for a while, and I noticed people suddenly stopped when
their ideas were criticized. Can I ask everyone to withhold
comments until we’re through brainstorming? Let’s restart
with a new question.” Alternately, you may need to direct
your entreaty to Laura to make sure she understands how
her behavior is affecting the team. If this is not the first time
you’ve noticed how Laura’s negative comments deflate the rest
of the team, you might contact her privately after the meeting
to help her reframe her comments in a way that encourages
rather than discourages participation from others.

11.4 Summary

It takes sharp powers of observation and quick thinking to main-

tain continuous balanced participation throughout an entire virtual
meeting. If you design your meeting for maximum engagement at the
outset, the potential for people to disengage or go off track is far less.
Even so, be prepared with an arsenal of interventions in case they’re
needed, including a set of stimulating questions that can be answered
quickly by everyone.
 12
Troublesho otin g
Virtual M ee tin g s

Normally, I ascribe to the 80/20 rule when it comes to planning ­virtual

meetings. I know I can’t predict every single problem that might rear
its ugly head, so I do my best to anticipate and address those “gotchas”
that are likely to happen about 80% of the time for any given situa-
tion. As far as the other 20% of the time, well, we’ll just have to cross
that bridge when we come to it. In the world of virtual meetings, we
don’t have very much time to cross that bridge before the entire meet-
ing can go irredeemably off track. (The fact that we have no visual
cues when things go awry makes it even harder to regroup and redi-
rect the conversation.)
Here are some practical tips for anticipating and addressing prob-
lems that arise all too frequently during virtual meetings.

12.1 We Are Experiencing Technical Difficulties

Whether it’s a bad phone line, a passcode that doesn’t work, or a

spotty network that boots us off at critical times, there are times when
the technology does not work as planned. As meeting leaders, it’s up
to us to have a backup plan for whatever we expect can possibly go
wrong. Here are some ideas:
• Be ready to call an operator who can detect the source of
that annoying buzz, or the participant who put the call on
hold with 1980s music blaring. This means making sure
you know how to get an operator on the conferencing system
you’re using. Know how to use the keypad as directed by your
phone service provider for any capabilities you may need, such
as putting the phone on and off mute, l­eaving or e­ ntering
the conference, turning on/off entry and exit chimes, and
so on.
191
19 2 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

• Give people your cellphone number (or your colleague’s) if

they need help dialing in. (After all, your primary business
line will be tied up.) Best to ask people to text you, so you
won’t have to interrupt your call out loud. If you and meet-
ing participants all use the same IM system or chat function,
use this channel as needed for “backdoor” communications
that won’t disrupt the rest of the call. (If you go this route,
make sure to mute the audio on your device, so everyone can’t
hear the telltale “pinging” of messages to and fro.) Or, if your
web meeting tool includes some kind of chat or notes func-
tion, you can instruct people to request assistance using these
tools as well. Just make sure to let them know how to get help
before everyone dials into the call, especially if the phone sys-
tem may be one of the issues.
• Test all passcodes before the meeting, just in case. This
applies to both phone conferencing as well as web meeting
tools. Just because the passcode works one day, it won’t neces-
sarily work as planned the next day, for any number of reasons.
For example, I experienced situations where the phone con-
ferencing service had either reset or reallocated my passcode
without notifying me in advance. (You can imagine the flurry
of e-mails and IMs that transpired right before the call, to set
people straight.) Of course, human error sometimes gets the
best of us, where we either give out the incorrect passcode, or
we have assigned a passcode confusingly similar to another
conference. The net effect is that people arrive late and, usu-
ally, quite frustrated. Even when it’s not the meeting leader’s
“fault,” the meeting leader is ultimately accountable for such
glitches, whether avoidable or not.
• Always log on and dial in at least 10 minutes early, to make
sure there are no technical issues cropping up at the last
minute. In addition to testing your dial-in and log-on infor-
mation, check headsets, volume controls, and Internet con-
nections. If you’re using Skype or another means of IM, make
sure it’s activated.
• Enlist a buddy to help run interference when needed. This
might be a co-facilitator, meeting participant, or another kind
of assistant who can help solve technical issues while you
 T r o ub l e sh o o tin g Vir t ua l M ee tin g s 19 3

lead the call. Decide in advance how you will communicate,

whether it’s via phone, IM, text, web meeting, or e-mail. Make
sure you have his or her contact information at your fingertips.
It never hurts to send a reminder about your meeting times, to
make sure your buddy is accessible if you need a lifeline.
Above all, maintain a calm demeanor and a good sense of humor to
help deflect even the most challenging situations. People may quickly
forget about the snafu, but they are likely to remember your poise and
grace under pressure.

12.2 Reconciling Time Zone Differences

A colleague and I recently led a webinar with people joining from

several time zones. Initial meeting requests were sent by our ­sponsor,
which we followed up with more e-mails, spelling out the start and
end times for multiple time zones. We also posted the meeting time
in different time zones very visibly in our virtual conference area.
Nonetheless, three participants missed the call, assuming that the
time was noon their local time (which happened to be Pacific Standard
Time) as opposed to Eastern Standard Time. Lessons learned:
• Use an official meeting request function, such as those
available in Outlook or other calendar management
­systems, in addition to e-mail. Most calendar management
systems a­utomatically convert start and end times into the
local times for each invitee. Make sure to confirm that this
conversion takes place accurately. (For example, I have one
colleague for whom the meeting times I send out always show
up as three hours earlier than they really are. We have no idea
why this happens, but we do know to confirm the actual times
with each other via e-mail.)
• Clarify time zones. If you are unable to send (or receive) a
meeting request and have to rely instead on e-mail for m
­ eeting
invitations, make sure to spell out the start and end times in
your e-mail, indicating to which time zone you are refer-
ring. The rule of thumb is to start with the local time zone
of most invitees. (Case in point: One of my colleagues can’t
seem to receive meeting requests when I send them from
19 4 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

Microsoft Outlook. Instead, she sees a screen full of nonsen-

sical g­ ibberish. She now knows enough to ask me if I sent a
meeting request. And I, in turn, now realize that I will always
have to send invitations via e-mail in the future.)
• When participants from multiple time zones are joining,
state the meeting time in GMT (Greenwich Mean Time),
as a minimum. Look up the proper abbreviations for other
time zones, and be prepared to spell some out. For example,
CST is likely to be interpreted as Central Standard Time in
the United States, and China Standard Time in Asia. Beware
of summertime changes as well. Many countries have day-
light or summertime hours, much as we have in the United
States, which can wreak havoc on scheduling if the meeting
planner isn’t aware of the differences.
• Provide a URL for your favorite time zone calculator (e.g.,
www.timeanddate.com), just in case there’s any opportunity
for confusion.

Despite your attention to detail, several people may still get the
time wrong. If those you are expecting are late joining the call, dis-
creetly send them a message (or have someone else do it) if you suspect
they have the time wrong.

12.3 Dealing with Uninvited Guests

Some people seem to feel more casual about inviting others to come
along to a virtual meeting rather than a face-to-face (FTF) meeting.
(After all, if hangers-on are very quiet, no one will know they are
there. Plus, the host doesn’t have to order food or provide a chair, so
what’s the harm?) Depending on the guests, this additional person
(or two, or three) may throw things off track in a hurry. Here are some
tips for handling this delicate situation:

• Let your invited participants know in advance that they

have been chosen with great care. Indicate clearly whether
replacements or delegates are permitted, and invite people to
contact you if they feel that an important participant was left
off the list, giving you time to assess the request. This way, if
 T r o ub l e sh o o tin g Vir t ua l M ee tin g s 19 5

the request makes sense, you can prepare the additional par-
ticipant prior to your meeting.
• If you’re surprised with unexpected guests during the call,
welcome them and indicate (diplomatically, of course) that
you had not known they were coming. This is not meant to
chase them off the call exactly, but it’s to let everyone know
that you had prepared for this meeting with the invited par-
ticipants in mind, and hints at the fact you’re not able to alter
the agenda easily to accommodate new people.
• Let your surprise guests know they are welcome to stay
(only if that’s true; otherwise you’ll have to let them know
how they can be caught up and by whom, after the call), and
advise them that all participants invited in advance have been
asked to do some preparation and planning to make the best
use of the meeting time. This way, they’re less likely to ask you
to review what they missed in the prework.
• If you don’t know who invited these additional guests, you
may want to ask (e.g., “Hi Sarah, and welcome. I apologize
that I had not realized you would be attending. Can you let
me know who passed the invitation on to you, so I can make
sure we’re all in sync for future meetings?”). There may be a
very good reason why Sarah has been asked to join this call,
but unless you understand what the person who invited her
had in mind, you have no idea what her role is intended to be,
nor do you have any context for her contributions. She might
be a vital contributor to the discussion, or she might be just as
confused as you are as to why she showed up.
• If you feel the extra participants’ presence will not adversely
affect the outcome of your meeting, you might just go ahead
as planned with an extra person or two, especially if their
relationship is likely to be important over time.
• If the additional participants might affect the outcome
negatively, you may need to be clear about their level of
participation, which can range from none at all, to listening
only, to partial participation at certain times. Be prepared to
explain that you have carefully planned this meeting with a
certain number and mix of participants in mind, and that to
achieve meeting goals, you need to adhere to your design.
19 6 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

• If you absolutely feel that the outcome of the meeting will

be jeopardized by allowing the extra people to stay on, apol-
ogize that you can’t extend an invitation just now, and let
them know that they will have other chances to p ­ articipate,
either during a future meeting or some other way (only if
it’s true, of course). Offer to follow up via phone as soon as
­possible after this call, so you can fill them in and mend any
fences in need of repair.
Some people may be thrilled to be able to make a graceful exit
from a meeting, giving them a welcome gift of time back in their
schedule. Others may feel slighted that they were not enthusiastically
welcomed. (After all, some may not even know they were not invited
to begin with.) When in doubt, prepare to reach out to your surprise
guests afterwards, making amends if needed.

12.4 Handling People Who Show up Unprepared

Many people simply don’t take the prework seriously (“Gosh, I’ve
just been flat out!”). Some do this as a matter of course, and others
gloss over the prework just once in a while. How you handle this
transgression depends on a variety of factors, including your relation-
ship with the participant, his track record for doing prework, and the
importance of doing this particular prework to achieve your desired
outcomes.
Whatever the reason, if someone shows up to your virtual meeting
without having done the needed prework, here are some tips:
• Resist the temptation to spend a few minutes of everyone else’s
time catching people up on what they missed. (Of course, this
depends to some extent on your relationship to those people.)
The participants who did manage to invest their time doing the
prework will be grateful that you have respected their time by
not rehashing content for those who did not come fully prepared
to contribute.
• Remind everyone how the prework was intended to help peo-
ple prepare for a productive conversation today. (For exam-
ple: “Everyone was asked to read the Q4 business plans for each
region and come to the table with the top three recurring themes
 T r o ub l e sh o o tin g Vir t ua l M ee tin g s 19 7

to help us agree on priorities for the coming year. Because we

only have one hour for today’s meeting, we agreed that the pre-
work was essential to meeting our goals in such a short time.”)
• Staying with this example, let everyone know you’ll be start-
ing the conversation with those who have come ready to
identify the recurring themes they noted as they read through
the business plans. Those who did not do the prework may
either listen to the others for now, or they can take a few min-
utes out to read the business plans, and then rejoin the discus-
sion when they’re ready. Either way, everyone now knows that
there are consequences for not being prepared, making it less
likely that you’ll see repeat offenses.
• Before you end your current meeting, be ready to describe
the prework for next time, and explain how it will be used.
Also, give people an idea of about how long you expect it to
take. This way, everyone knows what the prework consists
of, why it’s important for them to do it, and how much time
they’ll need to put aside to get it done. Those who did not
come prepared this time won’t want to be caught out again.

12.5 Keeping Remote Participants Feeling Connected

Let’s say you’re leading a meeting where many of the participants are
physically together, whereas a few others are participating remotely,
including you. As the meeting proceeds, you notice that the people
huddled in the conference room are repeatedly putting themselves on
mute. You assume this is so they can have a side conversation or cover
up the fact that they’re multitasking. Whatever the reason, you and
other remote participants feel adrift, cut off from what could be an
important conversation, and unable to engage the o­ thers no matter
how hard you try. You have a lot to accomplish in a short time, and
you won’t have another chance any time soon to reconvene.
Here are some tips to try to keep remote participants feeling connected
when they feel ignored or left out in the midst of a virtual meeting:

• First, explain how you feel as a remote participant when you

hear dead space for several minutes at a time. (For ­example:
“I’m not sure whether you guys are having a sidebar conversation,
19 8 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

doing other work, or whether you’ve all gone off for a coffee
break and forgotten to tell us. All I know is that I feel like I’m
missing an important conversation that I’d like to be part of.”)
• Ask the other remote participants how they’re feeling,
assuming they have not already turned their attention to
other work. Ask the question in such a way that other par-
ticipants don’t feel overly embarrassed to respond candidly
(e.g., “Bob, what were you imagining was going on for the last
few minutes when we didn’t hear from the folks in Boise?”).
These responses should help heighten the awareness of con-
ference room participants as to how their silence affects team
members who cannot see what is actually going on.
• Request that all participants stay off mute for the duration
of the meeting, to make sure everyone can join the conver-
sation equally. (This ground rule applies to both in-person
and offsite participants.) Suggest that “off mute” be a new
ground rule going forward, with some exceptions for those
surrounded by ambient noise or other audible distractions.
• Continue the conversation by first engaging remote par-
ticipants before moving to those in the conference room,
­signaling to remote participants that you regard their thoughts
and opinions as just as important as everyone else’s, if not
more so at this point, given that they did not have an equal
shot at joining the conversation earlier.
• If you hear significant audio distortions from those speak-
ing from the conference room, as often happens when a
speakerphone is used, be prepared to call a five-minute break
to allow conference room participants to find a place where
they can dial in from a private location, unless such a move is
downright impossible.
• Before this call ends, ask all conference room participants
to dial in remotely from a quiet location for future meetings,
explaining that you want to make sure you create as level a
playing field as possible, given that some people work together
and others apart. If there are good reasons that a particular
group needs to meet face to face, suggest they meet as part of
the whole team remotely, along with everyone else. They can
then convene in a common area for other needed discussions
 T r o ub l e sh o o tin g Vir t ua l M ee tin g s 19 9

at a different time. (This may not always be possible or practi-

cal, but it’s worth suggesting ways that everyone works hard to
create a level playing field in all team conversations, regardless
of where they work.)

12.6 Summary

Despite the best-laid plans, unexpected situations will test the mettle
of even the most seasoned meeting leader. With virtual meetings, you
have less time to get things right. As you’re planning your next meet-
ing, make notes about every detail that can possibly trip you up and
factor these into your design. By planning for the worst case, you’ll
get the best results.
 13
S ummary

Now that you have these new tips and tools under your belt, are you
ready to blaze new paths of glory as the best virtual team leader who
ever lived? Do you feel you’re completely prepared to run virtual
meetings that draw people in, keep them thoroughly engaged, and
get them coming back for more? No? Not quite yet?
Most people need a little (or a lot) of practice to bolster confidence
and hone new skills, especially when they themselves don’t have role
models in their line of sight. (After all, many virtual team leaders work
remotely from their own managers, depriving them of the opportu-
nity to observe “best practices” leadership themselves, much as their
own team members miss seeing you in action every day.)
You can start applying the tips and techniques you’ve learned in
this book in different ways. One approach is to perform a gap analysis
to take stock of which skills and knowledge you most need to become
a successful virtual team leader. For example, do you need to ramp
up your listening skills to lead more effectively in an environment
where you have few visual cues to go by? Can you use help facilitating
difficult conversations across time and distance? Would you benefit
by knowing how to more deftly navigate through cross-cultural dif-
ferences? Pick a few areas where the gap between your current and
desired future state is greatest, and map out a development plan for
yourself. Enlist the help of colleagues, mentors, managers, or HR if
needed.
For example, if you know you need to beef up your facilitation
skills, you can take one of many paths. You can seek out courses, either
within the organization, outside, or online. Look for books, blogs,
websites, or articles that pertain to your unique situation. Identify
people in your organization who you regard as exceptional facilitators
and listen in (with permission from all, of course) to learn what makes
them so effective. Then, ask them to shadow you and give you a candid

2 01
202 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

assessment of where you can most learn to improve. Solicit feedback

from your team members and colleagues periodically—1:1, as a team,
via survey, or some combination—to gauge your facilitation effec-
tiveness. For example, you might probe to determine whether people
feel meeting time is well spent, whether all opinions are being heard,
conversations are relevant, or whatever other metrics make the most
sense for your team. Be reasonable about how many new skills you
can cultivate at any given time, and make sure to allocate the time and
resources you need, either during work or outside work, for ­learning
and practice.
Another approach to applying what you’ve learned in this book is
to start with one or two key challenges that keep you (or your team
members) up at night. Maybe you have a burning need to establish
credibility as team leader or to repair broken trust across the team.
Or perhaps you have a challenging task you need to start now, such as
designing an interactive virtual business requirements planning ses-
sion or helping the team decide how they can make better use of a
team portal.
Pick a place to start and decide what changes you or your team need
to make, and what work it will take to get you there. For e­ xample,
if you need to cultivate trust across the team, you might start by dis-
covering what attitudes and behaviors members consider as especially
trustworthy. This can vary by the individual, national culture, phase
of the project, or a variety of other factors. For example, some might
see empathy from other team members as especially important to
building trust, whereas others might regard dependability or sincer-
ity as more important. (Naturally, you’ll need to find a way to ask
team members in a way that elicits the right information, which can
take the form of a 1:1 phone interview, a team activity, an online
­survey, or a combination.)
Based on what you learn, design activities that can help team mem-
bers build trust as a natural part of their collaboration. Some examples
are to ask each person to reveal his or her top challenge for the coming
week to kick off each team meeting, or to end by sharing one new idea
everyone can use. Pair members up by task to jumpstart relationship-
building where most needed. Invite people to share special gifts and
to acknowledge areas that need strengthening, and encourage people
to cross-pollinate knowledge and skills.
 Sum m a ry 203

If the team is suffocating from information overload, it might

be time to help guide members in creating norms about document-
sharing. The first step is to schedule a same-time virtual meeting to
brainstorm the perceived pros and cons of using the existing portal
and identify barriers to participation. For example, if some people say
they find the process too cumbersome or confusing, start with a norm
that pertains to ease of use or simplicity of navigation. Use templates
included in this book to help jumpstart this process.
As you make changes and try new approaches, in some cases you
may want to be transparent about the goals you’re trying to achieve
or the changes you’re trying to make. In other cases, you may want
to develop skills or make changes that you prefer not to announce,
at least not just yet, such as striving to make all team members feel
equally valued or cultivating credibility for yourself as team leader.
Becoming an exceptional virtual team does not happen overnight.
Even the most seasoned leader who’s completely comfortable in lead-
ing successful co-located teams can struggle, at least occasionally,
when it comes to inspiring, motivating, and engaging virtual teams.
Start anywhere on your journey to becoming an exceptional virtual
leader. It can be a baby step or a giant leap. You might need some
level of formal training and a reliable safety net as you step out of your
comfort zone, or you might do best by making changes in small steps,
using trial and error as your best teacher.
As you move ahead, tap into resources, such as websites from
Guided Insights (www.guidedinsights.com) for articles, tips, and
guides. (I publish a free monthly e-zine, Communique, which contains
practical tips for virtual team leaders, team members, and others who
want to thrive in the virtual global world.) Many other authors and
consultants are incredibly generous when it comes to sharing articles,
white papers, tips, guides, and online publications.
A great way to get just-in-time answers to your current conundrums
is to join subgroups that focus on virtual leadership and collaboration
within social marketing sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and
others. Search online resources from academia, magazines, blogs, con-
sultants, and organizations that offer tips and skills. Looking within,
seek out other virtual leaders or facilitators within your organization
with whom you can set up a “buddy system” where you can learn, grow,
and develop new virtual leadership skills with peers and colleagues.
204 L e a d in g Eff ec ti v e Vir t ua l T e a m s

There’s nothing really magical about learning how to galvanize,

mobilize, motivate, and engage a team of people across time and dis-
tance. Most of the leadership skills you’ve already honed can be trans-
ferred, to a greater or lesser degree, to the virtual world. With a few
new skills, thoughtful planning, and the courage to try out new tips
and approaches, you’ll be well on your way. The results just may be
nothing short of magical.
Business & Management / Project Management

Organizations are only now beginning to realize that specialized skills and competencies are
needed to lead effective virtual teams ... . I particularly enjoyed the practical tips that can be
applied to almost any kind of virtual team. Nancy knows what works and shares it with us in
a way that is both easy to read and to apply. She covers the whole gamut from building trust
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.

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,
distance, and cultures have never been more complex or difficult.

Written as a series of bulleted tips drawn from client experiences and best practices, Leading
Effective Virtual Teams: Overcoming Time and Distance to Achieve Exceptional Results
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
team members collaborate more effectively, then buy this book. You will learn how to

• Build trust and cultivate relationships, virtually, across your team

• Design and facilitate virtual meetings that are focused and engaging
• Influence without authority
• Motivate and galvanize a virtual team for top performance
• Blend asynchronous and synchronous communications for better virtual collaboration
• Navigate cross-cultural and generational differences in the absence of vital visual cues
• Assess skills, strengths, aptitudes, and preferences from afar
• Handle other tough issues that can trip up virtual teams

The ideas in this book are based on Nancy Settle-Murphy’s decades of experience working
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
techniques to help you address some of the toughest challenges virtual team leaders face,
including keeping team members engaged from afar.

K15492
ISBN: 978-1-4665-5786-4
90000
www.crcpress.co m

9 781466 557864
www.auerbach-publications.com