Ten key strategies for leading virtual teams: 1. Establish leader credibility 2. Create a compelling challenge 3. Share information (internal and external to the team) 4. Clarify project scope, milestones, roles, deliverables, and handoffs of dependent variables 5.Manage performance 6. Help team members create opportunities for build virtual relationships 7. Avoid communication pitfalls 8. Hold effective team meetings and follow-up after meetings 9. Establish protocols for communicating… - What technology works best for team members - How to write an effective email - How to leave an effective voice mail message - How to use other technologies ( video and telephone conferencing) 10. Celebrate successes, even small ones

1. Catherine Mercer Bing
Managing Director,
ITAP Americas, Inc.
(w) 1.215.860.5640
http://www.itapintl.com
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©2015 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Leading Virtual Teams:
10 Key Strategies

2. Virtual Leadership: 10 Key
Strategies
1. Establish leader credibility
2. Create a compelling challenge
3. Share information (internal and external to the team)
4. Clarify project scope, milestones, roles, deliverables, and handoffs
of dependent variables
5. Manage performance
6. Help team members create opportunities for build virtual
relationships
7. Avoid communication pitfalls
8. Hold effective team meetings and follow-up after meetings
9. Establish protocols for communicating…
– What technology works best for team members
– How to write an effective email
– How to leave an effective voice mail message
– How to use other technologies ( video and telephone conferencing)
10. Celebrate successes, even small ones
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3. 1a. Establish Leader Credibility
For those who were socialized with Individual and Achievement Orientations…
• Share some of your background – focus on task achievement
– Experience with teams (Number of years/teams , Examples of teams they may recognize as having accomplished
good things, Leaders who were your mentors, Accomplishments and previous responsibilities on teams)
– Describe some of the more difficult experiences you had and how you believe you would handle a similar
situation on this team.
For those who were socialized with Quality of Life and Group Orientations…
• Share some of your background – focus on relationship building
– What you have learned that teams can do to be effective (build trust and relationship)
– Allow them to submit personal questions to you in such a way as to provide anonymity
– Tell them things about yourself that they might find interesting (hobbies, favorite books/foods, etc.)
For those who were socialized with Hierarchical Orientations…
• Have a senior leader introduce you as the new Team Leader
• Ask the team members to identify the qualities and characteristics of an effective
team leader. Describe your strengths (and areas that need improvement).
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4. 1b. Establish Leader Credibility
For those with Participative Orientations…
• Make a commitment to grow and learn. Use their answers to frame your approach
even if it is contrary to your preferred style of leadership.
• Make a commitment to grow and learn. Use their answers to frame your approach
even if it is contrary to your preferred style of leadership.
For those who were socialized with Need for Certainty Orientations…
• Provide a graphic such as a flow chart to show who the members are and what
responsibilities they have in the team
• Define the following and communicate them very clearly:
– Who are the project stakeholders – and the involvement you expect them to have as stakeholders
– Team outcomes/customer requirements
• Timeframes for deliverables.
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5. 2a. Create a Compelling
Challenge
• Select a problem that had never been “cracked.”
• Have team members present their solutions, rationale and
recommendations to senior management (gets them visibility).
• Employees, especially those from Hierarchical cultures also may prefer to
be on a “recognizable or branded team” as this confers status.
– Brand your teams with names, slogans, clothing, or “a look” for all communications.
– Employees from Group-oriented cultures often find this sense of belonging attractive.
• Link the work of the team to the success of the corporation or to corporate
strategy.
• Having high-level stakeholders who formally promote team goals can create
a compelling challenge, especially in high Power Distance cultures.
• Employees often work better when they know “why” they are doing
something. Answer the question “why?”
• Have principal C-level leader inform the team how their work relates to
corporate strategy (e.g., “mission critical”)
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6. 2b. Create a Compelling
Challenge
• Talk about the financial implications during the various
stages of achievement of team milestones. Cash flow
is important. They need to know at what point the
company will start making a profit (how long until the
expenses of the project will be recovered).
• Team members find it useful to know:
– What does it cost for the team’s work on the project?
– In what is the company investing that is in addition to the
cost of the team members (software, equipment, supplies,
etc.)?
– If the team misses deadlines, what does this do to the
return on investment calculation ?
– What is the expected return on investment to the company
after this project is completed?
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7. 3a. Share information
• One of the aspects of the Need for Certainty
Orientation is that information held is power.
The converse of that is the Tolerance for
Ambiguity Orientation (the opposite end of that
dimension) in which information shared is
power.
• Communicate all decisions especially those
made during Hallway, cafeteria, and water
cooler conversations to all the members.
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8. 3a. Share information
• Orchestrate handoffs carefully. Employees
should understand the concept of dependent
variables (who is waiting for them to finish and
take the handoff.)
• Document and post information so everyone can
have access to what is expected in terms of
timing and outcomes.
• Use culturally appropriate language. Team
leader may get to the same outcome with “ask”
(Participative) vs. “tell” language (Hierarchical)
language.
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9. 4 and 5. Clarify/Manage
Performance
1. Make sure everyone understands
project scope, stakeholders,
agreed/expected milestones, roles of
all team members, specific
deliverables, and handoffs of
dependent variables
2. Manage their performance to these
standards
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10. 6. Build Virtual Relationships
• Start each meeting by asking members to identify themselves
and tell where they are located for the call and what time it is
• Start team meetings with a few minutes of “personal
milestones.” These can be personal or professional This
helps them find things that they have in common.
• “Give team members permission” to talk with each other by
telephone outside of team meetings (the telephone is better at
building relationships than email).
• Read the news and weather especially for those locations
where employees are remote. Ask if they/their families are
OK after earthquakes, monsoons, typhoons, political
upheavals, etc.
• Encourage them to share with the team information about
how they celebrated recent cultural events or holidays.
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11. 7. Avoid Communication Pitfalls
• Do not allow a verbal few to dominate meetings. Tell people
you will be calling on everyone to contribute; then do so.
• Some cultures are cultures of silence or have been taught
that it is rude to interrupt. Do not allow interruption or talking
over other team members.
• Focus on both/and conversations not either/or. This will help
avoid conflict or perceived conflict.
• Make sure all team members (especially those remote) a
have access to the same level of communication technology
• Share all team members’ contact preference (email, chat,
Skype, telephone, etc.)
• Write all decisions down and share decisions
• Hold meetings at various times (in normal work hours for
those who are remote – not only your own)
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12. 8. Effective Meetings and Follow-
up
• If team members speak English as an acquired
language, end each meeting with the offer to stay
on the line for a few minutes to answer questions
in case they want to clarify meeting outcomes in
their mother tongue.
• Write everything down. Agendas sent in advance
help t hose who speak English as an acquired
language and keep meetings on track.
• Have individual conversations after meetings to
assure understandings of deliverables and
decisions
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13. 9. Establish Communication
Protocols
1. Email
– Use the subject line to indicate when a response is
needed
– Use sub headings to clarify changes in topics
2. Voice Mail
– Use the out of office feature and tell callers who to
call instead
– Leave a complete message so respondents can
return the call prepared
3. Video and Teleconferencing
– Provide training on how to use the technology or get
support
– Start meetings early enough to get the technology
working so you do not waste people’s time
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14. 10. Celebrate Successes
1. Team members need to be motivated. Find
ways to celebrate success.
2. Choose celebrations that are appropriate to
the size of the success
3. Spend time and money (a little goes a long
way) but clarify exactly why there is a
celebration.
4. Let team members choose how to celebrate
(creates team cohesion).
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15. • To learn more from Catherine Mercer Bing
about virtual leadership of teams, see her
book, Many Cultures One Team: Build
Your Cultural Repertoire.
• Enter promo code OneTeam to receive
20% off from Technics Publications
website, http://www.TechnicsPub.com
©2011 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Many Cultures, One Team

16. Catherine Mercer Bing
Managing Director
ITAP Americas, Inc.
ITAP International, Inc.
353 Nassau Street, 1st floor
Princeton, NJ 08540 USA
(W) 1.215.860.5640
http://www.itapintl.com
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©2015 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.