September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA ELA On Demand sponsored by Managing Virtual and Remote Teams...
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Transcript of September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA ELA On Demand sponsored by Managing Virtual and Remote Teams...
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 1
Insert Session NamePage 1
Managing Virtual Teams
Rahul Dogra
[email protected] www.rahuldogra.com
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 2
Managing Virtual Teams
• We will:– Identify how to work in a virtual world – Focus on where it matters:
• Building relationships• Managing communications • Delivering tasks
– Create a prescriptive approach to cultural understanding
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 3
What Challenges Are Faced in a Virtual World?
?
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 4
Identifying Virtual Working
• Virtual working occurs when people collaborate towards a mutual goal, using facilitated tools, such as telephone, email and video conferencing
• Your virtual situation may appear as working:– From home (telecommuting)– On a different floor of a building – In a different region or country
• These approaches have associated challenges• This is was a relatively new paradigm shift in the way we operate
– Now becoming the norm
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 5
Determining the Rationale
• Why are so many businesses keen to undertake virtual working?– Employees demand it
• A recent survey of graduates by Price Waterhouse Coopers found that the number one motivation to work with any company was not the money or opportunities for travel, but the work / life balance offered
– Customers want to reap the benefits – Reduces operational costs – An outcome of globalization
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 6
The Benefits of Virtual Working
• Take the task to the people not the people to the task
Task
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 7
Costs – The Zero Sum Game
• If all organizations view virtual working as a means to reduce costs, then where is the differential?– If they outsource they will leave a country when it becomes to
expensive and move to anotherThe price differential between IT workers in the United States and their counterparts in India is five fold today, says Frances Karamouzis, a research director with Gartner, Inc. Within four or five years, she says that differential will have dropped to three fold, or maybe even as low as two fold. *
• Consider the impact on effective knowledge transfer– The goal should be on transferring knowledge and increasing the
institutional memory of the organisation
* http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/career/article.php/3583621/Rising-Costs-Threaten-Indias-Hold-on-Offshore-IT.htm
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 8
How We Work
Focussing on Tasks
(Getting work done)
Communicating effectively(Proactively adopting tools)
Developing and maintaining effective partnerships(Individual and organizational)
Culture
LanguageTime-zones
Geographical dispersion
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 9
Creating Effective Partnerships
• We work well with others, once a relationship has been formed• In a virtual setting, the tendency is to focus on the task and see the
relationship as not being important– Ignoring this impacts the ability to achieve the task
• In a virtual environment it is important to focus on:– How to motivate individuals – Understanding how people work with each other– Creating engagement
Individual Relationships
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 10
How People Interact
• We relate to others if we understand each other • Factors that influence this include:
– Personality – Your life outside of work – The work being undertaken– Upbringing and culture
Individual Relationships
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 11
101 Personality
• If we can develop an understanding of different personalities then we can understand the drivers of individuals
• Joe Luft and Harry Ingham (hence ‘Johari’) produced a way of understanding the difference between self–images
Common knowledge
My areas of ignorance
My secrets My unconscious self
What I see of myself
What others see of me
Individual Relationships
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 12
Myers Briggs Type Indicators
Extrovert IntrovertWhere do you get your energy from to make sense of your world?
Sensing IntuitionWhere do you get your information from to make sense of the world?
Feeling ThinkingHow do you process the information?
Judging PerceivingWhat is the payoff for making sense of the world?
Individual Relationships
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 13
What Happens in a Virtual World
• The focus is on the task not on:– Forming relationships– Understanding the individual – Developing effective communications
• Trust has not been built or maintained
Trust = Credibility + Reliability + Degree of opennessSelf-orientation (me, me, me)
• The sole focus is on the task and task alone
They become an email address [email protected]
Individual Relationships
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 14
Characteristics of An Effective Team
• A belief in shared aims and objectives• A sense of commitment• Acceptance of group values and norms• A feeling of mutual trust and dependency• Full participation and involvement in the decision
making• Open expression of disagreement• Resolution of conflict by members• Free flow of knowledge
Individual Relationships
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 15
Dimensions of Managing a Virtual Team
Focus on virtual dynamics
• Tendency to look at the task and the virtual dynamics together
On-boarding
• Needs of new team members
Review progress
• Celebrate success
• Continually improve
Feedback
• Performance is impacted by feedback
Virtual Management By Walking About
Individual Relationships
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 16
Project Start-Up Meetings
• It is generally agreed that a start up meeting is crucial in establishing a project success– Undertaking a project without one will increase risk
• The focus is on:– Establishing customer success – Communicating the needs of the stakeholders– Creating the team ground rules– Create clear roles and responsibilities– Building the spirit of the team– Form the communication plan
Individual Relationships
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 17
How We Work
Focussing on Tasks
(Getting work done)
Communicating effectively(Proactively adopting tools)
Developing and maintaining effective partnerships(Individual and organizational)
Culture
LanguageTime-zones
Geographical dispersion
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 18
Focussing on Communications
• In a virtual team, you need more communications not less, when compared to co-located working – Not a case of quantity but quality
• Most virtual issues occur due to a lack of communications
• What do we mean by communications?– The tools used – How they are used– The frequency – Selecting a tools specific to the
message being delivered
Communications
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 19
Human Communications
• To understand how to communicate better in a virtual setting, we need to understand the complexities of human communications
Transmit EncodeEncode DecodeN
oise
Feedback
Communications
Communications channel used
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 20
Using Tools to Replicate Human Communication
• Humans communicate using three modes:– Visual
• See and read – Auditory
• Listen and speak – Kinesthetic
• Touch and do• If we receive a message in a single style, how will it be received?
Communications
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 21
• Email• Telephone
• Video conferencing• Desktop
communication• Desktop conferencing• Web based
collaboration
• Social networking
Communication Tools AvailableCommunications
Emerging
Legacy
Emerging
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 22
Effectiveness and Richness
Communication Richness
Com
mun
icati
on E
ffecti
vene
ss
Face to Face at a WhiteboardFace to Face conversation
Video conferencing Phone conversation
Email Paper
Source: Alistair Cockburn “Agile Software Development” (2001)
Communications
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 23
Managing the Communications
Team Leader
Member 1 Member 2 Member 3
Member 4 Member 5
Member 6 Member 7 Member 8
Communications
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 24
How We Work
Focussing on Tasks
(Getting work done)
Communicating effectively(Proactively adopting tools)
Developing and maintaining effective partnerships(Individual and organizational)
Culture
LanguageTime-zones
Geographical dispersion
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 25
Assessing the Impact of Culture
• Culture is seen as a main contributor to the nuance of managing a virtual team
• Culture exists at many levels including:– Regional– National – Within the organization
• Edgar Schein 1985 Organizational Culture and Leadership: A Dynamic View suggests that the organization's culture is designed to cope with its environment– Managers success will depend, to a great extent, upon
understanding organizational and national cultures
Culture
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 26
Organisational Culture
• The impact of culture is looked at from a national perspective but there can be significant issues from an organizational perspective– Each organisation will have its own culture and structure – Individuals have preferred cultures– A number of factors influences the culture including: people,
technology and history
Can a culture be changed?Is there a world business culture?
What is the most important culture?
Culture
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 27
Defining National Cultures
• A perspective that differentiates one category of people from another • It is the norms by which things are done
– Experiencing a culture that is different from yours can become uncomfortable
– What is normal?– Our perception of reality would be different if we put ourselves in
their shoesAsk a colleague from another country what they had for breakfastWould you eat that food in your own country, for breakfast?– It is a question of perspective
Culture
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 28
Cultural Visibility
Basic assumptions
Values and Beliefs
Artefacts
Source: Schein, E (2005) Organizational Culture and Leadership, 3rd ed, Jossey–Bass
More visible
Less visible
Culture
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 29
Artefacts
• These are the most visible actions that we can observe allowing cultures to be distinguished– Easy to research and identify
• Some examples include:– Not using the left hand in middle eastern countries– American versus British approach to a business dinner – Coffee in Italy compared to the UK– Exchanging business cards in Japan– Business hours in Norway – In Korea not smoking or drinking in front of elders– Meeting someone for the first time in Chile
Culture
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 30
Values and Beliefs
• The underlying beliefs of a society, where you may experience culture shock– Communications styles – Approaches towards conflict – How to undertake a task
• Compare the East versus the West
East West
Passive Assertive
Understand meaning Understand workings
Relationships followed by the task
Task, followed by the relationship
Culture
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 31
Basic Assumptions
• These are the fundamental cultural values such as:– Time– Relationships – Status and power – Proximity and gestures – Communications – Manners and mannerisms– Morals – Respect – Business relationships – The concept of keeping face
Culture
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 32
• Introverted • Respectful
listeners
• People orientated • Emotional • Unrestricted body
language
• Task orientated • Organized • Planners
Lewis – Categorizing Cultures
Source: “When Cultures Collide – Leading Across Cultures”, (2005) Richard D. Lewis
Hybrid
290 M
Linear-Active600 M
Multi-Active3.3 Bn
Reactive1.7 Bn
Satis
fact
ory Diffi
cult
Time consuming
Culture
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 33
Lewis’s Countries
Linear Active
Multi ActiveReactive
Switzerland, Germany, USA
Netherlands
Norway
Australia
Denmark
Belgium
France
Russia
Italy
Spain
Hispanic American
Vietnam China Korea Indonesia Philippines India Iran Turkey Arab Peninsula Saharan Africa
UK
Sweden
Finland
Canada
Singapore
Hong Kong
Japan
Culture
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 34
Culture Rules
• Avoid instant judgements or assumptions about people• Undertake research on any culture you work with
– Have lunch with them • Consider how will your style be viewed through the lenses of others
– How do you modify to suit the context • Issues may not be cultural specific and may be simply personality or
technical based• A good idea is a good idea regardless of where it originates• When communicating with people who are speaking a second language
– Use visual aids and give the benefit of the doubt• Well functioning teams co-operate across cultures
Culture
September 11 – 13, 2012 Reston, VA
ELA On Demand sponsored by
Managing Virtual and Remote TeamsPage 35
Take Away
• Focus on developing relationships, communications then the task • Leverage the diversity, by understanding the individual• Look at the message and then identify the tool• Focus periodically on how the team is operating virtually • Find out out about other peoples cultures
– Cultures may not communicate, but individuals do