Virtual teams are made up of members from different locations or even different companies. However, they must still work together to deliver on a common goal. For any team to be effective there must be an environment of trust and rapport among team members. But there are particular challenges when team members must collaborate across time zones, distance and cultures.

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“Our company is moving more and more towards virtual collaboration, and we want our meetings to be energized and productive. This program really helped me to improve the quality of our meetings. The materials were relevant, practical and immediately applicable to my planning, facilitating and participating in virtual meetings and conference calls. ”
— Cindy Ray, MBA, CPF PeaceHealth

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Our consultants can help you learn how to overcome the hurdles of time and distance to build a high performance team. We interview you to determine your challenges and opportunities as you look at “going virtual” and tailor a program for your organization. We deliver the program in the way that’s best for you: traditional on-site workshops, blended workshops with in-person, online and asynchronous components, or we can lead your team in a completely virtual learning experience. We integrate hands-on use of collaborative technology to facilitate small and large group idea generation and discussion.

Example A: Running Successful Virtual Meetings A client wished to train his project managers in conducting effective team meetings online.

We designed a one day workshop with a combination of virtual activities and in-person components taking place at the client site. Activities included hands-on use of collaborative technology to facilitate small and large group idea generation and discussion. The workshop began – virtually – with online activities to experience asynchronous and real-time virtual meetings first hand. This shared experience became one of the topics in the face-to-face workshop as we discussed how online pre-work helps make precious face-to-face time more effective.

We used a case study approach to explore how to convert a planned face-to-face event into a series of virtual meetings and asynchronous activities. We used games and our collective skills and imagination to build a list of practical ideas for solving even the most difficult virtual meeting situations. We explored the use of various types of virtual meeting technology – hands-on – and discuss what tools to use when.

Example B: Building Effective Virtual Teams A client wished to implement a series of six 2 hour webinars to train her managers on best practices for leading remote teams. Topics included:

Challenges Virtual Teams Face
What most often gets in the way of virtual team productivity? What skills and practices are needed to make the virtual team work well?

Facilitating Team Collaboration
How can a facilitator engage and guide a team s/he cannot see? How do you know what combination of tools and technology can enable a team to succeed at any given time?

Characteristics of Effective Virtual Teams
What skills and behaviors do team members need to be successful? What role do shared operating principles play in creating a trusting and open environment where collaboration can thrive?

Running Effective Virtual Team Meetings
What are the 6 critical success factors necessary to run virtual meetings that fully engage participants and produce a high level of interactivity and productivity?

Building Trust Across Boundaries
The absence of trust can stop a virtual team cold in its tracks. What steps can virtual teams take to cultivate an environment of trust? How do cultural differences affect notions of trust?

Leading Virtual Teams
What effective leadership skills can help galvanize, energize and mobilize a virtual project team?

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