Virtual Teams make companies faster, flexible and more responsive. They increase an organisation's scope and deliver efficiencies. Above all they give business a competitive advantage. With virtual working being so vital for today's businesses what are some of the basic rules for making a positive impact?

1. Identify and Connect with an individual's needs and wants:
   

   HARD	SOFT
   Financial	Status
   Promotion	Acceptance (especially new people)
   Resources	Involvement
   Information

2. Use persuasion and influence instead of commands. What erodes persuasiveness?
   • Hard sell ("I'll keep talking until you see it my way"); can be viewed as manipulative.
   • Resisting compromise ("My way or the highway"); suggests inflexibility and lack of creativity.
   • Being unkind, negative, or impatient
   • Being overly emotional (although appropriate emotional and empathic connection is useful).
3. Use a mix of power sources (not just position power).
4. Maintain confidentiality.
5. Exercise conscientiousness and integrity. Be a role model of commitment yourself. Be a champion for business critical issues rather than personal issues.
6. Respect the expertise of all team members. Asking for participation is the highest form of respect.
7. Establish common ground - put energy into staking out the widest common ground all can stand on without forcing or compromising.
8. Harness political support (senior level sponsorship, other line/matrix managers).
9. Help team members see the 'big picture' (tie global goals to local objectives and benefits, link team tasks to organisational strategy/vision).
10. Connect with organisational sources of energy (sense of purpose, symbols).

Orienting A New Team Member

1. Call each new member personally to welcome them to the team.
2. Clarify the purpose, priorities and parameters or boundaries of the team.
3. Introduce the new team member to the team's customers and/or suppliers.
4. Review the team's operating guidelines and ask the new member if he or she can support them.
5. Review teleconference and videoconference protocols and etiquette.
6. Review team protocols for email or other communication.
7. Review key timelines and describe the team's process for reviewing progress against the timelines.

Celebrating Over Distance

1. Celebrate both team and individual accomplishments.
2. Celebrate mileposts, not just big finish.
3. Include face-to-face celebrations.
4. Hold an annual or semi annual goal achievement review activity.
5. Respect personal preferences when deciding how to celebrate.
6. Create a place on your intranet for posting best practices and learnings.
7. Celebrate the "small stuff" - personal milestones such as birthdays, anniversaries, childbirths.
8. Use "portable parties" - if a special milestone is coming up that you will celebrate via teleconference or videoconference, try and celebrate accordingly.
9. Use e-gift certificates.
10. Include others in the celebration - electronically or face-to-face, e.g., copy senior managers on an individual or team accomplishment.
11. Invest personal time to make celebrations and recognition more meaningful.
12. Ask team members how they would like to celebrate.

10 Things Employees Want From A Virtual Leader

1. Coordination rather than control.
2. Accessibility rather than inaccessibility or omnipresence.
3. Information without overload.
4. Feedback instead of advice.
5. Fairness over favouritism.
6. Decisiveness, but not intrusive supervision.
7. Honesty rather than manipulation.
8. Concern for development over apathy.
9. Community building over coordinated isolation.
10. Respect rather than paternalism or condescension.

Terence Brake - tbrake@tmaworld.com


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Contents

• Introduction
• Responsible Leadership: How To Make Better Decisions in a More Transparent World
• Cultural Diversity: A Coordinated Approach
• Teamwork: Cultural Co-Creation and Global Team Performance
• The Virtual Leader - Rules of The Road
• Country Navigator: Russia