book

Virtual Team Success: A Practical Guide for Working and Leading from a Distance

Name: Virtual Team Success: A Practical Guide for Working and Leading from a Distance
ISBN: 9780470532966

by Darleen M. DeRosa, Richard Lepsinger

October 2010

Beginner

222 pages

3h 51m

English

Pfeiffer

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Copyright
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Introduction
Why Virtual Teams Are More PrevalentHow the Book Is OrganizedFinding What You Need: A Quick Reference Guide
I. Building High-Performing Virtual Teams
1. Why Virtual Teams Fail
1.1. Key Challenges1.2. Four Pitfalls to Virtual Team Performance1.2.1. Lack of Clear Goals, Direction, or Priorities1.2.2. Lack of Clear Roles Among Team Members1.2.3. Lack of Cooperation1.2.4. A Lack of Engagement1.3. Conclusion
2. Profiles of Virtual Team Success—What Good Looks Like
2.1. Team Composition2.1.1. Stable Team Membership2.1.2. Fewer Team Members2.1.3. Team Members Are from the Same Function2.1.4. Team Members Belong to Fewer Teams2.1.5. Longer Tenure as a Team2.2. Communication and Training2.2.1. Face-to-Face Meetings2.2.2. Effective "V-Meetings"2.2.3. Well-Leveraged Technology2.2.4. Skill Development2.3. Leadership2.4. Conclusion
3. Virtual Team Launch Kit
3.1. Test Your Virtual Team Launch IQ3.2. Setting Virtual Teams Up for Success3.2.1. Before the Launch: Forming a Virtual Team3.2.1.1. Keep Your Virtual Teams at a Manageable Size.3.2.1.2. Choose Virtual Team Leaders Carefully.3.2.1.3. Make Sure Teams Have the Right Mix of "Virtual" and Technical Skills.3.2.1.4. Select the Right Communication Technologies.3.2.1.5. Determine How Performance Will Be Recognized and Rewarded.3.2.2. The Launch Stage: Hold a Great Kick-Off Meeting3.2.2.1. Create a Sense of Purpose.3.2.2.2. Clarify the Team's Goals.3.2.2.3. Clarify Team Members' Roles.3.2.2.4. Develop Team Norms.3.2.2.5. Develop a Plan for Communicating Among Team Members.3.2.2.6. Hold Team Development Activities.3.2.2.6.1. Get to Know Each Other.3.2.2.6.2. Clarify Your Team Player Style.3.2.2.6.3. Do Something Together.3.2.3. After the Launch: Monitor and Assess Team Performance3.3. Is Your Organization Prepared to Support Virtual Team Work?3.4. Conclusion
4. What Differentiates Great Virtual Teams—How to RAMP Up Your Team's Performance
4.1. What Differentiates Top Virtual Teams?4.1.1. Differentiator 1: Commitment and Engagement4.1.2. Differentiator 2: Shared Processes for Decision Making4.1.3. Differentiator 3: Getting the Right Information to the Right People4.1.4. Differentiator 4: Task-Based Trust4.1.5. Differentiator 5: Collaboration4.2. The ShingleSeal Standstill: How Would You Handle It?4.3. RAMP Up Virtual Team Performance4.3.1. RAMP Component 1: Relationships4.3.1.1. Communication.4.3.1.2. Trust.4.3.1.3. Conflict Resolution.4.3.2. RAMP Component 2: Accountability4.3.2.1. Preservation of Self-Image.4.3.2.2. "Social Loafing."4.3.2.3. Locus of Control.4.3.3. RAMP Component 3: Motivation4.3.4. RAMP Component 4: Process and Purpose4.4. Conclusion
II. Leading Virtual Teams

5. How to Lead Virtual Teams—Tips, Techniques, and Best Practices for High Performance
5.1. Challenges Virtual Team Leaders Face5.1.1. Challenge 1: Infrequent Face-to-Face Contact5.1.2. Challenge 2: Lack of Resources5.1.3. Challenge 3: Difficulty Building a Collaborative Atmosphere Virtually5.1.4. Challenge 4: Lack of Time to Focus on Leading the Team5.1.5. Challenge 5: Shifting Team and Organizational Priorities5.1.6. Challenge 6: Difficulty Managing Poor Performers5.2. Raygen Company Slump: How Would You Handle It?5.3. Virtual Team Leadership Self-Assessment5.4. What Makes an Effective Virtual Team Leader?5.4.1. Differentiator 1: Ability to Effectively Manage Change5.4.1.1. Step 1: Envisioning Change.5.4.1.2. Step 2: Building Support for Change.5.4.1.3. Step 3: Implementing Change.5.4.2. Differentiator 2: Ability to Foster an Atmosphere of Collaboration5.4.3. Differentiator 3: Ability to Communicate Team Goals and Direction5.4.4. Differentiator 4: Strong Interpersonal Communication Skills5.4.5. Differentiator 5: Ability to Empower Team Members5.5. Obstacles at a Glance: A Quick Reference Guide5.6. Conclusion
6. What Factors Really Accelerate Virtual Team Performance—The Four Top Performance Boosters
6.1. Taking Virtual Team Performance to the Next Level6.1.1. Performance Booster 1: Provide Coaching and Support6.1.2. Performance Booster 2: Gain Team Members' Commitment6.1.2.1. Rational Persuasion.6.1.2.2. Inspirational Appeals.6.1.2.3. Consultation.6.1.2.4. Collaboration.6.1.3. Performance Booster 3: Recognize Team Members' Contributions6.1.4. Performance Booster 4: Hold Team Members Accountable6.1.4.1. Ask Three Accountability Questions.6.1.4.2. Be Aware of the Possibility of a Defensive Response and Reduce It.6.2. Conclusion
7. How to Facilitate High-Impact Virtual Meetings—Techniques That Really Work
7.1. The Facilitator's Role7.2. V-Meeting Checklist7.3. Building a V-Meeting Agenda7.4. Keeping Virtual Meetings on Track7.5. Dealing with Other Common Challenges7.5.1. Scheduling7.5.2. Communication7.5.3. Matching Technology to the Task7.6. Conclusion
Conclusion: Six Lessons for Successful Virtual Teams
7.7. Lesson 1: Focus on People Issues7.8. Lesson 2: No Trust, No Team7.9. Lesson 3: "Soft" Skills Are Essential7.10. Lesson 4: Watch Out For Performance Peaks7.11. Lesson 5: Create a "High-Touch" Environment7.12. Lesson 6: Virtual Team Leadership Matters7.13. Closing Thoughts
A. OnPoint's Global Virtual Team Study
A.1. Study BackgroundA.2. Study MethodologyA.3. Team DemographicsA.4. Team Leader DemographicsA.5. Criteria for Identifying Top-Performing TeamsA.6. What Factors Impact Team Effectiveness?A.7. Team Leader Findings
Notes
A.8. IntroductionA.9. Chapter OneA.10. Chapter ThreeA.11. Chapter FourA.12. Chapter FiveA.13. Chapter SixA.14. Chapter SevenA.15. Conclusion
About the Authors

Overview

Praise for Virtual Team Success

"There's no school for this yet, but when the first is established, Virtual Team Success: A Practical Guide for Working and Leading from a Distance will certainly be the core curriculum."

—Jessica Lipnack and Jeffrey Stamps, CEO and co-founders, NetAge

"Virtual Team Success is a must have for anyone managing geographically-dispersed teams. DeRosa and Lepsinger bring experience and credentials to guide us all through the labyrinth of problems that so often derail virtual teams. As our global businesses become increasingly complex, I can't imagine a more timely or better resource."

—Jay Moldenhauer-Salazar, vice president, talent management, The Gap

"For global teams that want to be top-performing, Virtual Team Success should be their team handbook. It's loaded with tools, checklists, models, and practical recommendations for working and leading from a distance. This is the kind of book virtual teams really need to be successful. I've been waiting for a book like this and look forward to recommending it as a resource that can help improve the performance of our teams!"

—Kathleen McGuire, manager organizational development, Bayer Healthcare HR Global Leadership Development

"Virtual teams are intended to make optimal use of expertise spread across the world, but performance excellence is the exception and mediocrity the rule. After extensive and careful study of real teams, DeRosa and Lepsinger have captured essential information, principles of operation, and tools in a highly readable volume that can help thoughtful readers elevate the performance of the teams significantly. The practical focus, collection of techniques and tools, and "how to" tips provide an essential foundation for anyone with virtual team responsibility. The organization of the book centered around challenges, differentiators, and lessons will facilitate finding answers to any problem the team faces. The RAMP model makes it easy to focus on what's important in enabling top performance."

—Mike Beyerlein, professor, Organizational Leadership, Purdue University

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