Manager's Guide to Virtual Teams

Manager's Guide to Virtual Teams

by Kimball Fisher, Mareen Fisher
Released June 2011
Publisher(s): McGraw-Hill
ISBN: 9780071761543

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Book description

Get solid collaboration from team members in remote locations

Globalization and new technologies have made team collaboration from distant geographical locations—on the road, from home or client sites, even on the other side of the globe—a routine part of business. Managing these teams requires new skills and sensitivities to maximize team and organizational performance.

Emphasizing pragmatism over theory and offering helpful tips instead of vague observations, Manager’s Guide to Virtual Teams helps you bridge the communication gaps created by geographical separation and get peak performance from employees you rarely see. You will learn how to:

  • Keep team members in remote locations motivated and involved
  • Coach for peak performance via e-mail, telephone, teleconference, and videoconference
  • Help widely scattered team members understand their contribution to the business
  • Build consensus for decisions among virtual team members
  • Learn effective communication and feedback techniques for enhancing team performance

Briefcase Books, written specifically for today’s busy manager, feature eye-catching icons, checklists, and sidebars to guide managers step by step through everyday workplace situations. Look for these innovative features to help you navigate each page:

  • Clear definitions of key terms and concepts
  • Tactics and strategies for managing virtual teams
  • Tricks of the trade for executing effective management techniques
  • Practical advice for minimizing the possibility of error
  • Warning signs for when things are about to go wrong
  • Examples of successful virtual managing
  • Specific planning procedures, tactics, and hands-on techniques

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Manager’s Guide to Virtual Teams
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. Preface
  7. 1. What Is a Virtual Team?
    1. The Challenges of Working with Virtual Teams
    2. Why Are Virtual Teams Becoming So Common?
    3. Defining Virtual Teams
    4. What’s in This Book?
    5. Manager’s Checklist for Chapter 1
  8. 2. Managing Space, Time, and Culture
    1. The Three Key Variables Affecting Virtual Teams
    2. What Besides Geography Causes Cultural Distance?
    3. Use Whatever Advantages You Have
    4. Manager’s Checklist for Chapter 2
  9. 3. The Seven Competencies of Effective Virtual Team Leaders
    1. The Seven Competencies of Virtual Team Leaders
    2. Distance Manager Effectiveness Assessment
    3. Manager’s Checklist for Chapter 3
  10. 4. What Virtual Team Employees Need from Their Manager
    1. How Do You Control Distance Workers?
    2. What Do Virtual Team Members Need from Their Leaders?
    3. Manager’s Checklist for Chapter 4
  11. 5. Bridging Cultural Differences
    1. TechWorld Mini-Case Study
    2. How Do Cultures Differ?
    3. Dealing with Different Country-of-Origin Cultures
    4. Cultural Self-Awareness Assessment
    5. Manager’s Checklist for Chapter 5
  12. 6. Starting Up (or Refocusing) a Virtual Team
    1. Selecting Virtual Team Members
    2. Orientation for New Virtual Team Members
    3. Creating a Team Charter 66 Practical Tips for Chartering
    4. Role Clarification
    5. Operating Guidelines
    6. Technology-Use Protocols
    7. Setting Technology Protocols
    8. Manager’s Checklist for Chapter 6
  13. 7. Building Trust from a Distance
    1. The Problematic E-Mail
    2. Tips for Developing Trust
    3. How Overcoming Isolation in Virutal Teams Builds Trust
    4. Celebrating from a Distance
    5. Manager’s Checklist for Chapter 7
  14. 8. Using Telephonic Collaboration Technologies
    1. Mini-Case Study: A Day in the Life of a Virtual Team Leader
    2. Using Communication Technologies Effectively
    3. Effective Phone Use
    4. Telephone Tips
    5. Effective Teleconferencing
    6. Tips for Effective Teleconferences
    7. Instant Messaging
    8. Videophones
    9. Manager’s Checklist for Chapter 8
  15. 9. Using Videoconferencing and Internet-Based Collaboration Tools
    1. Videoconferencing
    2. Using E-Mail—Without Letting It Take Over Your Life
    3. Web Conferencing
    4. Using Whiteboards
    5. Social Networking
    6. Manager’s Checklist for Chapter 9
  16. 10. Improving the Business IQ of Team Members
    1. Understanding Your Business
    2. Basic Economics
    3. Understanding Customer Expectations
    4. Working with Business Partners
    5. Improving the Value Chain
    6. Manager’s Checklist for Chapter 10
  17. 11. Teaching Finance Fundamentals to Virtual Teams
    1. Budgets
    2. Calculating a Cost/Benefit Analysis
    3. Understanding Profit
    4. Reading Income Statements
    5. Financial Terms and Concepts
    6. Manager’s Checklist for Chapter 11
  18. 12. Improving Communication and Feedback Skills
    1. The Communication Process
    2. Empathic Listening
    3. Giving Feedback
    4. Receiving Feedback
    5. Manager’s Checklist for Chapter 12
  19. 13. Creative Problem Solving for Virtual Teams
    1. Six-Step Problem-Solving Process
    2. Problem-Solving Tools
    3. Creativity Tools
    4. Manager’s Checklist for Chapter 13
  20. 14. Managing Performance from a Distance
    1. Performance Management Basics
    2. Goal Setting and Accountability Systems
    3. Mini-Case: Lars and the Disconnected Team Members
    4. Six-Step Goal-Setting Process
    5. Individual Development Plans
    6. Socratic Coaching
    7. Manager’s Checklist for Chapter 14
  21. 15. Effective Decision Making over Distance
    1. Decision-Making Challenges
    2. Common Decision-Making Methods
    3. Why Virtual Teams Usually Use Consensus
    4. Reaching Consensus as a Virtual Team
    5. Manager’s Checklist for Chapter 15
  22. 16. Virtual Team Building
    1. Two Types of Team Building
    2. Assessing Virtual Team Effectiveness
    3. Road-Tested Team-Building Examples
    4. Manager’s Checklist for Chapter 16
  23. 17. Maintaining a Balanced Personal and Work Life
    1. The Work and Home Life Balance Problem
    2. A Brief History of Organizational Design
    3. The Technology Tether
    4. The Personal System
    5. Tips for Working at Home
    6. Manager’s Checklist for Chapter 17
  24. Index

Product information

  • Title: Manager's Guide to Virtual Teams
  • Author(s): Kimball Fisher, Mareen Fisher
  • Release date: June 2011
  • Publisher(s): McGraw-Hill
  • ISBN: 9780071761543