Virtual Teams For Dummies

Virtual Teams For Dummies

by Tara Powers
Released July 2018
Publisher(s): For Dummies
ISBN: 9781119453802

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Book description

Set your virtual team on a path to success

In the global marketplace, people can work practically anywhere and anytime. Virtual teams cut across the boundaries of time, space, culture, and sometimes even organizations. Rising costs, global locations, and advances in technology are top reasons why virtual teams have increased by 800 percent over the past 5 years.

Packed with solid advice, interviews and case studies from well-known companies who are already using virtual teams in their business model and their lessons learned, Virtual Teams For Dummies provides rock-solid guidance on the essentials for building, leading, and sustaining a highly productive virtual workforce. It helps executives understand key support strategies that lead virtual teams to success and provides practical information and tools to help leaders and their teams bridge the communication gaps created by geographical separation—and achieve peak performance.

  • Includes research findings based on a year-long study on the effectiveness of virtual teams
  • Mindset and skill shift for managers from old school traditional team management to virtual team management
  • Covers the communication and relationship strategies for virtual teams
  • Examines how the frequency of in-person meetings affects a remote team’s success

Written by an award-winning leadership expert, this book is your one-stop resource on creating and sustaining a successful virtual team. 

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Introduction
    1. About This Book
    2. Foolish Assumptions
    3. Icons Used in This Book
    4. Where to Go from Here
  3. Part 1: Getting Started with Virtual Teams
    1. Chapter 1: The Big Picture of Virtual Teams
      1. Embracing the New Virtual Team Reality
      2. Sorting Out Virtual Team Concepts
      3. Understanding the Benefits and Challenges
      4. Jumping into the Virtual Workforce
      5. Assembling a Virtual Team
      6. Managing a Virtual Team
    2. Chapter 2: Envisioning Virtual Teams in Your Business
      1. Contemplating Using Virtual Teams
      2. Deciding Whether Virtual Teams Make Good Business Sense
      3. Deciding on Your Plan
      4. Setting Up Your Virtual Team for Success
      5. Paying Attention to What You Need
      6. Creating Connection and Community
    3. Chapter 3: Preparing for Your Career as a Virtual Team Member
      1. Deciding If Working Virtually Is Right for You
      2. Proposing Virtual Work to Your Boss and Teammates
      3. Determining Whether You Have a Workspace That Works
      4. Creating Your Remote Worker Brand
  4. Part 2: Building a Strong Virtual Team
    1. Chapter 4: Planning Ahead for Your Team’s Success
      1. Defining Your Team Purpose
      2. Choosing a Team Framework
      3. Establishing Team Goals: What Does Success Look Like?
      4. Determining Team Member Roles
    2. Chapter 5: Finding and Hiring the Right People
      1. Attracting Your Virtual Team Talent
      2. Hiring Based on Skill, Behavior, and Fit
      3. Seeking Out the Right Qualities in Virtual Team Members
      4. Holding the Candidate Interview
      5. Checking Out the Past
      6. Making an Offer
    3. Chapter 6: Contracting with Contract Workers
      1. Deciding Whether You Need a Contract
      2. Choosing to Work with an IC: What You Need to Do
      3. Requiring a Nondisclosure Agreement (NDA) or Not
      4. Navigating the Legalities of Noncompete Agreements
    4. Chapter 7: Structuring and Assembling Your Team
      1. Organizing Your Team the Smart Way
      2. Focusing on the Onboarding Process
      3. Establishing Team Values As Your Bumper Rails
      4. Identifying Team Traits That Build Cohesiveness
  5. Part 3: Creating and Nurturing a Productive Team Culture
    1. Chapter 8: Making Work Culture Considerations
      1. Grasping Why Company Culture Is Key
      2. Taking Note of Your Existing Organizational Culture
      3. Deciding What You Want Your Culture to Be
      4. Building and Maintaining the Culture You Want
      5. Noting the Benefits and Challenges of a Cross-Cultural Team
    2. Chapter 9: Managing Differences in Gender, Generation, and Culture
      1. Managing Gender Differences
      2. Connecting with the Generations on Your Team
      3. Building Your Cultural Intelligence
    3. Chapter 10: Transitioning from Old-School Manager to Virtual Team Leader
      1. Recognizing Which Leadership Style Works Best
      2. Playing in Your Sandbox
      3. Recognizing Common Virtual Team Issues
  6. Part 4: Getting Your Team Rolling
    1. Chapter 11: Establishing Best Practices of Engagement
      1. Addressing Personal Disengagement
      2. Having a Meaningful Team Purpose
      3. Using Clear Goals and Expectations to Build Engagement
      4. Building Your Road Map Together with Team Agreements
      5. Conducting Virtual Meetings That Have an Impact
      6. Practicing Virtual Meeting Etiquette
    2. Chapter 12: Building Trust and Rapport
      1. Getting Started: What You Can Do to Build (or Repair) Trust
      2. Leveraging Team Member Strengths
      3. Making Respect a Nonnegotiable
      4. Practicing Cultural Appreciation on Global Teams
      5. Giving Team Members Face Time
      6. Creating a Connection Culture That Transforms Trust
    3. Chapter 13: Adopting Best Practices in Communication
      1. Identifying Four Components to Transform Your Communications
      2. Looking Closer at Text-Only Communication
      3. Providing Consistent and Frequent Feedback
      4. Establishing Best Practices with Communication Agreements
      5. Utilizing the DISC Assessment Tool
    4. Chapter 14: Measuring Virtual Team and Team Member Success
      1. Tracking Virtual Team Success
      2. Measuring Data That Matters
      3. Recognizing the Engagement Levels of Your Team Members
    5. Chapter 15: Training Your Virtual Team
      1. Training during the First 90 Days
      2. Keeping Your Team Members on Top of Their Game with Ongoing Training
      3. Training Your Veteran Team Members
    6. Chapter 16: Checking All Things Technology: What You Need to Know
      1. Assessing the Right Fit for Your Team
      2. Choosing Only the Essential Tools Your Team Needs
      3. Training Team Members for Success
    7. Chapter 17: Rolling with the Changes
      1. Adjusting to Shifts in Team Membership
      2. Building Relationships as a New Leader
      3. Getting on Board with a New Team Goal
      4. Grounding Your Team after a Reorganization
  7. Part 5: Best Practices in Managing Your Virtual Team
    1. Chapter 18: Leading by Example
      1. Building a Connection Culture
      2. Focusing On a Healthy Lifestyle
      3. Discovering Your Legacy
    2. Chapter 19: Understanding What Drives Motivation
      1. Differentiating between Engaged and Passionate Team Members
      2. Creating a Passionate Team
      3. Using Positive Psychology to Create a Motivational Team Environment
    3. Chapter 20: Managing Workflow and Execution
      1. Starting Off on the Right Foot
      2. Clarifying How Work Flows through the Team
      3. Delegating Effectively to Your Virtual Team
      4. Knowing How to Communicate Externally Regarding Team Progress
  8. Part 6: The Part of Tens
    1. Chapter 21: Ten Predictors of Virtual Team Success
      1. Having the Right Technology
      2. Hiring the Right Team Leader
      3. Hiring the Right Team Members
      4. Establishing Clear Team Vision and Values
      5. Aligning Team Goals with Company Goals
      6. Having a Solid Team Agreement in Place
      7. Using a Communication Strategy
      8. Agreeing on a Process for Team Workflow
      9. Using an Onboarding Strategy for New Team Members
      10. Actively Managing Executive Perceptions
    2. Chapter 22: Ten Signs Your Organization Is Ready for Virtual Teams
      1. Having Champions on the Executive Team
      2. Having Empowered Leaders
      3. Leveraging a Supportive Culture
      4. Willing to Invest in Technology
      5. Addressing Issues Early
      6. Being Prepared for the Logistical Set Up
      7. Keeping the Team Focused
      8. Using an Onboarding Process
      9. Training Virtual Team Leaders
      10. Having a Clear Idea of Roles and Responsibilities
  9. About the Author
  10. Connect with Dummies
  11. Index
  12. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: Virtual Teams For Dummies
  • Author(s): Tara Powers
  • Release date: July 2018
  • Publisher(s): For Dummies
  • ISBN: 9781119453802