Virtual Leadership: Effectively Managing in a Virtual Environment

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Virtual LeadershipEffectively Managing in a
Virtual Environment

• Ellen Marriott, SPHR
• Sr VP Human Resources
• Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
• February 21, 2006

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Growth of Telecommuting in Todays Economy1

• Census Bureau notes that from 1990 to 2000, the
  number of people who worked from home grew by 23
  - more than twice the rate of growth of the total
  labor market
• Roughly 4.5 million Americans telecommute most
  work days
• Approximately 20 million telecommute for some
  period at least once per month
• Nearly 45 million telecommute at least once per
  year
• Many strong social trends suggest telecommuting
  will become even more prevalent in the future
• The Quiet Success Telecommutings Impact on
  Transportation and Beyond, Policy Study 338 by
  Ted Balaker, November 2005, Reason Foundation

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Virtual Management

• Virtual management may involve directing the work
  of those on your team who . . .
• Telecommute
• Work away from a central location
• Within the city
• Within the state
• Within the United States
• Internationally

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Managing in a Virtual Environment

• As our workplace evolves, it seems the rules for
  managing employees have changed.
• Effectively managing employees who telecommute or
  work throughout various locations presents a
  different set of challenges for todays managers.
  
• Find new ways to close interpersonal geographic
  distances to bring everyone together around
  common goals
• Need to focus on results and communicating with
  workers to maintain productivity

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• The goal of the manager is . . .
• To build a high performing virtual team which . .
  .
• Shares a clear and unified vision of the work to
  be done
• Values each others contributions
• Works together to build a future with the
  organization

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Key Components of Virtual Management

• Communication
• Building an Effective Team
• On-Boarding of New Employees
• Coaching
• Rewards and Recognition
• On-site Visits

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Communication

• As a manager, you are instrumental in setting the
  stage for strong two-way communication.
• Despite new technologies, effective communication
  hinges on a few fundamentals
• Timeliness
• Clarity
• Meaning
• Dependability
• Inclusiveness

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• Communication is easier when everyone you manage
  is in the same location -
• Impromptu Meetings
• Hallway Conversations
• Office Debriefs
• Challenge in a virtual environment is that there
  is no hallway, no cafeteria, no central meeting
  places to hold conversations.
• Your team could be across town or 3,000 miles and
  two time zones away.

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• How can you as a manager improve communications
  with your virtual team?
• Meetings
• Requiring Project Updates
• Holding Teleconferences Video Conferences
• Effective Voice Mail
• Effective Email
• Setting up a Communications Plan with your team
• Building Your own Communication Skills

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Building Effective Teams

• Employees separated by miles and even time zones
  may never actually meet face-to-face.
• The managers challenge is to create a team that
  is clear about its focus, appreciates each
  others differences, talents, and expertise and
  is able to address obstacles effectively.
• Being in multiple locations may slow the team
  building process, but it does not have to stop it
  in its tracks.

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• The following are tips that are effective for
  managing distributed teams
• Setting goals and objectives
• Developing team operating agreements
• Deciding how the team wants to work together
• Organizing and utilizing a shared database
• Dealing with Conflict
• Creating an inclusive environment
• Virtual Coffee

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On-Boarding of New Employees

• The manager and team are critical to assisting a
  new team member become comfortable and productive
  in a work group whether in a central location
  or virtual.
• The first few days can be nerve-wracking even for
  the most secure person But imagine you are a
  new employee whose manager is located in a
  different location, maybe even different time
  zone and hundreds of miles away.
• On boarding if done effectively can get the
  employee, and the team, off on the right foot.

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• Tips for on boarding the new employee
• Buddy Up!
• Create a Welcome Packet
• Build a network of resources
• Using your shared database
• The Six Great Welcomers

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Coaching

• Successfully managing in a virtual environment
  rests on a foundation of trust.
• Unfortunately, isolation can often breed
  distrust. Therefore, giving and receiving solid,
  practical feedback takes on a new importance.
• As a virtual leader, you must check in regularly
  with employees to find out how things are going,
  proactively address emerging problems, and help
  your team work to their potential.

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• The Coaching Structure
• Agree on a Topic
• Identify/Reiterate Objectives and Targets
• Promote Discovery
• Set the Parameters
• Authorize and Empower
• Recap
• Document/Follow up

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• Feedback Guidelines for the Virtual Workplace
• Be specific
• Focus on behaviors, not attitudes
• Be timely
• The Issue of Other Issues
• Dont Slather Positive Feedback on People

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Rewards and Recognition

• Creating a supportive, motivating environment is
  one of the most difficult aspects of managing a
  high-performing team in a virtual environment.
• How do you recognize exceptional performance in a
  meaningful way when no one is in the same place?
• SIMPLE! Take all the tools you have used
  successfully in the past and make them work
  virtually.

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• Find out what motivates your employees and build
  that feedback into the recognition process.
• Match the recognition and rewards to performance
  that is valuable to both the employee and the
  organization.
• Be fair. Distance often creates a larger than
  life perception of inequality. Go out of your
  way to make sure everyone has a fair opportunity
  to be recognized.
• Share the responsibility for recognition. Use
  your team for coming up with ideas around
  celebrating milestones. Hold everyone
  accountable for looking for opportunities to
  recognize each others accomplishments.

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On Site Visits

• Virtual managers have limited opportunities for
  the essential one-on-one personal contact.
• Getting away travel matching schedules can
  pose challenges for the manager.
• But after seeing the employee in action, the
  manager will have a much better appreciation for
  how the employee works, what he/she is working
  on, and how he/she is resolving major issues.

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• Three Steps to a Successful Visit
• Prepare for the visit
• Allow employee time to prepare for visit
• Review development plans
• Plan agendas to ensure time well spent
• Conduct meaningful meetings
• Make sure there is ample time to meet
• Use time to build relationships rather than just
  discuss work
• Look for clues about job satisfaction, any
  feelings of disconnection, etc
• Follow up
• Respond quickly to ideas or concerns raised
  during visit
• Address issues that are contributing to remote
  employees feelings of isolation

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• Managing in todays virtual environment does not
  have to be a daunting undertaking.
• It takes time, proactive planning and follow up
  to ensure that all are meeting the teams
  objectives as well as feeling actively engaged
  and fully developed as individual contributors
  and team players.
• Distance does not have to be a deterrent to
  success!

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• QUESTIONS?