Virtual Team Building and Management

There are an estimated one billion virtual workers in 2012,
and the number is expected to continue climbing well into
the future. With a global workforce you are provided with a
cost effective and talented pool of employees to draw from.
With a virtual team you are given a Follow the Sun
production environment.
With a virtual team you have the normal issues of a localized
team, with the additional challenges of distance and cultural differences. Virtual Team Building andManagement will give you participants the knowledge to work with these  challenges and succeed in a growing global workforce.

Course Outline:

Module One: Getting Started
• Housekeeping Items
• The Parking Lot
• Workshop Objectives
• Pre-Assignment
• Action Plans and Evaluations

Module Two: Setting up Your Virtual Team (I)
• Choose Self-Motivated People with Initiative
• Face to Face Meeting At First
• Diversity Will Add Value
• Experienced with Technology
• Case Study
• Module Two: Review Questions

Module Three: Setting Up Your Virtual Team (II)
• Personality Can Count as Much as Skills
• Rules of Engagement
• Setting up Ground Rules
• Icebreakers and Introductions
• Case Study
• Module Three: Review Questions

Module Four: Virtual Team Meetings
• Scheduling Will Always be an Issue
• Have a Clear Objective and Agenda
• Solicit Additional Topics in Advance
• Discourage Just Being Status Reports
• Case Study
• Module Four: Review Questions

Module Five: Communication (I)
• Early and Often
• Rules of Responsiveness
• Face to Face When Possible
• Choose the Best Tool
• Case Study
• Module Five: Review Questions

Module Six: Communication (II)
• Be Honest and Clear
• Stay in Constant Contact
• Don’t Make Assumptions
• Setup Email Protocols
• Case Study
• Module Six: Review Questions

Module Seven: Building Trust
• Trust Your Team and They Will Trust You
• Be Aware of "Us vs. Them" Territorial Issues
• Share Best Practices
• Create a Sense of Ownership
• Case Study
• Module Seven: Review Questions

Module Eight: Cultural Issues
• Respect and Embrace Differences
• Be Aware of Different Work Styles
• Know Your Team Members Cultural Background
• Dealing with Stereotypes
• Case Study
• Module Eight: Review Questions

Module Nine: To Succeed With a Virtual Team
• Set Clear Goals
• Create a SOP"s
• Build a Team Culture
• Provide Timely Feedback
• Case Study
• Module Nine: Review Questions

Module Ten: Dealing With Poor Team Players
• Manage Their Results, Not Their Activities
• Be Proactive Not of Reactive
• Check in Often
• Remove Them
• Case Study
• Module Ten: Review Questions

Module Eleven: Choosing the Right Tools
• Communication Software
• Collaboration and Sharing Tools
• Project Management Software
• Use Whatever Works for You and Your Team
• Case Study
• Module Eleven: Review Questions

Module Twelve: Wrapping Up
• Words from the Wise
• Review of Parking Lot
• Lessons Learned
• Completion of Action Plans and Evaluations