international leadership
TRANSCRIPT
Ganna Skytova,
PhD, CPM IPMA-Level-С
Leadership in an international
project
Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym
Hetman
Business Strategy Department
International Master Course Week
EDUCATING FOR GLOBAL
COMPETENCE University of Applied
Sciences bfi Vienna
22 –27 February 2015
What are these about?
Agenda:
1. Сhallenges of leading on
distance
2. The problem of trust as a leader
3. Сultural influences on leadership
Leadership – what is it?
Getting a group of people to work successfully as a team is difficult even when the team members are all in the same location.
When team members are spread out in various locations, it presents new obstacles for the team leader.
Here are some of the potential pitfalls that leaders of dispersed teams need to look out for and how they can keep them from hindering team performance.
Leading of dispersed teams
Leadership
for working together
Work hours
Shared calendars
Level of formality
Preferred communication style
File-sharing practices
Delivering feedback
Problem-solving
Socializing
Common problemsof leading on distance
Not being responsive.
Failing to meet regularly.
Lack of technical support.
Leaving them out of the loop
Forgetting to regularly reassess the arrangement
Treating remote and in-office workers differently
Thinking of them only as workers, not people
Leading on distance:
lessons for success
Lesson 1: No trust, no team
Lesson 2: Create a high-touch environment
Lesson 3: Watch out for performance peaks
Lesson 4: Empower your team members
Lesson 5: Soft skills are essential
Lesson 6: Motivation is critical for success
Lesson 1: No trust, no team
Bring your team together face to face at least
once early on.
Develop a team page where virtual team
members can share information and get to know
one another.
Build a collective “resource bank” to share
experiences.
Find ways to “spotlight” team members.
Send newsletters or updates to the team.
Partner team members at different locations and rotate them periodically.
Lesson 2:
Create a high-touch environment Leverage synchronous tools (e.g., instant messaging and
videoconferencing) to increase spontaneous
communication.
Use tools such as electronic bulletin boards
to create a sense of shared space.
Carefully choose communication technologies
that match the specific task.
Develop a communication strategy but re-examine these
processes over time (e.g., how often the team will meet,
what technologies are best for certain tasks, and how the team will make decisions and share information).
Lesson 3:
Watch out for performance peaks1. Clearly define team roles and accountabilities to
minimize frustration and misunderstandings that can
damage morale and derail productivity.
2. Review team processes regularly.
3. Periodically collect feedback from various
stakeholders to assess the team’s performance.
4. Based on the outcomes, identify barriers to high
performance, as well as steps that you can take to overcome these barriers.
Lesson 4:
Empower your team members Ensure you understand each team member’s role and your role
related to team decisions and activities.
Set people up for success by clarifying expectations, who’s
accountable, and the due date for a task or assignment.
Have regular calls or check-in meetings to review progress on
team goals or deliverables. Don’t wait until the due date to check
in.
Keep your promises and commitments. As soon as you realize
that you cannot meet a commitment, let team members know and
solicit their advice to get things done.
Don’t affix blame when a deadline is missed or a commitment is
not met. Instead, encourage people to ask three “accountability questions”
Lesson 5: Soft skills are essential
Use selection criteria or assessments when
identifying potential virtual team members.
Hold team-building sessions—ideally conducted at
an initial or subsequent face-to-face team meeting—
to help team members get to know each other
personally, strengthen working relationships and
create team momentum that can enhance team
effectiveness.
Assess development needs for team members and
team leaders, and conduct skill building
Reassess needs over time.
Lesson 6: Motivation is critical for success
3 key factors can lead to increased levels of
motivation for virtual teams:
1. Team members help one another accomplish
shared objectives. They work together
effectively and respond quickly when problems
arise.
2. The team effectively handles team conflict
rather than ignoring issues and conflicts that
exist.
3. Team members understand how the team’s
work contributes to the success of the
organization.
What is team motivation?
Strategies to motivate virtual team members
Brand your team. Create a group identity by
developing a team name, slogan, logo or
other insignia. Team branding can be a great
way to establish strong group identification
and even team pride.
Get to know what motivates each member
of the team (e.g., affiliation, accomplishment,
independence, safety, power, etc.) and try to
assign work that aligns with those factors.
Strategies to motivate virtual team members
Frequently recognize successes, and make
them visible, especially when other team
members have significant achievements.
Set challenging performance expectations
that require people to stretch and pick up new
skills and knowledge.
Provide interesting assignments that
are outside the normal work routine. (Make sure to give these types of assignments to
everyone on the team, not just to the one or two
people whom you like the best or trust the most.)
Conduct periodic face-to-face meetings, or
use technologies such as video conferencing
to engage and motivate team members.
Strategies to motivate virtual team members
Reinforce the team’s sense of purpose
by periodically reminding team members
how what they are doing relates to the “big picture.”
Prevent misunderstanding Visualize the recipient.
Envision the person you are writing the message to, instead of a screen.
Provide context.
Add enough information for the person to understand your message. If you receive a file and reply “Fine,” that could mean that you think the work is adequate or excellent.
Speak their language.
Learn team members’ communication styles, so you understand whether the best way to reach them is with hard data or an anecdote, whether they prefer “just the facts” messages or a bit of chitchat too.
Choose the best way to communicate
Phone
Instant message
Social networks
Pick up the phone when:
You need to discuss a sensitive subject
and talking in person isn’t an option.
Your tone of voice or the person’s
reactions will be important to
understanding.
You are discussing a complex topic.
You want to make a personal connection.
Send an email when:
You don’t need an immediate
response.
You will need a written record of
the exchange.
Tip: Follow up a phone discussion with a
brief email outlining what you have both
agreed to do.
You need to attach a document.
Tap out an instant message when:
You need an immediate answer and the person
is available.
Caution: Frequent messages will be distracting and hamper
productivity!
You aren’t exchanging confidential or sensitive
information. IM is best for informal purposes.
You don’t want to exchange pleasantries. Stick to
the point when using IM, because it is an
interruption.
Note: Some IM programs allow you to archive chats, documenting the messages.
Expect a variety of cultural values Response to authority and hierarchy.
Group focus.
Relationship building.
Communication styles.
Time orientation.
Change and risk taking.
Motivation and work/life balance.
You will be biased by your background too,
so be open to new ways of working!
References Leadership in Action: Going the Distance: The Challenges of Leading a
Dispersed Team by Sonya Prestridge, Michael E. Kossler Publisher: Center for
Creative Leadership, 2004
Managing Across Cultures, Charlene M. Solomon and Michael S. Schell,
McGraw-Hill, www.mhprofessional.com.
Rachel Grove “Collaborative Bandwidth: Creating Better Virtual
Meetings,” Organization Development Journal’s special issue on “OD in the
Digital Age” (Winter 2014, Vol. 32, No. 4).
Froggatt, C. Work Naked: Eight Essential Principles for Peak Performance in the
Virtual Workplace (JosseyBass, 2001
Richard Lepsinger, Darleen DeRosa. Virtual Team Success: A Practical Guide for
Working and Leading from a Distance - John Wiley & Sons
How seeing the big picture could bring success, fulfillment By Rose Hoare, CNN
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/30/business/beyond-goals-career/
Thanks for attention!
Are there any questions?
Ganna Skytova
PhD in Economics, CPM , IPMA 4-L-C
Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym
Hetman
Business Strategy Department