1. © ZOOM Collaborate
A virtual team is a group of
two or more people…
What is a Virtual Team?
…who work in concert but in
different locations to achieve
a shared goal.
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2. © ZOOM Collaborate 2
The Benefits of
Virtual Teams
 Access a wider pool of talent.
 Physical presence in global
markets.
 Diversity of thinking.
 Boost productivity.
 Save time and money.

3. © ZOOM Collaborate 3
Virtual Teams Often Fail
More than 3/4 of global teams fail.*
from: Building an Effective Global Business Team, MIT Sloan Management Review
≠
Why?
Take a Guess: Your estimate for the percentage of global teams that fail
* defined as: not meeting their goals.

4. © ZOOM Collaborate 4
Virtual teams face unique challenges

5. © ZOOM Collaborate 5
A Staying Aligned
Sometimes or often, team members…
 Aren’t clear about team goals and
priorities.
 Are on so many teams that they
can’t devote enough time to each.
 Display “win-lose” attitudes and
behaviors.
 Lose track of who’s responsible for
what or default to managing their
own “to do” lists.

6. © ZOOM Collaborate 6
Without face-to-face contact,
sometimes or often, team members
don’t…
 Know much about each other –
home or work life.
 Feel comfortable saying what’s on
our minds.
 Ask for or give direct feedback.
 Form positive, collegial bonds.
B Building Rapport and Trust

7. © ZOOM Collaborate 7
Sometimes or often, we:
 Depend on e-mail for communication,
even though our messages can be
misunderstood.
 Don’t share relevant information or
involve each other other in decisions
that affect us.
 Have unproductive and tiresome
meetings.
 Simply check out.
C Communication and Engagement

8. © ZOOM Collaborate 8
Sometimes or often, we…
 Can’t schedule meetings in a timely
fashion.
 Don’t understand what others are
saying.
 Have difficulty making ourselves
understood.
 Worry that we may say the wrong thing.
D Different Cultures and Time Zones

9. © ZOOM Collaborate 9
What’s the Answer?
How can I help my
virtual employees work
better as a team?

10. © ZOOM Collaborate 10
Best Practices for Leading Remote Teams
1
2
3
5
4
VIRTUAL
VELCRO

11. © ZOOM Collaborate
Help Team
Members Get to
know each other
and stay
connected.
11
Best Practice #1
STAYING
ALIGNED
BUILDING RAPPORT
& TRUST
WORKING ACROSS
CULTURES &
TIME ZONES
COMMUNICATION
&
ENGAGEMENT
1 2
3
5
4

12. © ZOOM Collaborate
At work. At home.
On the path of life.
12
Get to know each other and stay connected.
1

13. © ZOOM Collaborate 13
Professional Background and Experiences
1
Where team members are located and who they’re networked with
Virtual team members’ professional
background and experience
Other roles that teammates have played
and people they’ve worked with

14. © ZOOM Collaborate 14
Personal Background and Experiences
1

15. © ZOOM Collaborate 15
1Get to know each other and stay connected.
For emotional well-being, our hearts need a dose of
authentic human connection each day.

16. © ZOOM Collaborate 16
Best Practice #2
STAYING
ALIGNED
BUILDING RAPPORT
& TRUST
WORKING ACROSS
CULTURES &
TIME ZONES
COMMUNICATION
&
ENGAGEMENT
2
3
5
4
Bring your
common
purpose to life.
Help Team
Members Get to
know each other
and stay
connected.

17. © ZOOM Collaborate
In the rush of daily activity, and
the great distances between us,
we sometimes forget that…
Purpose is the reason for your
existence as a team; what you’re
here to do; your mission.
17
Common Purpose
we’re inextricably tied together.
2

18. © ZOOM Collaborate
It’s the
right thing
to do
It makes
sense
It’s
meaningful
to me
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Bring your team’s common purpose to life.
2

19. © ZOOM Collaborate 19
Best Practice #3
STAYING
ALIGNED
BUILDING RAPPORT
& TRUST
WORKING ACROSS
CULTURES &
TIME ZONES
COMMUNICATION
&
ENGAGEMENT
35
4
Build and
abide by
operating
agreements.
Bring your
common
purpose to life.
Help Team
Members Get to
know each other
and stay
connected.

20. © ZOOM Collaborate 20
Operating Agreements
A set of agreed-upon behaviors…
based on mutual expectations…
that define how to work together.
Types of Agreements
• Meeting protocols
• How to make decisions
• Roles and responsibilities
• How to communicate and share
Information
• Individual, team & cultural
courtesies
3

21. © ZOOM Collaborate 21
Best Practice #4
STAYING
ALIGNED
BUILDING RAPPORT
& TRUST
WORKING ACROSS
CULTURES &
TIME ZONES
COMMUNICATION
&
ENGAGEMENT
45
Build and
abide by
operating
agreements.
Meet online
and share a
common visual
workspace.
Bring your
common
purpose to life.
Help Team
Members Get to
know each other
and stay
connected.

22. © ZOOM Collaborate 22
Common Visual Workspace
4
Use GTM to meet, connect and
collaborate.
What to Share:
• PowerPoint Presentations, with
interactive capability
• Applications, with interactive capability
(e.g.,: Word Docs)
• Video
• Annotations on a Whiteboard
• Podio
The place where online meeting
attendees focus their attention
together.
It’s not just for presentations!

23. © ZOOM Collaborate 23
Best Practice #5
STAYING
ALIGNED
BUILDING RAPPORT
& TRUST
WORKING ACROSS
CULTURES &
TIME ZONES
COMMUNICATION
&
ENGAGEMENT
5
Build and
abide by
operating
agreements.
Meet online
and share a
common visual
workspace.
Reveal your
thinking and ask
for others’
perspectives.
Bring your
common
purpose to life.
Help Team
Members Get to
know each other
and stay
connected.

24. © ZOOM Collaborate 24
Virtual Velcro: Reveal Your Thinking
People can feel:
 Misunderstood
 Confused
 Lost
 Disconnected
 In conflict
When we use electronic technology –
asynchronous or real-time –
communication can go awry.
 In face-to-face environments,
behavior cues and informal
interactions help us understand how
others operate.
 When working remotely, being
explicit and revealing your thinking
helps replace those cues and
connections.
VIRTUAL
5