Virtual Management

In today's world of work a successful people manager has to be good at a wide range of skills that were not as critical a mere generation ago. Virtual management - no surprise - has become important in leading teams because in this new business environment, yesterday's methods of managing people and projects are no longer sufficient. These tactics worked when business was simpler and may even have helped you get promoted to your current level, but as diversity fosters complexity, managers face greater leadership challenges.

Do you remember the days when you could actually walk down the halls and drop in on your direct reports? In the days of so-called MBWA (managing by walking around) you could talk with people face-to-face, get a sense of how they think things are going, and listen to what's on their minds. It was possible to observe meetings, watch the team's interactions and even sit in on difficult conversations. A performance evaluation could include examples of things you personally observed. You could find out what's really going on as your team members strolled into your office and vice versa. Easy to check out family photos, learn about their personal hobbies and build a relationship over lunch. In truth management was never an easy activity, but few would disagree that it's a lot more complicated now.

Welcome to your virtual reality; welcome to virtual management!

Leaders of virtual teams are challenged to create a smooth operation in spite of the many differences at play. Greater diversity in the workforce is a by-product of virtual teams, since professionals with different backgrounds, styles, and languages work at 'the same table'. Possibilities for misunderstanding and cultural blunders get magnified in such situations.

If you are charged with ensuring a cohesive team that delivers results, it's a good idea to expand your tools and techniques. Leaders and managers must be flexible and adaptable in a diverse workforce that includes a mix of different worldviews, communication styles and behaviors across a wide range of colleagues, vendors and clients.

Virtual management presents constant challenges, even at small companies - since there's a good chance you interact virtually with global audiences. The good news is that you are not alone. These are common challenges that are faced across a wide range of organizations. So how are you going to excel at managing your virtual team?

Throughout this blog section, I will give tips and strategies for virtual management to help ensure that your virtual team is set up for success. These best practices will enable you to establish the human connection in a virtual world and set up your team with processes for getting high quality deliverables out the door. For more information on the best practices for your virtual team, check out my book A Manager's Guide to Virtual Teams.

Managing Virtual Project Teams: Virtual Team Meetings

Yael’s Webinar on Managing Virtual Project Teams Meetings Join Yael Zofi on August 30th for a webinar focused on managing virtual project teams called: How to Effectively Lead Virtual Team Meetings. This 90-Minute live Session begins at 1:00 EST and

Virtual Teams Video Cliff Note #6: Four Types of Conflict in Virtual Teams

Watch This Video About the Four Types of Conflict in Virtual Teams We began a ‘Virtual Teams Video Cliff Notes’ Series to guide managers in conflict in virtual teams. The series contains ten employee relationship management articles, and features short

SHRM Conference Session on Virtual Teams Project Management

Check Out Yael’s Presentation on Virtual Teams Project Management Virtual teams project management is very prominent these days. For the next two weeks our blog posts will focus on the upcoming SHRM Conference in Atlanta, where Yael Zofi will be

Virtual Teams Video Cliff Note #3- Team Building Strategies

Team Building Strategies for Team Setup on Your Virtual Team Using team building strategies for setting up and building a virtual team is often a forgotten step. Top talent, good intentions and high expectations don’t guarantee success in the virtual

Offshore Project Teams: When You Don’t See Someone Regularly, It Is Difficult To Manage Their Career Progression. Myth or Reality?

Find Out The Reality Behind This Offshore Project Teams Myth Welcome back to Five Myths and Realities of Offshore Project Teams. This week we explore: MYTH 4: WHEN YOU DON’T SEE SOMEONE REGULARLY, IT IS DIFFICULT TO MANAGE THEIR CAREER

Balancing Technology Management and Leadership in Virtual Teams.

Balancing Technology Management and Leadership Myth or Reality? Technology On Virtual Teams Is Most Important. Welcome to Myths and Realities of Virtual Teams. This week we explore Balancing Technology Management and Leadership in Virtual Teams Myth #3. Myth #3: TECHNOLOGY ON

Building a Virtual Team with the Best People

Last week we introduced the Five Myths and Realities of Virtual Teams and explored the first myth of the building a virtual team and balancing technology management and leadership series.This week we are moving to myth #2: Building a Virtual Team

Leadership In A Virtual World: The Virtual Landscape

Check out These Tips For Leadership In A Virtual World What has changed for managers for leadership in a virtual world? Remember the days when you could actually walk down the hall and “drop in” on members of your team?

Tips for Managers Balancing Technology Management and Leadership

Keeping Your Virtual Team Connected by Balancing Technology Management and Leadership What are some of the challenges of balancing technology management and leadership? Today’s knowledge workers can work productively anywhere, thanks to mobile devices, fast network access and online collaboration

An Exciting Session on Employee Relationship Management With Yael Zofi

Employee Relationship Management Complementary Webinar Series This week I will be presenting a complementary employee relationship management webinar on leading virtual team meetings. The session will focus on specific solutions to the unique leadership in a virtual world issues faced