Yael’s Presentation on the Virtual Working Group at SHRM-LI Conference
This past Friday Yael Zofi spoke about the virtual working group at the 21st Annual SHRM-LI Conference. Her topic, Virtual Teams: Now and In The Future, drew in quite the crowd and was well received by over 300 attendees during both sessions.
A brief overview of Yael’s presentation:
Spurred by the rise of technology and globalization, there is a new face to the workforce – Virtual Work Teams. They are no longer a phenomenon…they are here to stay. Today people routinely work on projects with colleagues who do not work in the same building, the same city, or even the same country. Virtual work teams are reshaping the way we do business. But how to create and manage these teams is a skill that many managers have not yet been trained for. How do business leaders and managers establish rapport with employees across continents and cultural differences? Can a strong team be built from widely dispersed people who’ve never met one another? How do leaders and managers keep track of what everybody is doing and when? This workshop will examine the communication issues that are unique to teams that are not sitting in the same building or the same city; discuss how to achieve context communication in the virtual workplace. Common challenges like keeping team members engaged, bringing ‘lost riders’ into the fold and avoiding excessive multitasking will be addressed.
After kicking off the presentation with a video created by one of our AIM team members, Yael asked the audience to discuss the biggest challenges they face regarding virtual work teams. Many answers included technology and communication. She then introduced the eight characteristics of a high performing virtual working group and ended the session by giving attendees a Roadmap for Context Communication.
Here are the Eight Characteristics of a High Performing Virtual Working Group:
1. Global vs. Local Mindset
2. Mission /Common Purpose
3. Trust and Authenticity
4. Meaningful Communication
5. Flow of Information
6. Conflict Management Mechanism
7. Effective Work Systems
8. Positive Attitude
Copies of A Manager’s Guide to Virtual Teams and Communicating Through a Global Lens were available for purchase at both sessions and a copy of her latest book on virtual teams was raffled off during lunch.
The conference was a great success and provided many wonderful networking opportunities as well as lots of laughs thanks to the surprise keynote speaker at lunch!
Check out our gallery section for some pictures!
