International Association of Teamwork Facilitators

Virtual Teamwork Tool from Google: Google Plus Hangouts with Extras

Do you lead a virtual team that meets weekly?  If yes then you need to know about Google Plus Hangouts with Extras.

• Video chat for up to 10 people
• Document sharing
• Chat
• Screen sharing

All in one easy to use screen and it's all FREE!

I use this technology when teaching the "Death By Meeting" system to Virtual Teams.  It is especially helpful when identifying a Thematic Goal and Defining Objectives.

 

Virtual Teamwork Lessons Learned from Leading a Virtual Choir of 2,052

Many who lead virtual teams find the experience challenging.  Most who have difficulty working on virtual teams struggle because they are primarily operating from their head instead of their heart.

What is possible when you lead a virtual team with your heart?

Composer Eric Whitacre led a virtual choir of singers from around the world. In this TED Talk, Eric shares  the creative challenges of making music powered by YouTube, and unveils the first 2 minutes of his new work, "Sleep," with a video choir of 2,052.

 

 

Watch the entire 9 minute virsion of "Sleep" below.  This is amazing.

 

Working With A Virtual Team -- Free Video Training

Here's the full video (1 hr 13 min) of the panel presentation I was on at the spring 2010 conference of NTEN.org (the Nonprofit Technology Network).

Virtual workplaces are fast becoming commonplace. Shrinking carbon footprints, worker satisfaction and increased productivity are all good for employers (and arguably the planet), but what does it mean for you? How do you get someone’s attention when there’s no door to bang on? How can you trust someone you can’t see or manage in person? How can you enjoy the process and find satisfaction in the result?

Takeaways:

1. Strategies for establishing clear communications
2. Strategies for evaluating virtual vendors
3. Resources for working virtually
4. Three things to avoid that will absolutely doom your project

The panel was lead by Ian Rhett (CivicActions), Jenn Sramek (CivicActions) and Tom Heck (International Association of Teamwork Facilitators).

Learn how to lead a virtual team at the IATF Virtual Team Leader virtual training program.

NEW Virtual Team Leader course starts Friday June 4, 2010

NEW training for managers of Virtual Teams led by Tom Heck, President and Founder of the International Association of Teamwork Facilitators.

Learn How To Lead Virtual Teams In This Dynamic LIVE Distance Learning Program!

The Virtual Team Leader training program is designed for managers and supervisors who need real world solutions for leading remote teams.

• Delivered LIVE via telephone conference calls.  Fully participate from anywhere in the world; no travel required.
• Leverages the power of a dedicated and focused learning community; learn in the company of like-minded professionals.
• Application oriented.  You'll learn strategies, tactics and tools for leading virtual teams and then return to your group to apply what you've learned.  Then you'll return to class to share your success (or challenges) and receive support and coaching from the instructor and community.
• Professional instruction with personal attention.

CLICK HERE to register.  IATF members receive a discount!

How To Lead Effective Telephone Conference Calls with Virtual Teams by Brian Burt, CEO and Founder of MaestroConference

Too many Virtual Teams suffer through telephone conference calls that are not only ineffective, they also suck the life blood out of the Virtual Team.

Knowing how to lead an engaging and effective telephone conference call with your Virtual Team is critical to your team's success.

Brian Burt can help solve your problems.  Brian is the CEO & Founder of MaestroConference, a powerful new and easy to use telephone conferencing technology.

MaestroConference helps teams connect and get stuff done with greater ease and efficiency.

Brian will be focusing on getting team members a goal or process, through interactivity, acknowledgment, and a meeting process for getting buy-in.  He's drawing on his experience not only as the CEO of a partially-virtual company, but as someone who has led many virtual teams throughout his career.

Questions we'll address include:

• How do you know if team members are on board with your goals?
• What steps do you take to acknowledge team members for their contributions, questions, and even for their quirks?
• What process do you use to help the team reach alignment? 

This event is part of the IATF Virtual Team Leader VIRTUAL CONFERENCE held December 8-11, 2009.  This event is designed for all who are new to leading Virtual Teams.  CLICK HERE to learn more.

Call Details

TITLE

Leading Virtual Team Telephone Conference Calls with Brian Burt

DATE

Friday, December 11, 2009

TIME

Starts at 3 pm Eastern (NY City time zone)
runs for 60 minutes

PRESENTERS

Brian Burt, CEO & Founder of MaestroConference
Tom Heck, President & Founder of the IATF

WHAT TO EXPECT

Come to the call ready to participate in small group discussions, share ideas and resources, ask questions, answer quick polls, and be fully engaged as we put the newest distance learning telephone conferencing technology to use!

RECORDING

This call is archived in the IATF Members Only Area.

COST

Free for all subscribers of the IATF free e-newsletter.

REGISTER HERE

CLICK  HERE to register.  Registration closed.

TELEPHONE CONFERENCING TECHNOLOGY

During this TeleSeminar we'll be using the newest telephone conferencing technology that provides a remarkably engaging experience.  CLICK HERE to learn more about this technology.

Street wise Virtual Team Leader Jenn Sramek shares hard earned lessons at the Virtual Team Leader VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

What's it really like leading a virtual team?

What's it really like having a deadline to meet TODAY and to meet that deadline you've got to coordinate the efforts of team members on 4 continents?

For this TeleSeminar, theory will be left at the door as we get down to street smart Virtual Team Leader wisdom earned the hard way.

Say hello to Jenn Sramek who is a Project Manager and Partner at CivicActions.com.  Jenn leads a team of 40 people in 8 timezones and 4 continents performing professional services for non-profits, progressive causes and triple-bottom-line businesses. 

CivicActions.com is a virtual internet strategy and implementation firm and Jenn is the woman in the middle, facilitating communication between the firm’s clients and her team. 

In this TeleSeminar, Jenn will share hard earned lessons from years of leading virtual teams.  There will be plenty of time for you to ask your questions directly of Jenn.

This event is part of the IATF Virtual Team Leader VIRTUAL CONFERENCE held December 8-11, 2009.  This event is designed for all who are new to leading Virtual Teams.  CLICK HERE to learn more.

Call Details

TITLE

Secrets To Dynamic Virtual Teams: Street Wise Virtual Team Leader Lessons with Jenn Sramek

DATE

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

TIME

Starts at 1 pm Eastern (NY City time zone)
runs for 60 minutes

PRESENTERS

Virtual Team Leader Jenn Sramek of CivicActions.com
Tom Heck, President & Founder of the IATF

WHAT TO EXPECT

Come to the call ready to participate in small group discussions, share ideas and resources, ask questions, answer quick polls, and be fully engaged as we put the newest distance learning telephone conferencing technology to use!

RECORDING

This call is archived in the IATF members only area.

COST

Free for all subscribers of the IATF free e-newsletter.

REGISTER HERE

CLICK HERE to register.  Registration closed.

TELEPHONE CONFERENCING TECHNOLOGY

During this TeleSeminar we'll be using the newest telephone conferencing technology that provides a remarkably engaging experience.  CLICK HERE to learn more about this technology.

Top 5 Mistakes of Virtual Team Leaders -- lessons from Shaun Callahan, Chief Involvement Officer at Groupsite.com

QUESTION:  Why does a Virtual Team exist?

ANSWER:  To get stuff done!

The problem is that too many Virtual Teams have difficulty getting stuff done.

What to do?

Meet Shaun Callahan.  He's the Chief Involvement Officer at Groupsite.com

Groupsite.com empowers groups of all types and sizes to communicate, share and network - the universal requirements for making things happen within groups. Groupsite.com empowers groups to achieve this through social collaboration quickly, easily, securely and at little or no cost.

Shaun will be one of many great guest speakers during next week's Virtual Team Leader VIRTUAL CONFERENCE.  The program is FREE for IATF members but you must register.  CLICK HERE to learn more.

Shaun has worked with organizations of all types to help them get stuff done.  Here's some of his advice for leaders of Virtual Teams:

Top 5 Mistakes of Virtual Team Leaders

MISTAKE # 1:  Assuming online collaboration is better than face-to face. It's not.

Avoid this by helping everyone upload their photos and encourage personal interaction (private message or phone) that reminds members that they are sharing ideas with real people, not just sharing ideas. Also, use real names only, no nicknames or avatars.

MISTAKE # 2:  Assuming everybody wants to share everything with everyone.  They may not.

Avoid this by allowing members to interact through private channels as well as in subgroups if they wish.

MISTAKE # 3:  Assuming everyone will hit the ground running on day one. Progressive engagement wins the day. Crawl, walk, run.

Avoid this by not asking members to do everything at once.  Start by simply asking them to upload their photo. Then maybe complete their bio. Eventually, they will post their first question or reply with their first answer post.

MISTAKE # 4:  Assuming your group agenda is the only agenda. Even in groups with a clear purpose, each member has their own specific needs that need to be met individually as well.

Avoid this by encouraging members to post their own personal objectives. As a group leader you should be aware of these objectives and realize that some may best be met by resources outside the group as well as within.

MISTAKE # 5:  Typing with emotion of the moment. You may not feel the same way by the time another group member reads your post.

Avoid this by re-reading all posts (and emails) before you hit send.

This event is part of the IATF Virtual Team Leader VIRTUAL CONFERENCE held December 8-11, 2009.  This event is designed for all who are new to leading Virtual Teams.  CLICK HERE to learn more.

Call Details

TITLE

Engaging Your Virtual Team - Top 5 Lessons

DATE

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

TIME

Starts at 3 pm Eastern (NY City time zone)
runs for 60 minutes

PRESENTERS

Shaun Callahan, Chief Involvement Officer at Groupsite.com
Tom Heck, President & Founder of the IATF

WHAT TO EXPECT

Come to the call ready to participate in small group discussions, share ideas and resources, ask questions, answer quick polls, and be fully engaged as we put the newest distance learning telephone conferencing technology to use!

RECORDING

This call is archived in the IATF members only area.

COST

Free for all subscribers of the IATF free e-newsletter.

REGISTER HERE

CLICK HERE to register.  Registration closed.

TELEPHONE CONFERENCING TECHNOLOGY

During this TeleSeminar we'll be using the newest telephone conferencing technology that provides a remarkably engaging experience.  CLICK HERE to learn more about this technology.

Virtual Teams expert Jessica Lipnack: Secrets to Unlocking Virtual Team Intelligence

Link to recording below.

Jessica Lipnack is the co-founder of NetAge.com and is a brilliant strategist when it comes to building high performing virtual teams.

Jessica was a guest speaker at the IATF Virtual Team Leader VIRTUAL CONFERENCE held December 8 - 11, 2009.  This event was designed for all who are new to leading Virtual Teams.

During this live an interactive call, Jessica shared valuable lessons for all who lead Virtual Teams. 

• We are ALL working on Virtual Teams -- what the research tells us about distance
• A Virtual Team will often follow the following path of development:  Storm - Form - Norm - Perform (co-located teams follow:  Form - Storm - Norm - Perform)
• Handling conflict
• The need for inspirational leaders on Virtual Teams
• Death to status reports
• Key attributes of Virtual Teams
• Can absence make a team grow stronger?
• Do you really need screen sharing?

Call Details

TITLE

90% people, 10% technology = Virtual Team Intelligence

DATE of this CALL

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

RECORDING

CLICK  HERE to download the recording of this IATF TeleSeminar.  

COST

Free for all subscribers of the IATF free e-newsletter.

REGISTER HERE

CLICK HERE to register.  Registration closed.

TELEPHONE CONFERENCING TECHNOLOGY

During this TeleSeminar we'll be using the newest telephone conferencing technology that provides a remarkably engaging experience.  CLICK HERE to learn more about this technology.

Virtual Team Leader VIRTUAL CONFERENCE December 8 - 11, 2009

IATF  Virtual Team Leader VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

4 Days to get you up to speed with leading virtual teams!

• Day 1:  Tuesday December 8, 2009
• Day 2:  Wednesday December 9, 2009
• Day 3:  Thursday December 10, 2009
• Day 4:  Friday December 11, 2009

Live TeleSeminars each day!

Live Guest Speakers!

Free Group Coaching! 

Special Bonuses!

Everything is recorded and posted on a password protected website and you get the key!

The Virtual Team Leader VIRTUAL CONFERENCE is designed for managers and supervisors who need real world solutions for leading remote teams.

• Delivered LIVE via telephone conference calls.  Fully participate from anywhere in the world; no travel required.

• Leverages the power of a dedicated and focused learning community; learn in the company of like-minded professionals.

• Application oriented.  You'll learn strategies, tactics and tools for leading virtual teams and then return to your group to apply what you've learned.  Then you'll return to class to share your success (or challenges) and receive support and coaching from the instructor and community.

• Professional instruction with personal attention.

• This program is designed for leaders who are new to the Virtual Team environment.

FREE for IATF members.

Register now!

CLICK HERE for more details

Patrick Lencioni shares the 3 most common mistakes of Virtual Teams

Patrick Lencioni is the author of several best selling business management books including "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" and "Death By Meeting".

In his February 2009 e-newsletter Lencioni outlines 3 mistakes a Virtual Team needs to avoid if it is to be successful:

• MISTAKE # 1:  Underestimating the challenges of being dispersed.
• MISTAKE # 2:  Wasting the precious time you (the Virtual Team) do spend together.
• MISTAKE # 3:  Failing to master the conference call (one of the most loathed and underestimated of all corporate activities)

Learn how you can avoid all 3 mistakes in my new Virtual Team Leader training course.  CLICK HERE for more information.

New Virtual Team Leader course starts March 16, 2009.  Receive a $100 discount when you use this "coupon code":  VTL100     NOTE:  coupon code expires at the end of the day on March 11, 2009.

Virtual Team Leader -- New Training Event for Managers of Remote Teams

New training for managers of Virtual Teams led by Tom Heck, President and Founder of the International Association of Teamwork Facilitators.

Learn How To Lead Virtual Teams In This Dynamic LIVE Distance Learning Program!

The Virtual Team Leader training program is designed for managers and supervisors who need real world solutions for leading remote teams.

• Delivered LIVE via telephone conference calls.  Fully participate from anywhere in the world; no travel required.
• Leverages the power of a dedicated and focused learning community; learn in the company of like-minded professionals.
• Application oriented.  You'll learn strategies, tactics and tools for leading virtual teams and then return to your group to apply what you've learned.  Then you'll return to class to share your success (or challenges) and receive support and coaching from the instructor and community.
• Professional instruction with personal attention.

NOTE:  This program was delivered live over the course of four weeks in the spring of 2009.  We had participants from the US, Canada, UK, Germany and Saudi Arabia.  Participants paid $295/person to attend.  All calls were recorded and have been posted at a password protected website along with the class notes and resources.  Only members of the IATF have access to these resources.  Learn more about IATF member benefits CLICK HERE