Curriculum

The curriculum of the Virtual Team Leader course is delivered via four LIVE and interactive TeleSeminars (phone and web).

  • Session # 1:  The 7 Qualities of Highly Successful Virtual Team Leaders
  • Session # 2:  How To Structure Your Virtual Team Meetings For Success
  • Session # 3:  How To Establish, Strengthen, and Evolve Your Virtual Team
  • Session # 4:  Telephone & Web Conference Leadership Skills 
NOTE:  All TeleSeminars are recorded and the recordings are posted as mp3 files at the password protected Resource Library.

Session # 1: The 7 Qualities of Highly Successful Virtual Team Leaders

Virtual team leaders who struggle focus 90% on technology and 10% on people.  This mistake is common because the average person doesn't understand what really drives the success of a virtual team.

The truth?

Virtual team success is best defined by this equation: 

90% people -- 10% technology

Once you accept this equation, the challenge becomes HOW to focus on people.  What is the most effective way of working with the people on your virtual team?

Vibrant and successful virtual teams are led by people who employ a system of leadership based on coaching skills.  Using this "coach approach", leaders of virtual teams fully leverage the strengths of the team - naturally.

The leaders who struggle most with virtual teams are usually found using an outdated, "traditional" leadership model based on a hierarchical, command and control view of the world.  This model may have worked at one time (pre-internet) but it will literally suck the blood out of a virtual team.

In Session # 1 we explore the 7 Qualities of Highly Successful Virtual Team Leaders:

  1. Are models for others, not just experts in their area
  2. Create problem free zones versus being expert problem solvers
  3. Have reserves in all areas
  4. Have the agreement from team members to coach them
  5. Are accomplishment, win-win-oriented versus merely results oriented
  6. Focus on excellence, present perfect
  7. Don't tolerate anything

Session # 2: How To Structure Your Virtual Team Meetings For Success

"How do you lead a virtual team meeting?"

It's the number one question of virtual team leaders worldwide and understandably so.  When was the last time you heard someone say "I LOVE meetings!" ?

More commonly you hear “If I didn’t have to attend meetings, I’d like my job a lot more.”

Most people hate meetings (in the real world or virtual world). Management guru and best selling author of multiple business books Patrick Lencioni has this to say about meetings:
We complain about, try to avoid, and long for the end of meetings, even when we’re running the darn things! How pathetic is it that we have come to accept that the activity most central to the running of our organizations is inherently painful and unproductive?
If your team members hate attending your virtual meetings then how can you make good decisions?

Bad meetings lead to bad decisions which leads to mediocrity.

When your virtual team becomes mediocre you're within a breath of irrelevance.

Can your virtual team afford irrelevance?

There is a solution.

It is possible to have dynamic, passionate and focused virtual team meetings that allow you to fully access the wisdom of the team and move forward with energy.

The first step to holding successful Virtual Team Meetings is to understand the four types of meetings*:
  1. Daily Check-in
  2. Weekly Tactical
  3. Monthly Strategic
  4. Quarterly Off Site
The Daily Check-in is typically handled electronically via Instant Messaging or threaded discussion.  This helps team members avoid confusion about how priorities are being translated into action on a daily basis.  The Daily Check-in is a quick forum to ensure nothing is falling through the cracks.  The Virtual Team Leader monitors Daily Check-in communications and looks for "red flags" (discussed in this session) and takes quick action to address these.

The Weekly Tactical takes places on a telephone conference call and uses a proven six step system to help the team review weekly activities and metrics while resolving tactical obstacles and issues.

The Weekly Tactical Meeting is a system that can be easily taught and mastered by virtual teams in short order.   Lasting approximately 60 minutes, the Weekly Tactical Meeting takes the Virtual Team through the following six step process:
  1. Lightning Round
  2. Key Metrics Review
  3. Tactical Agenda Items
  4. Potential Strategic Topics
  5. Decisions / Actions
  6. Cascading Messages
Mastering the Weekly Tactical Meeting is critical to the success of a Virtual Team Leader, therefore the majority of our focus during this session is on understanding the Weekly Tactical and how to use it.

Because Monthly Strategic and Quarterly Off Site meetings are typically held in person (not virtual meetings) we will briefly cover these two types of meetings - - sharing how and why these two types of meetings impact the Daily Check-In and the Weekly Tactical.

Topics also covered in this session include:
  • The source of unproductive meetings and the price we pay
  • Why people check out and how to hook them
  • How to get your team members to make attending a priority
  • The benefits of encouraging healthy conflict during meetings

* From "Death By Meeting" by Patrick Lencioni

Session # 3: How To Establish, Strengthen and Evolve Your Virtual Team

In Session # 1 the focus was on YOU - - how you can develop who you are as a leader.  Session # 4 is different in that we explore what it takes to build a high performing Virtual Team.

Here's a metaphor:

Imagine a high end race car costing several million dollars.  This race car might be the best in the world but it won't make a bit of difference come race day if you put a driver in it who isn't trained to drive high performance vehicles.  Conversely, you will lose the race by putting a highly trained race car driver behind the wheel of an old piece of junk car.

In this metaphor, the car represents the team and the driver represents the leader.  The winning formula requires the development of BOTH the leader (driver) AND the team (car).

In Session # 3, we focus on the strategies, tactics and tools needed to establish, strengthen and evolve your Virtual Team.

Topics covered in this session include:
  • Developing a Virtual Team Charter
  • Establishing Roles and Responsibilities on a Virtual Team
  • Developing Team Norms (voice mail, email, I.M., conflict management, etc.)
  • Building Trust
  • New Team Member Orientation

Session # 4: Telephone & Web Conference Leadership Skills

86% of Virtual Teams utilize telephone conferencing and yet very few Virtual Team Leaders are trained in the effective use of this tool.

"How hard can it be?  Just get the team on a conference line and start talking!"

Anyone whose been on a conference call with an untrained conference call leader knows it's a painful experience.  It's a surefire way to disengage the entire team.

Leading a successful telephone conference call requires special skills and knowledge.  In this session you'll learn specific strategies, tactics and tools to help you lead conference calls that enhance teamwork.

Topics covered in this session include:
  • The conscious use of language
  • How to prepare for the TeleConference
  • Delivery techniques
  • Strategies to ensure follow through
  • Ways to encourage full participation
  • Top 10 mistakes to avoid
Special reports you'll receive:
  • Certified Communicator Program
  • 100 Communication Flaws
  • 100 TeleConference Leader Skills
  • Top 21 Phrases To Keep Participants Involved


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