Why Managing Virtual Teams? Most large organisations are now spread across numerous locations and with matrix management structures increasingly prevalent, it is inevitable that the structure of teams is changing significantly. Many managers are now responsible for virtual teams distributed across geography and even across organisations. And these are sometimes short term project teams with members belonging to a number of different teams at the same time.
Managing a virtual team is considered to be one of the toughest tasks in today’s organisations and many of these teams are seen to fail. In addition to the usual challenges of managing a diverse group of individuals, the manager of a virtual team is faced with further challenges including different time zones, shifting team membership, managing at a distance, lack of time and the use of communication technology. Virtual team managers require support to acquire the specific knowledge and skills they need to enhance their traditional leadership competencies.
In response to the growing complexity of virtual teams within organisations, Communicaid has developed Managing Virtual Teams. This course aims to assist managers and HR professionals to develop the intercultural competence and communication skills required when Managing Virtual Teams. Upon completion of a Communicaid Managing Virtual Teams course, you will understand the key issues and motivators that drive your virtual team and gain the skills and tools to successful build, manage and work in a complex environment.
Benefits
Communicaid’s Managing Virtual Teams course will provide you with:
- Increased awareness of your own management style and areas for greater emphasis when managing a virtual team
- A greater understanding of the practical and behavioural challenges of managing virtual teams
- The opportunity to explore your own context and share best practice with other delegates
- Enhanced communication skills to positively interact with virtual team members
- Practical strategies for using a variety of technologies more effectively
Who should attend? Communicaid’s Managing Virtual Teams course will be of benefit to you if you:
- Manage an established dispersed team
- Are responsible for building a new virtual team
- Regularly manage virtual project teams
Course overview
All our Managing Virtual Teams courses are designed to meet the specific needs of our clients depending on their personal/organisational requirements and existing skills set. A Managing
Virtual Teams course typically includes:
- Evaluating and adapting your management style
- Values, attitudes and expectations within the virtual team
- Key stages in virtual team building
- Building trust and maintaining motivation
- Communication styles within the virtual team
- Making virtual meetings a success
- Virtual communication: challenges and solutions
- Practical strategies for effective virtual team management
Approach
Managing Virtual Teams courses are available seven days a week, 365 days a year, either at one of our training centres in London, Paris, Frankfurt and New York or at your offices in any location worldwide. We usually recommend a one or two day course but can also offer a more flexible format to suit your schedule.
Suitably tailored materials will be used throughout your Managing Virtual Teams course and your trainer will provide a balance of structured input and discussion of case studies and scenarios relevant to your own particular context.
The most appropriate training format, content and approach for your Managing Virtual Teams course will be discussed during your diagnostic consultancy.
Managing Virtual Teams course trainer
Your Managing Virtual Teams trainer will be assigned to you following the results of your diagnostic consultancy according to your objectives and areas of focus. Detailed below is a sample profile of a member of Managing Virtual Teams trainer team.
RD
RD is an intercultural trainer and management consultant with substantial international experience. He specialises in delivering business focused training to senior managers and runs programmes for groups of international managers.
His academic background is in economics, management, marketing, policy analysis, human resources and psychoanalysis. He has a number of publications. While he has been involved primarily in private sector over the past 20 years he began his career as a University Lecturer and Fellow and delivered Open University Business School MBA Programmes.
RD spent the 1980s in the UK and Italy working on various marketing communications, segmentation and product development projects for consulting groups, advertising agencies He also worked on government projects relating to the Channel Tunnel and the London War Plan, Education manpower planning and other HR programs. He has an understanding of government issues through working at the Institute of Local Government and connections with the DTI, Foreign Office, Education, British Council and others
RD lived in the US between 1991 and 2001 where he was President of a Consulting Group working with blue chip clients to develop strategic marketing and brand development: clients included Land Rover, BMW, Citibank, ABC/ Disney, Best Western and many others.
RD has worked on projects for over 150 leading international companies during his career which allows him to bring considerable understanding to each new project. His industry experience ranges from automotive, banking, technology, telecoms, hotels, airlines, to consumer products and services. He has delivered training to numerous Communicaid clients including Cadbury Schweppes, UBS, the London Business School, Allen & Overy and Adidas.
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