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.
CR – Cross Cultural Specialist
BA American Studies, Manchester
MSc Strategic Training and Development, Surrey
CR has over twenty years international management and intercultural training experience with corporate and non-profit clients in both the US and UK. She has worked with a number of major multi nationals across a wide range of sectors including engineering, energy, finance, pharmaceutical and petrochemical industries. Her areas of expertise include diversity training, intercultural coaching, UK and US business training and cross border communication.
After graduating, CR moved to Chicago where she lived and worked for over ten years. She spent the first four years as Training Manager with International Orientation Resources recruiting and supervising trainers in addition to delivering training herself. She then moved to Bennett Associates where her projects included Train-the –Trainer, cultural adaptability, cross cultural awareness for international management and intercultural training for HR. CR’s final position in the States was as Project Manager for the Anti-Defamation League developing materials and seminars for diversity training.
On her return to the UK in 1996, CR completed her Masters and has since worked as an intercultural and global diversity consultant delivering cultural transition training, diversity seminars and intercultural training in support of European mergers and acquisitions and international HR. CR also regularly delivers workshops and seminars for a number of professional organisations such as SIETAR and CIPD. She has delivered training for key Communicaid clients including Smith & Nephew, L’Oreal and Cadbury Schweppes.
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