Perfect Phrases for Virtual Teamwork: Hundreds of Ready-to-Use Phrases for Fostering Collaboration at a Distance (Perfect Phrases Series) - Softcover

Runion, Meryl

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0071783849 ISBN 13: 9780071783842

Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education, 2012

Synopsis

THE RIGHT PHRASE FOR EVERY SITUATION . . . EVERY TIME

With more and more employees working offsite, effective communication among remote team members is absolutely critical. Perfect Phrases for Virtual Teamwork provides hundreds of ready-to-use phrases that will ensure your virtual teams collaborate as effectively as the most cohesive face-to-face team. Learn the most effective language for:

• Defining and aligning team culture
• Personalizing interactions
• Assessing progress and results
• Leading effective virtual meetings
• Addressing conflicts and mistakes

About this title

About the Author

McGraw-Hill authors represent the leading experts in their fields and are dedicated to improving the lives, careers, and interests of readers worldwide

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

PERFECT PHRASES for VIRTUAL TEAMWORK

Hundreds of Ready-to-Use Phrases for Fostering Collaboration at a Distance

By Meryl Runion, Lynda McDermott

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Copyright © 2012 Meryl Runion
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-07-178384-2

Contents

Foreword: The Most Important Person on the Team
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Welcome to a Virtual World, Where People Collaborate from a Distance
What's Virtual? Working Together ... Apart
Virtual Team Size Isn't Everything
Team Members, Collaborators, Associates, and Allies
The Virtual Vehicle and Road Map—Two Essential Virtual Team Components
How to Use This Book
PART I PREPARATION
Section 1 Embrace Virtual Teamwork of Today
Chapter 1 Champion Virtual Team Potential
Chapter 2 Evangelize Business Social and Collaborative Technology
Section 2 Create a Strong Virtual Team Foundation
Chapter 3 Clarify the Business Need for a Virtual Team
Chapter 4 Create Preliminary Goals
Chapter 5 Get the Right People on the Team
Chapter 6 Prepare for the Virtual Team Launch
PART II LAUNCH
Section 3 Create a Road Map
Chapter 7 Set Clear Direction
Chapter 8 Define and Align the Virtual Team Culture
Chapter 9 Summarize and Finalize Team Formation
PART III TEAMING
Section 4 Guide and Grow
Chapter 10 Provide Focus and Support
Chapter 11 Develop Adaptive and Collaborative Excellence
Chapter 12 Embrace Virtual Reality
Chapter 13 Monitor Progress
Chapter 14 Transform Obstacles
Section 5 Close and Disband
Chapter 15 Prepare for the End
Chapter 16 Close Out the Virtual Team with Clout
Conclusion

Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

Champion Virtual Team Potential

The first challenge of creating powerful virtual teams is to quickly get peopleto "get" this fact:

There is a social revolution and a business revolution going on, and virtualteams are on the cutting edge.

The way we did business before is over. Does your CEO understand that? Do yourstakeholders understand that? Does the Board understand that? Does everyone whois or will become involved with the team understand we need to transform? That'sthe message of virtual teamwork. That's what is so important for everyone torealize before a virtual team or alliance even starts to take form. The socialrevolution is not just about consumers and entertainment. It's about enterprise.The virtual revolution is not just about relating as we once did through newmedia. It's about relating in all new ways. Virtual teams aren't just aboutbeing able to work across boundaries with new islands of cooperation. Virtualteams are about vast integrated webs of influence, generating and sharing ideas,collaborating instantly, having complete mobility, and forming dynamicpartnerships as never before. It's not a minor change. It's a paradigm shift.And every time there's a new paradigm, it's time to reconfigure and reboot. Cutand start over. Embrace the whole dynamic new way of thinking about how virtualteams and alliances work and share the exciting news. The entire world (almost)has gone social—and mobile and virtual.

Perfect Phrases to Create a Dynamic Vision of Virtual Teams

As you can tell from the previous paragraph, there's a lot to be excited aboutwith virtual teams. A clear vision motivates action. Use the following phrasesto help you paint a picture of virtual teamwork possibilities that is socompelling that people won't just dabble. They'll be dazzled and dive in deep.

* Subject line: The Vision of Virtual Teams for (Organization Name, ProjectIdea, Etc.)

* Most of us don't have a comprehensive idea of the dynamic power of virtualteams today. That's why I created a short (time, example: five-minute)presentation on how virtual teams can dynamize our (company, team, project,etc.). It's a (SlideShare/YouTube video, etc.). Please click here (and enterthis password:_______________), enjoy, and post comments below. I invite you topass it on.

• Virtual teams and virtual team technologies have evolved so much that insteadof causing barriers, distance managing actually leads to more collaboration andteam-work than most collocated teams experience. It's like having all thoseexperts in the same room.

• You wouldn't believe what people are doing on virtual teams these days! Theyshare best practices at lightning speed and support each other on the groundwhere they are. They give people information they need when questions come upduring client meetings or right as they reach impasses in their work. They haveinstant meetings and troubleshoot when problems arise, and they catch errorsearly on. They collaborate in small and targeted chunks just when input matters.They're really up to speed with business trends today.

• Virtual teams are about connection. They're cross functional, and that breaksdown the hierarchy and distance silos. It's just not true anymore that peoplecollaborate more in collocated teams. The fact is that if people are more than50 feet away from each other in the same location, they don't collaborate much.Virtual teams have the team on their desktops, mobile apps, and phones. Theycarry the team around with them, and that's a lot closer than 50 feet.

• My experience with virtual teams is that we bounce ideas off each other a lot.There's a dynamic immediacy—a back-and-forth. That means projects moveforward at a faster clip. Input happens at earlier stages, so we make changesand adapt sooner—which is extremely efficient when we need quick answers.

• One great thing about virtual teams is the capacity to update team members onthe activities of the team as a whole without needing to be physically present.Members can address the group for input and ideas more readily.

• There's more flexibility in virtual teams. Because travel time means turningon your laptop or iPad and logging on wherever you are, it's easier for peopleto fit virtual meetings into their calendar. That means they can be availablemore readily.

• I've had fabulous experiences with virtual teams. For example, (give a briefexample). We never could have accomplished (achievement) like that if we hadlimited ourselves to a headquarter location.

• If we go virtual in forming this team, we can create satellite teams inlocations close to the customers. That will save costs and ensure our teams arealigned with the local culture.

• Companies that approach working virtually as a progressive and competitivestrategy are more likely to survive and thrive in the coming decades. I wantthat to be us.

• Virtual teams provide us with options. We won't be limited by physicallocation from getting the right people on the team. That means people can be apart of projects they couldn't before. We won't need to compromise on our besttalent.

• Virtual teams tend to get right to business when they meet virtually in waysthey don't when face-to-face. I often find we get the same amount done in halfthe time.

CHAPTER 2

Evangelize Business Social and Collaborative Technology

Perfect Phrases to Introduce Collaborative Potential

If you want to paint a compelling picture of virtual team potential, you have totalk about collaborative software and teamwork tools. It's the tools that makethis revolution possible. Some of the most effective and dynamic software andapps that increase efficiency and create a competitive edge are only a few yearsor even months old. To know what people are doing with social and collaborativetechnologies is to understand what virtual teams are capable of today. Thepeople who are ahead of this curve can light the way by sharing how people canconnect in new ways.

* Notice to (employees, associates, stakeholders, etc.): It's your conversationand your career.

* People are talking like never before. It's not just the social butterflies orthe technophiles that are having the lights go on. Social networks, businesschat feeds, and collaborative sharing tools open doors for us as an organizationand for you in the job you do every day. Just in case you thought the toolsdon't matter, click here to see that yes, they really do. Watch the three-minutevideo and join the discussion we have started about how our thriving communityof networked professionals is solving problems and creating new opportunitieseach day.

* Notice to (employees, associates, stakeholders):

* Here are a few of the ways people are using our online network to increasetheir productivity. They're following our top deals, collaborating onlineprivately and securely, reducing e-mail traffic by posting to groups anddiscussions, uploading files to our knowledge library, and discovering expertswho help them solve problems and close deals more quickly. We want you to jointhe conversation.

* How are you using our online network? Post to this discussion and share yourwins and best practices.

• Virtual team tools are what make virtual teaming so dynamic. Well, actuallyit's the use of the tools, not the tools themselves.

• Collaborative software can more than make up for the lack of proximity. Onceyou've experienced the dynamic flow of instant access and easy idea sharing,anything else can seem static by comparison.

• People aren't just moving to (new technology, example: the cloud) because it'sthe latest and the greatest. They're doing it because it works and they'regetting results. It enhances productivity exponentially.

• Here are some stats for you from Salesforce.com. Teams that use their networkseffectively have 27 percent fewer meetings and a 30 percent reduction in e-mail.They have a 39 percent increase in collaboration and find information 52 percentfaster than those who don't.

CHAPTER 3

Clarify the Business Need for a Virtual Team

Wow. We just told you how great virtual teams are, and now we suggest you mightnot need a virtual team at all. What's up with that? Well, not every situationcalls for a team, and sometimes you can get what you need with a collocatedteam, an existing team, or working through standard processes. Too often,leaders and managers will try to force the need to fit a tool or approach ratherthan the other way around. These phrases will help you make sure you and yourassociates form a virtual team for the right reasons, if at all.

Tip and Warning!Employ Every Team Formation Step

Every step is for you and your team in one form or another. Small, casualvirtual teams and virtual alliances don't need the formal structures that aremandatory for larger, formal ones. Teams who work on predictable projects don'trequire as much team preparation and coordination as creative ones. That doesn'tmean small or defined teams can skip the setup steps entirely. The temptationfor a team of any size—from 2 to 200 members—can be to jump rightinto action without any preliminaries. Can it work? Sure. You might findyou went in sharing the same assumptions. However, when it doesn't work, you'lllong for an early retirement when, instead, you could make things happenvirtually. Skipping the preliminaries is a recipe for confusion,misunderstandings, and failure. All teams need at least an informal version ofeach step.

Perfect Phrases to Clarify the Project Business Need

The beginning is the perfect time to clarify the business need thatmight lead to forming a virtual team. Clear purpose gives stakeholdersthe understanding they need to decide how to meet the need, and then if theyelect to form a virtual team, it gives that team the information they need tocreate their charter, or team map. (Some teams use the term charter tomean purpose or mission. We use charter to refer to all aspects ofdefining and mapping a team, such as goals and norms, etc.) If you can't answerthe questions in this section, you're not ready to form a team or take a nextstep.

* Notice to (stakeholders). We (created a new group and) opened a discussionabout (the intranet, company business network, etc.) to clarify the businessneed of (challenge). The results of this discussion will guide our decisionsabout forming a team to address our challenges.

* Based on the comments in our business need discussion, we formulated thefollowing business need statement.

* Please post comments and concerns before we finalize it and move on todiscussing goals.

• What performance or business challenge do we need to meet?

• How can we state that more precisely and concisely?

• What's broken that we need to fix?

• How can we flip that statement into a positive?

• What is the primary client or customer need?

• What's the true north of this project? The guiding compass?

• Let's summarize what we have as clearly and succinctly as possible.

• Do those words light a fire in everyone's belly? Or do we need to keeptalking?

• Is this description good enough for prime time? If, for example, you needed tocreate a compelling team charter based on this, plus explain to your boss thatthis is a priority, would this give you what you need?

• How does the purpose align with and support the organizational mission?

• Is that as clear as we can make it? Would that purpose set a team up forsuccess with a clear mandate from the outset?

• Let's fill in the blank. We need to ____________ because_____________.

• Can we present an elevator pitch now? Would the pitch be compelling andeffective in recruiting members?

• If the project had a bumper sticker, what would it say?

• Have you thought about why you (we) really need this team?

• Have you identified and talked to the key stakeholders who have a vestedinterest in the results? What do they say they want?

• Why would the key stakeholders want and support this team?

• What's the point? We're not talking objectives here—this is the bigpicture of what the team is about. Why do we need to accomplish our mission? Notwant, but need.

Perfect Phrases to Determine If a Virtual Team Is the Best Way to Go

These phrases and questions challenge the assumption that you need a team atall, and they reveal what options best serve the purpose. If you do form avirtual team, do it for the right reasons.

* Notice to stakeholders: You'll find a survey on our shared workspace elicitinginput regarding the best structure to address the (business mission fromprevious step). Please complete it within (time frame).

* Based on the discussion/survey results, we've decided to form a virtual teamto accomplish (purpose). Please watch for further communication for goal input.

• We have our purpose. Let's list all possible options for accomplishing thispurpose.

• Is there another way to meet that purpose that might be more efficient andeffective than forming a team?

• Can we get the expertise we need in one location, or do we need multiplelocations?

• Why do we need to create a team to accomplish this? Why is a team the bestapproach? Let's not just say "form a team" and declare our work accomplished.

• Why a virtual team? What in particular about this purpose suggests a virtualteam is the best way to achieve it?

• What could a collocated team do that we couldn't easily replicate in a virtualteam?

• Is that essential? Do the benefits of a virtual team out-weigh the limits?

• What aspects of virtual teamwork do we want to be sure to take advantage of inthis process?

• Are we willing to invest in the applications and training to be able toleverage those advantages?

• Fill this in. We're addressing the business challenge of (purpose statement)by forming a team because (reason). We are forming a virtual team instead of acollocated team because (reason).

• Why this team?

• Let's clearly state why this virtual team is important to the organization.

CHAPTER 4

Create Preliminary Goals

It's too early for defined goals, but right after you clarify team purpose isthe perfect time to identify generally what you want this team to do. A word ofcaution: avoid locking the team into rigid subgoals that might not be thestrongest or most useful for the on-the-ground reality. It's best if the virtualteam sets its own team goals.

While a clearly stated mission (such as putting a man on the moon and bringinghim home) provides important direction, at this stage, preliminary goals andsubgoals are best as guidelines or a draft.

Perfect Phrases to Ask Stakeholders to Identify Preliminary Team Goals

Preliminary goals provide a launching point for the people who are actuallytasked with the outcome to clearly state the goals in ways that create goalidentity. You'll find more on goals in the launch section. Use the words "draft"and "preliminary goals" to keep early goals nonbinding.

* Notice to stakeholders: We started a discussion in our group to identify teamgoals. Goals are endpoints and indicate what we want the team to deliver. Pleasejoin the discussion and share your needs and requirements. The discussion asks,when all is said and done, how would you decide the team was successful?

* Based on the discussion, we formulated recommended preliminary goals. Pleasecomplete the survey at (location).

* Based on the survey, we have set the following preliminary goals.

• Now that we know why we're forming the team, let's get clearer about what weexpect it to deliver. Let's fill in the blank. We expect this team to deliver...

• Just what is the team supposed to accomplish?

• Let's keep the terms broad here to give the team room to set their own goalsand objectives.

• Our role is to give the team enough information about the purpose and teamdeliverables for them to be able to create a compelling charter with goals andsubgoals they can translate into objectives.

• Do we need to rough out some of the subgoals and timelines, or will the teambe better able to do that?

• I get why we're doing it. Help me paint a picture of exactly what thedeliverables will be.

• Okay, I know it's impossible to know exactly what the end product will beuntil we get into it, but let's pretend we can. What does it look like? How willwe know we've made it?

• Why do we need just that?

• Does that definition allow enough room for the team to put their name on it?

• Let's each describe the preliminary goals to the best of our understanding tomake sure we're on the same page.

• Is that the best way to state the preliminary goal? Let's play devil'sadvocate. Imagine it's (end time). Imagine we've gotten what we asked for, butit's not what we thought we were asking for. You know the saying: "Be carefulwhat you ask for, you might get it." So if the team achieved the goal as stated,would you be satisfied? Why?

• Let's each describe a possible scenario where a team delivers according to thegoals set here but it doesn't match our expectations.

• How could we keep that from happening?

• We're asking our team to strive to new levels to achieve these goals. Thegoals need to be worth the sacrifice. That means attainable and yet a stretch.Are we there?

• Are these goals worth getting home late for dinner?

Perfect Phrases to Quantify Stakeholder Expectations

How are you going to track all that? Have each stakeholder put his or herdesires into measurable outcomes.

• Let's talk metrics. What are you looking for? What is the dashboard thatyou'll go to every day to know how the team is doing?

• We want our dashboard to match what you look at. Our metrics need to bevisible so people can know what is being measured and monitored, and teamresults meet your expectations.

• A year from now, what would it take for you to recommend that this teamcontinue working together?

• What do you want or need from this team that you haven't been able to get inanother way?

• What added value do you expect to see from this team and its work?

(Continues...)

(Continues...)

Excerpted from PERFECT PHRASES for VIRTUAL TEAMWORK by Meryl Runion. Copyright © 2012 by Meryl Runion. Excerpted by permission of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Edition details

• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0071783849
• ISBN 13: 9780071783842
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208