Presentation Recap: Leading Virtual Teams

Question

Response

How do you stay focused on the meeting you are in and not multi-task?

This does take discipline. Consider putting on “do not disturb” on your Teams/ Outlook or close outlook when you are in meetings so that you are not disturbed by the notifications.   You can also practice Active Listening as a soft skill to keep focused on the task.

How do you facilitate retrospectives virtually?

I manage this as a normal workshop and use collaboration tools to gather feedback and get them to actively participate.

How can you make retrospectives effective, e.g. avoiding blame or encouraging others to speak up?

I think that having clear expectation management at the start of a session is critical. I would then facilitate a positive discussion with the team and when something negative does occur, that you try to adjust the comment into a constructive comment.

How does this work for you if you are in a service industry working with clients?

I try to keep the same foundation rules as with my ‘internal’ team but some things may be more formal (e.g. staying at my desk rather than walking on a call but that can be open to negotiation).   The biggest difference is ensuring that all information remains professional, courteous, etc.

What other tools do you use for collaboration?

I use Microsoft Teams, Conceptboard, and Miro.

How can you manage uncooperative team members?

This can be a challenge. I try to work through why they are not cooperating, what the reason could be and what I can do to manage them more effectively. This involves talking to them, understanding their motivations and getting them involved in the discussion.

What virtual tools do you use for teambuilding?

I’ve done a few different things. We have used Kahoot for quizzes, Skribbl.io for Pictionary.

What do you do if someone uses personal information shared during team building against the person who shared it?

This would be something that I’d pick up with the individual and discuss why this was happening.

What are the most important soft skills that you’d recommend for training?

This would depend on the individual and their improvement points. I think everyone can use skills around conflict, time management and listening.

Do you have any tips for managing virtual teams with difficult time zones?

You need to realise that you cannot be everything to every time zone and pick the hours that you can work with both time zones and manage this as effectively as you can.  If you’re based in Europe, working with Tokyo and Los Angeles, consider working certain days a little earlier to work more with Tokyo and then the next day a little later to accommodate Los Angeles.

Why do you think that it’s the Project Manager’s responsibility to train people? Wouldn’t this be the function of their Direct Manager?

As a Project Manager, we have a unique role and position to be able to suggest trainings/personal development to line managers/HR for team members. I actively coach my team and encourage them to look for training and learning opportunities both within and outside the project.

Do you foresee businesses selling off or breaking leases for permanent businesses?

Yes, that has already happened in a few European cities, and I do think that as we move forward the way that we work/collaborate will be more hybrid than before.

Do you pre-plan the well-being calls with your team?

Yes. I tend to put a 15-minute meeting on the agenda so that they’re prepared, and we can set the time aside without rushing.

How do you overcome people’s reluctance to share or have personal communication or relationship?

I try to share a bit of my personal information/read the team to learn what’s good to share such as a sport that you like, something you watched on TV, etc.

What if some of your team are customers? Do you have any suggestions for how to handle it?

Keeping clear ground rules is vital for this and making sure that everyone understands the rules. We can still work together, share knowledge, share information about ourselves and still have a positive working relationship.

Did the team develop the rules together or were they set by the leader?

I always encourage the team to develop and set the rules themselves.

What steps do you take to set expectations early on in the partnership?

I would set expectations in the Kickoff meeting and first meetings with the client and teams. This can be in the form of Ground Rules but could also be “guidance” for how you want to work together.

Not just your team, but how do you manage a client with who you must work virtually?

I handle them in nearly the same way, but I also guide on some clear expectations for what they can expect from me as a vendor (e.g. how we deliver invoices, what to expect regarding project reporting, etc.).

Have you ever had to host a second kickoff because the direction of the project has shifted so much that it’s essentially become a new project?

Yes. This was the best way to do it. After a major change request, we did a “reorientation” meeting to realign the scope, timeline, and potential changes to working practices. This helped us refocus.

What should I do if my company keeps sending meeting requests for outside business hours?

This is where I practice discipline. Depending on the project/organisation, be firm about availability for “connect moments” and be strict about your availability and time to switch off. The only times I am flexible is where it is a one-off event and/or time zones dictate it as a necessity. I then indicate that a consequence of this late connect moment will be a later start time the following day.

With distributed teams, there would be someone in a time zone with an ‘awkward’ hour when a meeting is set. How can we accommodate everyone?

This can be difficult and something you might want to consider when looking at the location of your distributed teams. I have often had days where each team switches their day by 1-2 hours so that we have more time to work together. This helps us remain connected but gives us the time to work during “normal” hours.

If the team uses Jira to track work/sprints, how do you handle a situation in which a team says they prefer working via emails and they don’t like and won’t be using Jira?

I think you need to agree on the tools that you’re going to use, when and why. If your company uses JIRA, then you use JIRA. There’s no discussion. What you can choose to do is either train them on JIRA so that they’re aware of all of the functionality or clearly agree on what should be maintained in JIRA, and what can be done in an email (e.g. all status changes and comments must be done in JIRA but a secondary communication via email is acceptable).

How can I get my team to just turn on their camera for ONE meeting a week?

I would make an agreement that for one single meeting a week, they can have their cameras on and for other meetings it’s non-mandatory. I show a little flexibility as I understand that people may not like being on camera, but for Team Meetings it’s a mandatory rule.

What will the online quizzes be about?

Anything! Look at what your team is interested in and tailor it accordingly, e.g. technology questions, questions about culture/travelling, etc.

How do you handle a team that isn’t responsive to any of these ideas?

Very good question! I would aim to try different ideas and ask them what they want/how they like to work. If I’m able to understand this, I can think of ways that they like to work more effectively.

If you have a team that is slammed and they feel like this is all ”fluff”, how do you get them to engage and show the importance of these soft skill interactions?

It can take a bit of a leap of faith, but you can just show them through active participation and the benefits that it can bring to a project. I have managed a very hostile team before and setting clear expectations and asking for their trust for a set period helped.

I work with a virtual team and we really struggle with the language barrier. Have you got any advice?

This can be difficult. Depending on the level of language skills, consider having one or two key contacts who are more fluent be the “mouthpiece” between the teams and help the communication flow productively.