Yael Zofi's Blog, page 10

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

As Thanksgiving Day approaches, signaling the end of an exceptionally challenging year for many people across the globe, I would like to thank you for being part of our extended business family. Your continued support is appreciated in these complex times, which demand resilience and flexibility throughout organizations. As always, we strive to be the human capital consulting firm you choose and look forward to sharing our innovative solutions that promote the human connection across your virtual teams.

 

Best wishes for a wonderful holiday!

 

Don’t Isolate Yourself – Connect!

What? A Hurricane, Nor’easter, snow, what’s coming next? If you’ve been following the recent news about the Nor’easter that slammed New York on the heels of Hurricane Sandy, knocking power out to tens of thousands across the region and forcing residents to stay at home, you might wonder how New Yorkers are getting any work done.  If they have electricity and are lucky not to be significantly impacted by recent events, like it or not, these folks are working virtually.

 

In recent weeks, platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and online news have been inundated with posts and articles describing the struggle of home-work, such as this one in Huffington Post titled: Hurricane Sandy Victims Working From Home Are ‘Slowly Losing It’. Many articles repeatedly describe a common challenge of Virtual Disconnection - the simple need for connection with other colleagues from work that is difficult to develop while working at home. But are they really ‘losing it’ or are remote working challenges related to distraction, motivation and discipline impacting their connection?

 

Recent events have ‘thrown’ people into virtual work by circumstance, and now many claim to feel isolated. Throughout my research and work with virtual teams, isolation is often associated with feeling disconnected from teammates because of the lack of personal interaction or social connection.  What this boils down to is that ‘face time’ is critical, even occasionally.  If face time is eliminated, or drastically reduced, what can you do to bring people together to build relationships so that they feel connected?

 

1. Create a space for work

Transitioning to remote work takes time and requires some planning. Think about your needs, set aside a dedicated work space with all the equipment you need to get work done.
Create boundaries and close the door. Keep distractions to a minimum. Make sure to let others know that you are working. Your space should be relativelyfree from distractions such as family, pets, home telephone, TV, even an attractive view if you are new to telecommuting.
Stay organized and keep your work area clean.

For more see last week’s post.

 

2. Build Rapport With Colleagues

Include time for social discourse so that members can make natural connections. For example, a team in the financial services industry conducts a timed five-minute “check in” conversation at the start of calls and then individuals follow up by phoning each other between meetings.
Assign “break buddies” who can chat with each other after the team call or during a break.

 

3.     Share During Meetings

Encourage perspective-sharing. During team updates, ask attendees to state their perspective on an issue so that team members can better understand each another’s values and styles.
During larger meetings and with larger teams, use the whiteboard to write attendees’  locations or display a world map so that people can see each other’s name, location, and time of day.
Rotate the schedule for conference calls so that the discomfort of participating at inconvenient times doesn’t fall on one party or one time zone.

 

“Your greatest contribution as a virtual leader is to find that connection with people and keep it alive, because the human factor is still the most powerful element in our virtual world.”

Yael Zofi, A Manager’s Guide to Virtual Teams Page 85

 

Work at Home Tips During Hurricane Sandy’s Cleanup Week.

Following the devastation brought on by Hurricane Sandy’s wide path of destruction, many people had no choice but to work virtually … provided, of course, that their homes and/or neighborhoods had power and an internet connection.

 

According to an article published in Quartz on Monday, large banks like Goldman Sachs and Citigroup are instructing their employees to continue to work from home until they can safely return to their offices (many offices are located in Zone A and bore the brunt of the floods). Friends and colleagues have texted me or posted on Facebook and LinkedIn that they, too, have been told to work virtually. One friend wrote this morning, Still no power in lower Manhattan, working from home, I’m wearing a robe for the “office”.  I’m sure she is not alone!

 

So for those of you who are reading this in the comfort of your own home, here are 10 tips for a successful home-work experience:

 

Top 10 keys to working effectively at home:

Start your day on the right foot.  That means – eat breakfast, change from pajamas to comfortable work clothes and get rid of potential distractions.
Establish a routine with regular hours, including time out for lunch and a break, if you need it.
Set aside a dedicated work space with all the equipment you need to get work done. A computer, phone, printer and fax are a given. BUT, you will also need paper, ink cartridges (you’ll be surprised how quickly these need to be replaced, even in a “paperless” environment), and a pen.
Create boundaries and close the door. Keep distractions to a minimum. Make sure to let others know that you are working. Your space should be relatively free from distractions such as family, pets, home telephone, TV, even an attractive view if you are new to telecommuting.
Stay organized and keep your work area clean.
Many home workers spend too much time staring at their computer screen, which can decrease overall productivity. Take breaks throughout the day, including a regular lunch (at any time you want – no one is watching!).  Stand up and walk around periodically.
Have a reliable phone system and conferencing tools. Phone conversations, conference calls, and voice mails are three critical tools in your ‘work from home’ toolbox. These tools allow you to inject tone into your communications, something that email and Instant Messaging (IM) lack.
Develop strong work relationships with team members to help overcome the lack of face-to-face communication which offers a greater context for understanding.
Track your work progress.
Ask for help or input if you sense you are going off-track.

 

Knowing that many readers are interested in further resources, I am enclosing additional sources for you.  Hope they help make your virtual workdays productive and pleasant.

 

Additional Resources & References

A Wall Street Guide to Working From Home During Hurricane Sandy, Kevin Roose,  NY Magazine
The Work at Home Woman, Holly Reisem Hanna
Home Office Expert, Lisa Kanarek
Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant, Lynn Taylor
How To Succeed At Working From Home, Jacquelyn Smith, Forbes
Work from Home Successfully, Regis Hadiaris, Working Smarter
Top 30 Tips for Staying Productive and Sane While Working From Home, Tip Sheet: How To Successfully Work From Home (Infographic), Zenhabits
14 Tips for Working from Home, Mary Sherwood Sevinsky, Careerealism

 

WORK AT HOME TIPS DURING HURRICANE SANDY’S CLEANUP WEEK

Following the devastation brought on by Hurricane Sandy’s wide path of destruction, many people had no choice but to work virtually … provided, of course, that their homes and/or neighborhoods had power and an internet connection.

 

According to an article published in Quartz on Monday, large banks like Goldman Sachs and Citigroup are instructing their employees to continue to work from home until they can safely return to their offices (many offices are located in Zone A and bore the brunt of the floods). Friends and colleagues have texted me or posted on Facebook and LinkedIn that they, too, have been told to work virtually. One friend wrote this morning, Still no power in lower Manhattan, working from home, I’m wearing a robe for the “office”.  I’m sure she is not alone!

 

So for those of you who are reading this in the comfort of your own home, here are 10 tips for a successful home-work experience:

 

Top 10 keys to working effectively at home:

Start your day on the right foot.  That means – eat breakfast, change from pajamas to comfortable work clothes and get rid of potential distractions.
Establish a routine with regular hours, including time out for lunch and a break, if you need it.
Set aside a dedicated work space with all the equipment you need to get work done. A computer, phone, printer and fax are a given. BUT, you will also need paper, ink cartridges (you’ll be surprised how quickly these need to be replaced, even in a “paperless” environment), and a pen.
Create boundaries and close the door. Keep distractions to a minimum. Make sure to let others know that you are working. Your space should be relatively free from distractions such as family, pets, home telephone, TV, even an attractive view if you are new to telecommuting.
Stay organized and keep your work area clean.
Many home workers spend too much time staring at their computer screen, which can decrease overall productivity. Take breaks throughout the day, including a regular lunch (at any time you want – no one is watching!).  Stand up and walk around periodically.
Have a reliable phone system and conferencing tools. Phone conversations, conference calls, and voice mails are three critical tools in your ‘work from home’ toolbox. These tools allow you to inject tone into your communications, something that email and Instant Messaging (IM) lack.
Develop strong work relationships with team members to help overcome the lack of face-to-face communication which offers a greater context for understanding.
Track your work progress.
Ask for help or input if you sense you are going off-track.

 

Knowing that many readers are interested in further resources, I am enclosing additional sources for you.  Hope they help make your virtual workdays productive and pleasant.

 

Additional Resources & References

A Wall Street Guide to Working From Home During Hurricane Sandy, Kevin Roose,  NY Magazine
The Work at Home Woman, Holly Reisem Hanna
Home Office Expert, Lisa Kanarek
Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant, Lynn Taylor
How To Succeed At Working From Home, Jacquelyn Smith, Forbes
Work from Home Successfully, Regis Hadiaris, Working Smarter
Top 30 Tips for Staying Productive and Sane While Working From Home, Tip Sheet: How To Successfully Work From Home (Infographic), Zenhabits
14 Tips for Working from Home, Mary Sherwood Sevinsky, Careerealism

 

“A Manager’s Guide to Virtual Teams”, one year later…

“A Manager’s Guide to Virtual Teams” was published just one year ago. Yael Zofi and her AIM team collected research via global interviews, distilled information into practical tips and wrote case scenarios and for over three years. This culminated in a robust program that helps global leaders and virtual project managers bridge the ‘human connection’ for their teams. During the writing and publishing experience, Ms. Zofi continued to run her busy consulting practice, AIM Strategies®, and at the same time give birth to her beautiful baby girl Ella. During the past year, Yael has helped many individuals and organizations globally connect with people they interact, communicate and collaborate. Many virtual managers from every continent have been using her virtual team principles as they become more effective working remotely. Yael has been interviewed by global organizations and newspapers. She delivered numerous workshops, seminars, webcasts, podcasts and webinars.

 

During the past year, Yael went on a road show where she spoke at conferences and built online virtual teams knowledge resources that have helped virtual managers successfully lead in global workplaces. Together with her AIM colleagues and global team of virtual experts, Ms. Zofi has been working and advising virtual team members and managers representing many industries and functions, including IT and HR professionals, Project Managers forming and working on virtual teams, and various government, healthcare and global managers. “A Manager’s Guide to Virtual Teams” book has become a success and is consistently listed on various searches and top results on Amazon.com.

 

To illustrate and share the exciting experiences and people Yael Zofi connected with during the past year we created visual timeline of results. You can view the full page preview of the timeline visualHERE.

 

Let’s review and go back in time to look at what has happened since the book was published:

 

VIRTUAL TEAMS TIMELINE:



Back to Timeline:

 

 

RUNNING EFFECTIVE VIRTUAL TEAM MEETINGS – QUESTION 4 OF 4

With the rise of virtual teams, I have had the opportunity over the past two years to run numerous webinars for professional groups and organizations on issues related to managing in the virtual space. Last month I conducted a webcast for AMA titled How to Effectively Lead Virtual Team Meetings which focused on successful practices for leading virtual meetings with full participant engagement.

 

Attendees asked many interesting questions, which I believe are relevant to many of you.  Therefore, I dedicated September’s posts to answering selected questions asked by participants on this topic.  Please click here to read the three prior questions and my comments. This fourth blog post on the topic focuses on handling challenging personalities during meetings, and concludes with what I call my ‘golden rule’ of cross cultural collaboration.

 

As always, you can comment or send me a personal question via email: yael@aim-strategies.com, Facebook or LinkedIn.

 

Question: Dealing with Dominant Personalities During Virtual Meetings

“A few individuals do most of the talking during the virtual meeting, which crowds out others or discourages them. How do I handle dominant personalities that wish to either take over the discussion or override others’ ideas?”

 

Answer:  If you don’t want one person to dominate, it’s up to you to monitor who is actively participating, and to (1) intervene when one person hogs air time and (2) engage everyone in the discussion, even if some participants say very little. As soon as you believe someone is dominating the discussion intervene immediately.  For example, say, “Thanks, for making that point. Let’s have Larry’s take on that issue.”

 

Here are some other group dynamics to watch out for:

Team discussions turning negative and personal
Team members not contributing to the discussion (too quiet)
Team members not following the main points of the discussion
Differences of opinion that turn overly contentious

 

When faced with these types of situations, try these techniques:

                 ISSUE:                                                                    TECHNIQUE:

 

Dominating personality

Re-direct the discussion by asking the group a new question, one that is related to the topic (ex: What other ways could we lower costs?)

Negative participants

Explore reasons why the dynamic has changed.  Ask those who are negative to explain their point of view, for ex: “Why don’t you believe the timetable is doable?

Silent Riders

Ask them a direct question, for ex: “Joan, what is your view of the change in our marketing plan for product X?”

Warriors

Handle them off line, and ask probing questions why this is occurring. If possible, schedule a face-to-face. If that is not an option, set up a video/teleconference ASAP.

Absentees

See directly above. This is a situation that is best handled in a private discussion. If it continues, you may look to transition this member off your team.

 

With virtual teams comprised of members from diverse cultures and different locations, some with an imperfect command of English, it is not surprising to come across a wide range of personalities.  I have worked with clients in these challenging circumstances, and I always begin the engagement by sharing what I call my ‘golden rule’ of cross cultural collaboration: Keep an open mind, constantly ask questions, and above all, LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR PEOPLE ARE TELLING YOU.  There is much to be gained by inviting true collaboration in the virtual environment.  After all, since you can’t manage in person, strong relationships are critical to meeting the very objectives your team was formed to deliver in the first place.

 

RUNNING EFFECTIVE VIRTUAL TEAM MEETINGS – QUESTION 3 OF 4

After leading my webinar, How to Effectively Lead Virtual Team Meetings, I received many questions from my audience about effective virtual meeting practices. This blog post is the third (of four) that covers selected questions from participants about how to run successful virtual meetings.

 

As always, you can comment or send me a personal question via email: yael@aim-strategies.com,Facebook or LinkedIn

 

Question #3: Language Barriers During Virtual Team Meetings

“My team members are global and we work across time zones and oceans. The added difficulties of language barriers and background noise during virtual team teleconferences and other virtual meetings make it even more difficult to communicate. Can you suggest techniques to overcome these language barriers?”

 

Answer: This very real concern affects teams whose members often span the globe. As is often the case, keeping things simple works best, especially in complex circumstances like off-site teams that must collaborate closely. My best advice in these situations is for managers to follow the KISS Principle (Keep It Simple and Sincere). Their responsibility is to facilitate clear communication so things don’t get ‘lost in translation’, which is a frequent occurrence since business English is the ‘part-time’ language of many team members. Some useful steps for virtual team managers to follow are:

 

Always construct your agenda and documentation around the idea of keeping things simple (language, structure, process).
Send handouts ahead of time.
Instruct team members to pause more frequently when explaining complicated ideas.
Conduct frequent check-ins where everyone on the call voices an opinion.
When someone expresses a key idea or instruction, ask another team member to repeat what you said to ensure understanding.
Keep a checklist consisting of bullet points about what you want to accomplish on calls, and check them off when they are completed.
Email every team member a summary of your verbal presentation.
Follow up with phone calls and emails to ensure understanding. Be explicit about next steps.

 

Some things to keep in mind:

When there is a silence – - wait. Do not jump in to fill the silence. The other person is probably just translating your words into his/her native tongue or thinking about what you said and forming a response in English.
If you are the native speaker be aware that you may slip into colloquialisms, talk very fast, mumble or speak with a regional accent, all of which hinder a non-native speaker’s comprehension. Therefore, it’s helpful to say up front, “Please stop me and ask me to repeat something or ask for a further explanation.”
Do not assume your audience understands what you say. Check comprehension by asking colleagues to repeat their understanding of the material back to you. Ask them to explain what they heard in their own words.
Do not equate poor grammar and mispronunciation with lack of intelligence; it is usually a sign of second language use.
Divide your presentation into small modules with frequent checkpoints so that listeners don’t fall behind. Be prepared to allocate more time for each module than you would when everyone is a native English speaker.

 

A Manager’s Guide to Virtual Teams, Chapter 3

 

Have a great virtual team meeting!

 

RUNNING EFFECTIVE VIRTUAL TEAM MEETINGS – QUESTION 2 OF 4

Last week I wrote about the webinar I recently ran, How to Effectively Lead Virtual Team Meetings. Of course we are fortunate to live in an age where technology makes alternative work arrangements possible. But with the challenges inherent in working virtually, we need practices and procedures which maximize the upside and minimize the downside.

 

I received many questions from my webinar audience around effective virtual meeting practices, and this blog post is the second (of four) that covers selected questions from participants about how to run successful virtual meetings.

 

As always, you can comment or send me a personal question via email: yael@aim-strategies.com, Facebook or LinkedIn

 

 

Question #2: Drawing in Silent Participants During Virtual Team Meetings

“My team just started working together about 4 weeks ago. Comfort level with technology is limited by some, so getting up to speed can be distracting as we are building norms. One of my issues is participant engagement–how do I engage quiet team members who tend to stay in the background and passively witness the conversation?”

 

Answer: It’s easy for team members to stay in the background and stay ‘silent’ during conference calls. These ‘Silent Riders’ may not contribute during conference calls¸ although they may fulfill their responsibilities and be key contributors on your team. These colleagues may need an extra push to join a discussion.

 

To encourage quiet team members to speak up, try several approaches. You can ask questions that directly relate to that individual’s expertise, and specifically ask his/her opinion about the subject. If s/he is still reluctant to communicate, break down your questions to allow a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response and then work with him/her to elaborate on the topic. Another approach is to do a round-robin at an appropriate part of the conference, where each participant voices an opinion. If someone is particularly unwilling to speak, work one-on-one before the next meeting to increase his/her comfort level going forward.

 

Also, keep in mind that new team members who are Silent Riders may need an extra nudge. It’s up to you to spend time with a new staff member to encourage him/her to contribute during meetings, and to privately address any issue that may keep him/her from doing so. Consider the kinds of questions that new team members participating in their first call might have. For example:

Were important points about the topic made on prior calls? (In other words, what is the history of an ongoing conversation?)
What is this call supposed to accomplish?
Who is responsible for specific agenda items and who is knowledgeable about key issues?
Do I know what our team’s specific acronyms and shorthand mean?

 

Keep the saying, ‘None of us is as smart as all of us’, in front of you as a reminder that the results of encouraging more reticent team members are worth the extra effort.

 

In addition, you cannot assume that everyone on the call has all the relevant information about a project or deliverable, since the team is a fluid entity, with members leaving and arriving due to the scheduling needs of other projects and commitments. If you want your meetings to be as impactful as possible, prepare beforehand so that your team will appreciate your attention to their needs.

 

Conference calls are indispensable for moving complex projects along and getting deliverables out the door. It is up to you to create the context for effective meetings that participants value and enjoy contributing to.

 

Please comment and share your best practices for drawing Silent Riders into the game.

 

A Manager’s Guide to Virtual Teams, pp 77-79.

 

SUBJECT: RUNNING EFFECTIVE VIRTUAL TEAM MEETINGS – QUESTION 1 OF 4

Every so often I consider how fortunate we are to live in an era where technology enables instantaneous connection – and information – even when colleagues are miles apart. The reality of working virtually is that critical meetings rarely take place face-to-face, and so managers must find the best way to use technology and to make optimum use of appropriate tools.

 

I recently ran a webinar, How to Effectively Lead Virtual Team Meetings, which focused on successful practices for leading virtual team meetings with full participant engagement. The webinar explored how to lead successful conference calls and provided guidelines for hosting/facilitating in the virtual setting. I ended the webinar with sharing tips for using common technology tools.

 

Given the volume of questions received from my webinar audience around virtual meeting practices, I believe this is a topic of keen interest, so I am dedicating this month’s posts to virtual meeting management. The next four blog posts will cover selected questions from participants about how to run effective virtual meetings.

 

As always, you can comment or send me a personal question via email: info@aim-strategies.com, Facebook or LinkedIn

 

 

Question #1: Participation in Virtual Teams

“Often meeting participants are not engaged and I end up doing most of the talking. How do I draw out people when I can’t read their body language?”

 

Answer: Participation in these virtual meetings is very important, Here are some tips to make your meetings effective:

Ask all participants for agenda items; distribute the agenda before the meeting.
Make sure all technical tools are set up before the meeting.
When the conference begins, identify yourself(as host or facilitator), briefly name each attendee and introduce new colleagues. Acknowledge when anyone enters or departs the conference session.
Pause at regular intervals; ask for others’ views and/or questions.
Refrain from behavior that could alienate participants, such as long monologues or extended conversations with people sitting next to you.
Look at the camera if speaking on video; talk to the phone when on a call, not at the people sitting in the same room.
Be aware of lag time, and don’t jump to new points, which may confuse listeners.
Just before adjourning the meeting, summarize main points and state action items. Distribute this information to all attendees and stakeholders who did not participate.

 

A Manager’s Guide to Virtual Teams, pp 81-82.

 

Although these tips combine common sense and simple courtesy, the relentless pressure of meeting deadlines and juggling many priorities keep meeting leaders from taking that deep breath and focusing on these basic steps. I know from my clients and from my own experience, that if you follow these tips, your meetings will be more productive, with colleagues more willing to contribute during these sessions.

 

LEADING VIRTUAL TEAM MEETINGS

Join Yael Zofi on August 30th for a webinar focused on: How to Effectively Lead Virtual Team Meetings. This 90-Minute live Session begins at 1:00 EST and you can register via this link.

 

Yael will review human connection techniques that facilitate interaction and provide tips using a 4-step process,  including what is needed to lead effective virtual meetings and how members can interact with each other in productive ways.

Below are the details:

 

Overview

As travel costs skyrocket and budgets are slashed, virtual teams are becoming a fact of life for many managers.

 

When you are called upon to lead a virtual team, you face challenges that traditional management techniques can’t always solve. Foremost among these is conducting team meetings that occur without the benefit of face-to-face interaction.

 

This webinar focuses on solutions to the unique issues you face when meeting with team members in a virtual workspace, whether it be multisite, multicountry, multitime-zone, or all of the above.

 

To effectively engage a virtual team and lead them to high performance, both team leaders and members need to equip themselves with the right skills and tools. This program is designed to give the entire team effective tools to conduct virtual team meetings, build team interaction, and improve virtual team dynamics.

 

What You Will Learn:

Conducting successful virtual meetings require that you expand your current skill set allowing you to balance new social skills with a technology interface. For example, by attending this webinar, you’ll discover tactics and approaches for:

Building rapport with virtual team members, even if you have never met face-to-face
Conducting a virtual team meeting using an efficient 4-step process
Tips for using common technology and communication tools
Proven practices to improve inter-team communication
10 keys for leading successful conference calls and team meetings
8 Guidelines for the host or facilitator in the virtual setting

 

For questions or to address specific situations beforehand, you can submit comments below, post them to AIM’s Facebook wall or email: info@aim-strategies.com