Virtual Team Success: A Practical Guide for Working and Leading from a Distance

List of Tables, Case Studies, Figures, and Exhibits xi

Acknowledgments xv

Foreword xvii

Introduction xix

Section One: Building High-Performing Virtual Teams 1

Chapter One: Why Virtual Teams Fail 3

Key Challenges 6

Four Pitfalls to Virtual Team Performance 8

Conclusion 12

Chapter Two: Profiles of Virtual Team Success—What Good Looks Like 15

Team Composition 15

Communication and Training 19

Leadership 24

Conclusion 25

Chapter Three: Virtual Team Launch Kit 27

Test Your Virtual Team Launch IQ 27

Setting Virtual Teams Up for Success 30

Is Your Organization Prepared to Support Virtual Team Work? 49

Conclusion 50

Chapter Four: What Differentiates Great Virtual Teams—How to RAMP Up Your Team’s Performance 51

What Differentiates Top Virtual Teams? 51

The Shingle Seal Standstill: How Would You Handle It? 57

RAMP Up Virtual Team Performance 60

Conclusion 78

Section Two: Leading Virtual Teams 81

Chapter Five: How to Lead Virtual Teams—Tips, Techniques, and Best Practices for High
Performance 83

Challenges Virtual Team Leaders Face 83

Raygen Company Slump: How Would You Handle It? 88

Virtual Team Leadership Self-Assessment 91

What Makes an Effective Virtual Team Leader? 92

Obstacles at a Glance: A Quick Reference Guide 107

Conclusion 110

Chapter Six: What Factors Really Accelerate Virtual Team Performance—The Four Top
Performance Boosters 113

Taking Virtual Team Performance to the Next Level 113

Conclusion 129

Chapter Seven: How to Facilitate High-Impact Virtual Meetings—Techniques That Really
Work 131

The Facilitator’s Role 132

V-Meeting Checklist 134

Building a V-Meeting Agenda 134

Keeping Virtual Meetings on Track 136

Dealing with Other Common Challenges 140

Conclusion 142

Conclusion: Six Lessons for Successful Virtual Teams 147

Lesson 1: Focus on People Issues 147

Lesson 2: No Trust, No Team 148

Lesson 3: ‘‘Soft” Skills Are Essential 149

Lesson 4:Watch Out For Performance Peaks 150

Lesson 5: Create a ‘‘High-Touch” Environment 151

Lesson 6: Virtual Team Leadership Matters 152

Closing Thoughts 153

Appendix: On Point’s Global Virtual Team Study 157

Notes 173

About the Authors 177

Index 181