Follow us •
Share
June 2010
Communication, clarity and collaboration top the list of ‘C’ skills CIOs need to excel in the new, globally dispersed business world.
By Kim Batson, The CIO Coach
Are up to 40 percent of virtual teams underperforming? It’s quite possible, based on responses to a survey conducted by an intercultural training consultancy, RW3 CultureWizard. The study found that while 80 percent of corporate managers work virtually at least part of the time, and 63 percent are members of global virtual teams, only 60 percent consider their groups to be successful or very successful.
As RW3 CEO and president Michael S. Schell pointed out: “We can’t imagine that this degree of satisfaction would be acceptable in any business endeavor. Inasmuch as virtual teams are such a fast-growing component of business, and global collaboration is critical to success, the organizations with the most effective teams will be most successful. Making virtual work more effective must be top-of-mind for every business leader.”
I agree. As a coach working with CIOs who lead globally dispersed organizations, I notice that effective management is taking on new dimensions and also presenting unique challenges. Managing a distributed group varies greatly from the traditional face-to-face team environment, and CIOs often need to adopt a new style and approach for the best results.
Here are 10 ‘C’s’ of style, skill and approach that a CIO needs to successfully manage a remote team and increase his or her success rates:
| Communication: | As CIO at a large company, you are likely the sponsor of a global team or you may be actually leading a team if you are in a small to midsize company. As such, you need to inspire your virtual group, and any team leaders, with a compelling vision and purpose. This calls for clear and positive communication. Once your remote team is on board with their mission, maintaining consistent communication with them will help bridge the gap of miles. Overcommunication is better than undercommunication when it comes to dispersed teams. |
| Clarity: | Remote employees don’t have the benefit of being in the same room and reading nonverbal cues, so clarity is important. Make sure that each member clearly understands plans, tasks, accountabilities and commitments. In addition, since personal and cultural communication styles can be easily misinterpreted when you’re conversing remotely, lay out some code-of-conduct guidelines that include maintaining respect and politeness at all times in written and verbal communications. |
| Collaboration: | Create a culture of collaboration and trust. Set up systems so that teams can collaborate without your intervention, and invest in technology tools such as IM, chat rooms, discussion boards, internal blogs, virtual whiteboards, and Web- and videoconferencing to make it happen. Tools alone, however, cannot create a culture of trust that is vital to team collaboration; it must be fostered by recognizing and respecting team members and building a strong sense of teamwork. |
| Community: | Since individuals on virtual teams don’t have the advantage of socially interacting together around the watercooler at the office, come up with creative ways for them to get to know each other. Circulate photos and bios on wikis and intranets. Ask them to share something personal about themselves to build rapport. Consider arranging delivery of pizzas, brownies or cakes to virtually “break bread” together, or to celebrate a win. By the way, it has been shown that remote teams that meet in person at least once trust one another more, are more cohesive and more effective. Consider investing in a get-together, especially in the beginning; the ROI may be well worth it. |
| Compromise: | Be flexible and open in your approach. Focus on outcomes and results more than process, and don’t micromanage dispersed employees. Remote workers may work best at various times of day or night; don’t expect them to be available at all hours, and be prepared to compromise on meeting times. |
| Creativity: | Know the talent on your team and maximize the unique strengths of each member for various tasks. Take advantage of international diversity to think outside the box and brainstorm innovative and creative ideas. |
| Commission and Empower: | The consultancy study found that virtual teams face challenges about the speed and method of decision making. Make sure your virtual organization is empowered to meet their commitments with appropriate decision- making authority, especially when their role is customer-facing. In addition, ensure that decisions requiring corporate or executive approval are handled, when requested, without delay. |
| Cultural Sensitivity: | Be aware of the various cultures represented on your team, how they work, how they communicate and how they make decisions. Their styles and what motivates them may be very different from yours. Remember, whatever your language, team members in other countries may communicate better in written, rather than verbal form. |
| Coaching: | Ask questions, take time to listen and draw people out. Use a coaching management style and watch people come alive with ideas and solutions. It’s easy in virtual meetings for individuals to be passed over because they are quiet. Draw them out by “going around the room” as if you were literally in one room together. Whatever you do, don’t do all the talking; ask people for their opinion and thoughts. If conflict arises, take it offline, if necessary, dealing with it individually and not in front of everyone. Move the conversation back to positive territory as quickly as possible. |
| Commitment: | This may well be the most important of these 10 principles: Be committed to making your remote team work. Visit them, if you can, even if only occasionally. Schedule times to call and talk with team leaders and team members. Put these principles in motion. As a leader, your commitment sets the tone for the success of your entire virtual organization. |
ASK THE EXPERT:
Kim Batson, The CIO Coach
Kim Batson partners with CIOs, CTOs and other senior technology executives internationally to position them for career and business success.
She works with senior IT leaders in some of the world’s leading companies to optimize career and job search results through executive branding, online presence, resume/biography-building, and other techniques in career management and job search strategies.
Batson holds certification as a Career Management and Leadership Coach and as a Personal Branding, Job Search and Online Identity Strategist. She has a background in sales, management, technology and recruiting, with Fortune 50 experience. Batson is also a frequent keynote speaker and thought leader in the careers industry.
Kim Batson is also a member of Smart Enterprise Exchange and can be reached on the community.
©2012 Smart Enterprise