We now work in teams a whole lot more than in the past. Creating and participating in successful teams is tricky - Good teamwork doesn’t happen “naturally.”

Now information technologies (IT) mediate most of our collaboration. Because you cannot see your teammates, digital mediation makes teamwork even more complicated!

This workshop series, based on the most recent management research, explains why working across distance and ITs create special problems that can jeopardize your ability to perform well.  And we practice new skills and discuss ideas for planning, leading and maintaining high performing virtual teams.

Target Audience

• Anyone participating in or leading virtual work teams

• Anyone who would like to improve the satisfaction and effectiveness of her/his organization’s dispersed teams

Outline

The sessions outline the specific problems at each stage of team development, then build skills in leading their teams “virtually” through the stages – Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing. The interactive sessions use exercises, case studies, best practice guidelines and discussion to build understanding and skills. Participants will gain awareness and capabilities they can apply the next day to improve virtual working.

Session 1 – Forming

• Distinguish the reasons that the “virtual” creates many special difficulties for achieving high performance teamwork

• Develop skills for setting a productive, supportive climate

• Learn techniques for planning team goals, strategies, role specification and interaction

• Understand the value and difficulty of creating familiarity and relationships within the team to its performance

Session 2 – Storming

• Try techniques for finding commonalities, identifying and appreciating difference

• Understand the importance and dimensions of cultural context in team performance

• Learn why virtual distanced work creates more problems that are more difficult to resolve

• Learn how to minimize and to resolve conflict fairly and productively

• Match the communication technology to the task and the receiver

Session 3 – Norming

• Create team rules to establish behavioral and performance norms

• Explore styles and techniques for problem-solving

• Learn techniques for rewarding collaborative behavior and good performance

Session 4 – Performing

• Discover ways to uncover problems that you cannot see

• Try feedback methods that better engage team members and improve team learning and performance

• Identify what works and what doesn’t for effective virtual meetings

•  

Workshop Leader Bio

Nance Goldstein, PhD, is an industrial economist, professor, organizational consultant and workplace trainer. Her research examines work and organizational outcomes of information technologies (IT) in many industries – from semiconductor manufacturing and AI to health care. She has recently been honored with a Fellowship to Harvard University’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study (2000-2) and is currently a Resident Scholar at Brandeis University WSRC.

Recently, the National Science Foundation commissioned her report on how IT-mediated remote working affects people’s employment, work lives and performance: IT at Work: Information Technologies and Remote Working in the US (2003). As a consultant on IT and workplace change, her clients include the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the President’s Science Advisor, the National Commission for Employment Policy and numerous research organizations.

Nance has led professional skill-building seminars and workshops incommunications, project management and leadership skills at the national Women in Technology International (WITI), Women in Management and New England Human Resources Association (NEHRA) Conferences, at Harvard University, as well as IEEE Boston.  Insights magazine and Boston Women’s Business newspaper have recently published her work on virtual teamwork.

Decision (Run/Cancel) Date for  this Courses is Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Course Fee Schedule:

On-line Registration and Payment

On-line registration is closed for this course, but registration is still available on-site or by contacting the office at 781-245-5405.

Copyright © 2004 IEEE Boston Section. All rights reserved.
Maintained by R M Stelting

Updated Thursday June 28, 2007