Archives For Virtual Teams

Working Across Borders: How Hard Can It Be?

February 5, 2015 — Leave a comment

In today’s competitive environment most of us work across borders of one kind or another, but for me it is at the core of what I do… who I am.

The reality is that we live in a global economy – with instantaneous communication, online connectivity, unlimited tools, and the ability to see and interact with people on the other side of the world. You have to pause and ask yourself – how hard can it be to interact successfully with supervisors, subordinates, suppliers, customers, and/or partners from around the world? As it turns out, a whole lot harder than it looks…

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From personal experience, I can tell you that helping people accelerate as effective leaders in a global economy is complex… and critically important. Continue Reading…

In alignment, Behavior, Business Results, Communication, Cross-cultural, Culture & Global Leadership Series, Executive Coaching, Global Leadership, Multicultural Teams, Multinational, Strategic Planning, Value Creation, Virtual Teams , , , , , ,
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Collaboration Is Not An Option – It Is An Imperative

August 4, 2014 — 3 Comments

As a leader in a global environment, it is essential for you to set the example and create communities where people unite around a common purpose and values.  Working collaboratively to accomplish a shared vision that makes a powerful and positive impact on the global business is absolutely vital to your success!

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Can true collaboration occur in cross-cultural and virtual environments? Absolutely, IF you, as a leader, are intentional about building collaborative environments, modeling collaborative leadership practices, and creating opportunities to bring people together for both organizational and personal benefit.

Continue Reading…

In alignment, Behavior, Communication, Cross-cultural, Culture & Global Leadership Series, Executive Coaching, Global, Innovation, Leadership, Multicultural Teams, Potential, Team Building , , , , , , ,
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Cultural Integration For Global Collaboration

July 19, 2014 — 1 Comment

While nearly everyone in today’s global workplace recognizes the need (and appreciates the value) of collaborative work, it is not easy – especially when cultural differences, time zone challenges, work and communication styles enter the equation. Despite this, true global collaboration is simply too valuable not to take advantage of because it provides you, as a leader, with a significant opportunity to leverage learning, negotiate meaning, and share aptitudes – creating high potential sources of competitive advantage.

The rapid pace of globalization and the growing number of collaborative technology solutions have enabled virtual work while the demand for skills from around the world have made it a necessity. However, collaborative teamwork in virtual environments is not intuitive. It’s far more than dealing with technology and time zones – it is about people and the value that cross-cultural, virtual collaboration can bring to the organization.

Continue Reading…

In Communication, Cross-cultural, Executive Coaching, Global, Leadership, Multicultural Teams, Strategic Planning, Team Building, Value Creation, Virtual Teams , , , , , , ,
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Intentionality: Cross-cultural Communications, Part Two

February 18, 2013 — Leave a comment

While cultural misinterpretations can make for a good laugh amongst friends, the same mistake in a business setting can permanently damage your reputation with colleagues, employees… or clients.

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As the world becomes “smaller”, the need for strong cross-cultural skills continues to increase at an alarming pace. Whether you work in your home country with people from other cultures or you live in a culture other than your own, doing business with people having alternative worldviews is always a challenge.Technological advances in transportation and communication may make logistics easier, but the challenge of cross-cultural communication remains constant. As you consider how to work with people different from yourself, consider some basic tips that you may find helpful: Continue Reading…

In alignment, Communication, Cross-cultural, Global, Global Leadership, Leadership , , , , , , ,
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Intentionality: Cross-cultural Communications, Part One

February 11, 2013 — 3 Comments

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Communicating is probably this single most important thing we do – yet we often pay little attention to how we communicate. While basic communications are important, in the business world cross-cultural communications have become essential.  Even if you do not work across regions, it is highly likely that the person in the office next to you, or perhaps even your boss, is from a culture different from your own. Even though you may speak a common language, communication goes much deeper.  In the spirit of understanding that different cultures espouse different worldviews, here are just a few of the orientations that often differ and may help you gain some perspective as to why it is often difficult to communicate across boundaries & borders: Continue Reading…

In alignment, Communication, Cross-cultural, Global, International, Leadership, Multicultural Teams , , , , , , , , , ,
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Virtual Success: Managing Your Meetings

July 10, 2012 — Leave a comment

The fact that your teams are virtual means you have to keep them engaged during meetings or they will drift off and it is highly likely you won’t get the outcomes you are counting on. Often virtual meetings can be boring, hard to sit through, and unproductive. Here are some simple ways to maximize the value of virtual meetings and make them less agonizing for everyone involved:

1)   Create a good agenda

We all know we need an agenda to run a meeting, but a good agenda is more than just a list of items to cover. It needs to be well thought out and sent out ahead of time so the team can prepare. Even though you sent it out in advance, ensure you also clearly review it at the beginning of the meeting so your teams know what’s expected of them and what to expect from the time together. A good virtual meeting agenda clearly states:

In Communication, Cross-cultural, Global, Global Leadership, Planning, Strategic Planning, Team Building, Value Creation, Virtual Teams , , , ,
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