Essential Skills for Virtual Collaboration

Set Up Distributed Teams
Best practices for setting direction, maintaining focus, and sharing responsibility for success — for new teams or boosting existing teams 

Lead with Purpose & Empathy
Learn how successful leaders connect with virtual team members, increase psychological safety, foster personal accountability, and share responsibility for success

Really Listen & Understand People
Techniques for hearing and understanding people more accurately, appreciating alternative points of view, and encouraging honest communication

Engage Everyone in Online Meetings
Facilitative techniques for focusing attention, including everyone, generating ideas, and noting ideas on a common visual display

Build Trust & Rapport in the Virtual Workplace*
Ways to assemble the building blocks of trust when working in different locations: dependability, values congruence, transparency, competence, and focused intention

Raise & Address Difficult Subjects
Techniques for initiating difficult conversations, helping colleagues say what’s on their minds, and develop team norms for addressing hard topics

Give Feedback from a Distance*
Learn how to observe others’ actions and behaviors from a distance in order to (a) provide constructive feedback, and (b) support virtual colleagues in responding to a request for a change in their behavior.

Tame the Online Meeting Monster*
Techniques for planning the meeting, keeping people on track, building agreements, and completing with clear and practical action plans

Present Online with Confidence
Techniques to engage and command the attention of listeners by using compelling messages, attractive visuals, and vocal variety

Influence Stakeholders from a Distance*
Techniques for shaping the opinions and behavior of people whose support we want, but over whom we may have little authority

Reconcile Differences on Virtual Teams
Techniques for handling disagreements when working from a distance so you can get back to collaborating versus competing and withholding support

Ask Better Questions to Get Better Solutions
Ways to spot biased and limiting questions (mental quicksand) and to fashion questions, problem definitions, and opportunity statements that hit the mark

Reach Agreements with Virtual Co-Workers*
Learn the steps for building understanding and informed decisions by developing your ability to scan for proposals, think through alternatives, and fashion smart agreements.

*These programs are included in the Essential Skills for Virtual Collaboration Series