TMA World eClass Webinar: Working Virtually: Core Principles for Success

Working Virtually
Core Principles For Success

Terence Brake
Head of Learning & Innovation
TMA World

Welcome

Author:
Where In The World
Is My Team? Making
a Success of Your
Global Virtual Workplace.
Jossey-Bass, 2009

Virtual Experience:
Worked from home office with all
corners of the world for the last
18 years

© Transnational Management Associates Ltd. All Rights Reserved. [Working Virtually: Core Principles For Success] 2

For those of you who don’t know us:

TMA World
We offer authoritative and versatile learning solutions for
companies looking to develop high-performing talent for the
new digital, borderless workplace.


What Is This Webinar About?

Is Not About:

• Setting up a virtual office
• Running a virtual meeting
• Writing good e-mails
• Using a webcam
• Six Cs of Team Collaboration - see book ;o)

It Is About:

• Core underlying principles to adopt for effective virtual
working in the increasingly borderless workplace:
 Across-City
 Across-Country
 Across-Continents

Principles Defined

“Fundamental norms, rules, or values
that represent what is desirable and
positive for a person, group, organization, or community.”

BusinessDictionary.com


Virtual Work Defined

“work done outside of the
traditional physical office
or workspace.”

Manpower


The PRIME Principles

The People Principle
P E O P L E

The Reality Principle

M mentum The Inclusion Principle

The Momentum Principle
Reality
The Easy Principle
INCLUSION EASY


People

People Principle:
P E O P L E
Focus on connecting, not
connections

Think quality, not
quantity

Give, don’t just take


People

Think quality, not quantity
 Analyze your network – strong ties/weak ties mix,
superconnectors, diversity, complementary knowledge and
skills, creativity and insights
 Reach out rather than wait for an invitation, explain benefits for
both

Give, don’t just take
 Help others first
 Show gratitude and sincerity, collaborate, build trust
 Don’t keep score


Reality

Reality Principle:
Reality Determine what’s real from
what’s imagined

Beware the stories you
tell yourself

Check for bias bugs


Reality

Beware the stories you tell yourself
 Be careful how you close the gaps in your knowledge of others
– get from interpersonal ‘mush’ to interpersonal clarity
 Encourage quality conversations to minimize distortions, don’t
just talk

Check for bias bugs
 Mindset
 Fears
 Similarity
 Proximity
 False attributions


Inclusion

INCLUSION Inclusion Principle:

Communicate to bridge
distances

Keep assumptions of
similarity in check

Understand the
preferences of others


Inclusion

Keep assumptions of similarity in check
 Be aware of the signals you’re not receiving
 Be cautious of superficial understanding
 Show respect by wanting to know the person, not just his or
her e-mail address

Understand the preferences of others
 Create opportunities for learning about each other’s preferred
ways of using technology, communicating, giving and receiving
feedback, problem solving, etc.


Momentum

Momentum Principle:
M mentum
Keep the energy flowing

Minimize uncertainty

Deal with conflict sooner
rather than later


Momentum

Minimize uncertainty
 Take responsibility for clarity about what, why, who, when,
where and how?
 Update regularly and frequently
 Remember that the risks of over-communicating are far less
than those of under-communicating

Deal with conflict sooner rather than later
 Be proactive to prevent conflict
 Listen and look for weak signals that indicate potential conflict
 Use real time communication when possible
 Don’t let communication frequency slow down
 Practice self management, restraint


Easy

Easy Principle:
EASY Make life easy for yourself
and others

Take responsibility for
communication

Help connect the dots, for
yourself and others


Easy

Take responsibility for communication
 Take extra care with articulation, tone, grammar, etc.
 Focus on shared understandings, not cleverness
 Be transparent; avoid making your virtual colleagues read your
mind

Help connect the dots, for yourself and others
 Communicate the big picture as well as the details
 Switch ‘seats’, provide context to help understanding - what do
others need to know to make sense of what I am saying
 Create regular opportunities for the sharing of interpretations
and perspectives


The PRIME Principles

People: Focus on
P E O P L E connecting, not connections

Reality: Determine what’s
M mentum real from what’s imagined

Inclusion: Communicate to
bridge distances
Reality
Momentum: Keep the
energy flowing
INCLUSION EASY
Easy: Make life easy for
yourself and others


Thank You


Q&A


Thank you for your participation

Please visit our website
www.tmaworld.com
Get in touch!

Contact us at enquiries@tmaworld.com

or Terry directly at tbrake@tmaworld.com

TMA World is a leader in developing talent for the global workplace.


TMA World is a leader in developing talent for the
global workplace. Across 50 countries we apply
a blend of experiential workshops and e-learning
methodologies to enable individuals at all levels to
lead and collaborate across distances and difference:
Develop leaders - who possess appropriate global mindsets and competencies
Engage global teams - to collaborate seamlessly and support international growth
Achieve consistency - across cultures, methodologies and management
Harmonize cross-border relationships - both internally and externally
Unify your people - to enable the free flow of ideas and skills globally

To find out more about how we can help you address your learning and development
challenges, please contact us at enquiries@tmaworld.com or visit our website
www.tmaworld.com

London New York San Francisco Hong Kong Singapore Bangalore Moscow


TMA World Publications
http://www.tmaworld.com/news-
Written by Terence Brake, President, TMA World-Americas insights/blognews/
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