Leading virtual teams

Virtual and classroom delivery available

Managing people remotely presents a unique set of issues that many managers find challenging. This course helps managers maintain the morale, discipline and motivation of their teams without regular in-person contact.

Virtual and classroom delivery available

About the course

Course overview

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With ever more of us working from home, on the road or across multiple sites, the character of management is changing. And for many, the lack of in-person contact can be a challenge.

Of course the manager’s central role remains the same: To maintaining morale, engagement and productivity in their teams. But without daily face-to-face contact many managers can feel their influence and oversight has been reduced.

From the perspective of team members, working remotely can present a range of challenges that require their manager’s support. What these are depends on their personalities, working environments and the tools that are made available to them, so managers need to be aware and responsive to a wide range of new needs and concerns.

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Done right, virtual teams can be hugely effective satisfying to work in, offering the right balance of structure, support and freedom to enable individuals to flourish. Our Leading Virtual Teams course provides virtual team leaders and managers with the tool to achieve this.

Over the course of this insightful and practical day, you will learn how to build team identity, communication and structure whilst taking account of individual needs and working styles. You’ll leave equipped with the knowledge, skills and tools to run a focused, goal oriented team that works for the organisation and its employees.

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Key details

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By the end of this course, delegates will learn to:

  • Identify and use effective leadership behaviours when leading virtual teams
  • Recognise what virtual team members need and expect from team leaders
  • Spot the different needs individuals have in relation to remote working and support them accordingly
  • Use a range of communication methods to support effective team working
  • Create and maintain motivation and team spirit within remote working environments
  • Understand and adapt to cultural or language differences
  • Use a range of techniques to manage and maximise the performance of virtual team members

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1. Defining the characteristics of effective virtual teams

  • The different types of virtual teams
  • Identifying the challenges and opportunities of remote working
  • How personality helps / hinders being a remote worker
  • Flexing your response as a manager
  • Identifying the behaviours, skills and qualities of highly effective virtual team leaders

2. Managing team performance and motivation

  • Setting clear expectations
  • Managing remote workers flexibly
  • Creating a virtual environment to motivate the team
  • Supporting and developing the team from a distance
  • Providing effective, personalised feedback to the team and individuals
  • Coaching from a distance
  • Measuring team performance on an ongoing basis
  • Running effective virtual team meetings

3. Building a high-performance virtual team

  • Building engagement within a virtual team
  • Defining remote team members’ expectations of their team leader
  • Creating the right environment
  • Building team spirit and trust
  • Understanding the emotional, psychological and physical requirements of remote workers

4. Communication across a virtual team

  • Identifying and overcoming the barriers to effective virtual communication
  • Planning when and how often to communicate – and with whom
  • Selecting the right communication method
  • Developing and implementing communication systems and processes using technology such as online forums and online virtual meetings
  • Techniques to ensure everyone is are heard and understood

5. Communicating with other languages / cultures (if appropriate)

  • What are the difficulties we encounter with other languages / cultures?
  • How do they experience us?
  • Becoming culturally aware
  • Tips and techniques to overcome these challenges

6. Continuing your development

  • Developing a personal action plan to support you in putting your learning into practice

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This course is for anyone who manages people who normally work from a different location to their own.

This might include mangers of teams whose members work from home, are part of a mobile workforce, or who work from other offices.

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Course leader

Kate Jennings is a highly experienced leadership development consultant and coach, as well as a qualified counsellor. She has facilitated large-scale leadership and communications programmes for a wide range of organisations.

Kate’s background is in the food industry, where for many years she led teams working with clients such as M&S, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose. Building on this experience she has spent 15 years working with executives and staff teams for some of the UK’s most well-known organisations. Kate works across private, public and voluntary sectors, with clients in the UK, Europe and USA.

Kate Jennings - Cambridge Executive Development

Track record

“[The trainer’s] experience is invaluable and her communication and delivery are second to none. She made things very clear and made sure everybody understood and participated.” Delegate, Entrepreneur’s Circle
“In a safe environment I felt able to explore aspects on my behaviour without being made to feel vulnerable.” Delegate from Markel International
“Very engaging and interactive. [The trainer] was superb.” Director, Advertising Standards Agency
“I am noticeably more confident and self-aware since I took part in the course and feel empowered to develop my career in a way that plays to my strengths.” Scientist, British Antarctic Survey
“I learnt a lot from the day. Lots of ideas to return to the office with. Very much enjoyed the course and the fantastically knowledgeable trainer.” Delegate, Iris Accountancy Solutions
Cambridge Exec clients - leadership

Additional learning resources

Post-course support

We understand that your professional development doesn’t end when you walk out of the classroom. The time you’ve put in will only make a real impact if your learning is carried into the way you work. That’s why we offer post-course support in implementing your new skills, for as long as required. Your trainer is available to discuss problems, provide advice or offer feedback until you feel confident on your own.

E-learning package

This course also includes access to an ‘e-learning pinboard’, a password protected webpage where your trainer has posted articles, videos, interviews and other useful tools around the topic for you to draw on for inspiration and ideas going forward.

Bespoke virtual & classroom workshops

If you have any questions or if you would like to speak to one of our trainers about how the Coaching Skills for Managers course could work for your organisation please get in touch. We can deliver the course at your offices, anywhere in the UK – and beyond.

This course can be delivered for your group by our expert facilitators at your offices or as a virtual classroom live over the internet.

In most cases we can provide an all-inclusive quote to cover design, delivery and materials with some basic information:

  • Which course you are interested in
  • Where the course would take place (or if virtual)
  • How many delegates need to be trained

Just drop us a line with these basic facts and we’ll get back to you with a no-obligation quote on the same day.