Successfully Leading in Today's "Virtual" Environment
1 Jan, 2003
By: Brad ClevelandNote: The following article originally appeared in ICMI''s Call Center Management Review, www.incoming.com, and has been modified and reprinted here with permission.
The degree to which our world has become connected has surpassed the most forward-thinking dreams of just a generation ago. Fiber optic cables crisscross the globe, and satellites provide virtually ubiquitous world-wide telecommunications service. Computer and telecommunications technologies have spawned organizations that span geography and time. And, Internet capabilities have enabled people to link resources and skills in new, imaginative ways.
Many of the trends in call centers are indicative of these developments. Distributed call centers, telecommuting, cross-functional teams and 24 hour by 7 day a week operations are common examples of people working across sites and time. If you are a call center manager, chances are high that you will have the responsibility of getting results from people that work in different locations, don’t report to you, or don’t work the same hours.
While technology has enabled these enormous opportunities, it hasn’t eliminated the natural barriers that exist between people who work in distributed environments. For example, people who work in different places and/or at different times often have trouble seeing themselves as an integral part of a larger team. Informal opportunities that people have for getting to know each other in traditional settings (such as around the coffee pot or in the hallway) may be rare; these experiences can be tough to replicate by phone or email. Further, in any organization a large amount of information is exchanged outside the formal context of memos and meetings, which, without extraordinary effort on the part of all group members, is often unevenly distributed among individuals.
Unfortunately, there is no fool-proof formula for leading a distributed group. Like leadership in general, building a cohesive virtual team defies a specific recipe. There are, however, tried and true principles that will significantly increase the odds of success.
Create a Compelling Vision. Begin by asking key questions, e.g., Why does the distributed group exist? What is it going to collectively achieve? What’s in it for the participants? Unfortunately, quite a few people have been through the process of creating “vision statements” that, for one reason or another, have had little or no impact on peoples’ actions. Nonetheless, a clear focus that is championed by the leader is a prerequisite to pulling people in and aligning actions.
Build Trust Among Members. In their classic work, Leaders, Warren Bennis & Burt Nanus contend trust is the “lubrication that makes it possible for organizations to work.” (Leaders, Harperbusiness, 1997.) Consultant Jaclyn Kostner, who has authored several books on the subject of virtual leadership, concurs and concludes that the remote leader''s number one challenge is to develop trust on three levels: in the leader, in the project or organization, and among the people that are a part of the team.
How? Start by creating opportunities for the people in your distributed group to get to know each other; e.g., one call center manager set up a Web page profiling the members of a multi-site team, then gave everyone a short “open book” (rather, “open web”) quiz on the interests and backgrounds of the other members. It''s also important to ensure that everyone gets key information at the same time and that all are abreast of major decisions. Remember, (PQ) some expediency must be traded off for the sake of fostering a collaborative environment (PQ).
Establish Appropriate Communication Tools. A prerequisite to a productive distributed workgroup is that the members of the group have compatible and capable communications technologies. Telephone, Email, Intranet, and collaboration and conferencing tools offer enormous potential if available and compatible across the entire group (it''s very important that all individuals have access to the same communications tools -- no second-class members!). Further, creating a directory (paper or online) of contact numbers and addresses just for the distributed workgroup gives people the basic information they need to collaborate, and also adds to the symbolism that will help the members of the team identify with each other.
Eliminate Unnecessary Bureaucracy. Peter Drucker, respected management consultant, has insisted that, "So much of what we call management consists of making it difficult for people to work." Distributed groups in particular are prone to encounter unworkable rules, policies and procedures. The result can be project gridlock.
It''s important for the leader to regularly and vigilantly look for ways to scrap (or, at least, minimize) the impact of unnecessary hierarchies and cumbersome bureaucracies. That’s easier said than done, but is one of the most important steps you can take to facilitate the progress of your distributed team. Help the members of your group accomplish their tasks by eliminating stumbling blocks, such as interdepartmental barriers.
Develop a Communications "Agreement." Even with all the technology bells and whistles, good communication may be lacking. E.g., have you ever received a lengthy, involved e-mail that gave no hint how, or even if you were to respond? Or have you ever sent a genuinely important message that warrants a timely response, but received no reply because the recipient thought the message was only an “FYI” (for your information).
Distributed work groups need some ground rules that stipulate levels of priority and appropriate responses for A) urgent messages requiring immediate response, B) routine messages requiring respond within, say, a day, and, C) non-urgent informational messages that require no response. E-mail messages should have descriptive titles, and should be written like a newspaper story with headlines first, the main points second and necessary supporting details last. Also, not using email to relay negative information to someone, especially related to their performance, is wise advise; a telephone or video conference (or, of course, an in-person meeting) will allow the kind of immediate interaction that can prevent a problem from becoming even more serious and emotionally-charged.
Consistently Communicate Progress. Hazy objectives and vaguely defined tasks will destroy the productivity and morale of a distributed work group. The objectives of the group should be as concrete as possible, and projects should have clearly defined milestones, with beginning and ending points. Since projects tend to take on a life of their own as they develop, it’s important to keep the group updated and on the same track.
Project tools such as Gantt charts and flow charts can be useful for identifying resources required, showing the inter-related nature of individual tasks, and tracking progress. They give a tangibility to the mission of the workgroup, and can help address questions such as, Where are we? How far have we come? What’s next? They should be updated and distributed as often as something substantial changes in the ongoing direction and plans. (Unfortunately, they can also instill a rigidity that hampers necessary changes in direction as a project develops, so they shouldn’t be used over-zealously.)
Listen Actively and Regularly. There is a common myth that great leaders create compelling visions from "gifted perspectives" or "inner creativity" that others don’t possess. But many studies on the subjects of leadership and strategy (e.g., from the work of Warren Bennis, Peter Senge, Michael Porter and others) have shown the visions of some of history’s greatest leaders often came from others. The leaders may have selected the best vision to focus on, shaped it and communicated it to others in a compelling way, but they rarely originated the vision. The point? Be a superb listener. Develop both formal and informal channels of communication to gain access to the ideas and insights of others. The added benefit of being a good listener is that when people have a stake in an idea, they tend to work much harder to bring about its success.
Celebrate Accomplishments. As your distributed group reaches critical milestones, it is important to acknowledge the accomplishments and celebrate! A shared vision is motivating. But, (PQ) you have to keep the vision alive (PQ). And one of the best ways to do that is to actively recognize accomplishments along the way.
Conclusion
These principles have much personal meaning to me. As my organization has grown and developed over the years, our team of employees and global partners spans an increasing number of countries, languages and backgrounds. We have learned a tremendous amount about virtual leadership by observing the habits of successful call center managers responsible for far-flung or 24 X 7 teams. The challenges are real and ongoing, and I suppose mastering these principles is a lifelong pursuit. But being part of an environment in which people surmount distance and time to succeed as individuals and as a group is one of the most rewarding professional experiences you can have! In today''s world, it''s also one of the most necessary.
