ConnecTing Virtual Team Members for Successful Collaboration

BACKGROUND/SIGNIFICANCE:

The educational and professional landscape is increasingly dominated by project teams working collaboratively to address complex problems. With the advent of digital technologies and the reality of working groups distributed across campuses, regions and between levels of departments and organizations, many of these teams are virtual. Virtual teams can leverage expertise and diverse perspectives, improve innovation and productivity, and increase participation and sense of cohesion among team members.

Despite the ubiquity and potential benefits of virtual teams, very few educational institutes, public or private organizations have effectively prepared their virtual teams to work optimally in this new organizational model; many virtual teams are established without planning, training, or consideration to the types of contributions needed from individual members or leaders of the team. Technologies utilized are not necessarily suited to tasks or leveraged to overcome communication barriers. Productivity and innovation are not optimized, and participants almost universally report a lack of engagement.

Award-winning faculty at Dalhousie University have developed an actionable framework as a tool for building productive, cohesive virtual teams: ConnecT Framework. They have designed engaging, interactive workshops in which participants become familiar with and practice the principles outlined in the framework. This framework and these workshops are the outcomes of extensive research and piloting with those in the private and public sectors. Participants learn how to cultivate trust, keep team members engaged, leverage technology to overcome communication barriers, and clarify roles, objectives, and expectations for optimal productivity. Back within their classrooms, in their place of employment, or with their organizations, participants are equipped to immediately apply the tips, strategies, tools, and best practices outlined in the workshop. This framework and these workshops are the outcomes of extensive research and piloting with those in the private and public sectors.

WORKSHOP LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the conclusion of this workshop, participants will:

• be able to describe barriers to effective virtual teamwork and understand the ConnecT Framework (see Figure 1 below) as an evidence-based, innovative pedagogical tool for overcoming those barriers
• understand the critical importance of effective and consistent communication, cultural competence, conflict management, and knowledge of complexities and contexts so they can effectively empower team members, utilize timelines, leverage technologies, and complete tasks.
• be familiar with how transformational leadership qualities are woven into and nurtured by the ConnecT Framework
• through participation in an action project simulation, be able to demonstrate how to use the ConnecT Framework in practice

WORKSHOP GOALS:

• To foster discussion and collaboration surrounding the challenges faced by virtual team members today
• To share the ConnecT Framework, our pedagogical tool for effective virtual teamwork
• To build a clear understanding for how to foster trust and authentic collaboration, establish shared expectations, align and meet individual and organizational goals, prevent or resolve conflict swiftly, and leverage communication to communicate effectively.

WORKSHOP FORMAT:

Note: Internet connection and access to a shared website (to be determined) is required for this workshop. Participants need to bring a laptop with them.  

ICE BREAKER (10 min)

Six volunteers (who may stay in their seat) will be selected to participate as virtual team members. Each is given a piece of paper with the time of day it currently is in their time zone. They will be given a simple task that involves creating and submitting content on a deadline. The following prompts will encourage discussion:

• Who will be the team leader?
• What is the first thing that must be done now, as a team?
• What technology will team members use to discuss roles and responsibilities for getting the task done?  
• What are the immediate challenges (or potential challenges) faced by the team?

CONNECT FRAMEWORK PRESENTATION (20 min)

The workshop facilitators will present a lively overview of the ConnecT Framework as a mechanism for building teams that are respectful, trusting, collaborative, and highly productive.

ACTION SIMULATION (45 min)

Prior to the workshop, participants will receive a copy of, and be asked to familiarize themselves with, the case study to be used in the simulation; this will serve to optimize the time participants can engage in the content. The case study will correspond to a hypothetical professional scenario requiring virtual team work.

At the beginning of the simulation, twelve volunteer participants will be assigned a team member role to play in the simulation. Team members will be located in different regions/time zones, have diverse communication preferences and styles, and demonstrate a range of both constructive and unconstructive attributes. Participants will simulate the first team meeting and will be asked to decide what they hope to achieve together, how they will share information, and create a draft action plan to be presented to a senior manager. Those remaining in the workshop audience will observe the simulation.  At key points, the simulation will be paused, based on what they now understand from the ConnecT framework, observers will be asked to jump in with praise or suggestions for how they would act differently, make a different choice, or choose a different approach; they will be given opportunities to provide feedback verbally or through answering poll questions provided through an online app.

DEBRIEF/QUESTION AND ANSWER (15 min)

Workshop facilitators will summarize the session’s concepts and learnings and will stimulate discussion to explore whether learning the elements of the ConnecT Framework enhanced communication, prompted changes in approach or team member behaviours, and encouraged more authentic collaboration. Participants will be encouraged to share their honest feedback, questions, concerns, and suggestions. All participants will leave with workshop materials outlining the ConnecT Framework and accompanying guidelines.