Cooperative Collaboration: The Virtual Team Approach

Cooperative Collaboration:The Virtual Team Approach Conversation–Awareness–Coordination‘A Shared Commitment’

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Teams of Few

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Teams of Many!!!

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Overcoming Major Disconnects Even when co-workers are in the next cubicle, ‘taking care of business’ can be challenging enough. Now, add the variable for when your co-workers are in the building next door or across the street. Finding things becoming just a bit harder to keep within reach? Well, how about if co-workers are located in another city, another state, another country, or, as it may seem when things become really disconnected, on another planet?

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Overcoming Major Disconnects (cont.) Although our working relationships may not seem like ‘virtual’ ones, they very well could be. But what if they weren’t meant to be? Then, there are those situations where working relationships are meant to be geographically dispersed, where it’s all about working together apart. You’ll need a strong, well-thought-out foundation to make it successful.

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Blue Print for Building a Virtual Team • What IS a Virtual Team & what is its PURPOSE? • Are YOU Virtual Team ‘material’ — the self assessment. • The framework for the alliance — establishing a Team’s identity or defining the Team’s ‘mission statement’ or ‘vision’. • Determine, understand, and ‘practice’ best practices.

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Blue Print for Building a Virtual Team (cont.) • Best Practices will provide guidance to achieve ‘one voice’ for ‘many voices’. – Based on trust and commitment. – Agreement on the need for a common purpose. • Team member skills inventory—strengths, contributions members feel they can make to the team, identifying areas for improvement.

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Blue Print for Building a Virtual Team (cont.) • Address conflict management—what potential conflicts might arise and how do team members plan to resolve these conflicts. • Determine who is to be the lead member. • Obtaining team members' contact information.

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Blue Print for Building a Virtual Team (cont.) • Handling team meetings and conference sessions. • How to exchange information (text files, graphics, etc.). • Maintaining productivity to achieve results.

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Blue Print for Building a Virtual Team (cont.) • Tools & methods to avoid ‘communication breakdown’. – Basecamp, SharePoint, GoToMeeting, Skype, WebEx. – Learn properly & then properly utilize. – Used in corporate environment/individual use.

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Blue Print for Building a Virtual Team (cont.) • BaseCamp – focus on communication & collaboration to assign tasks, share files, show activity, track time to meet deadlines; cost - Max Plan ($149/month, top-of-the-line, unlimited projects , 50 GB storage, unlimited users, time tracking, enhanced security); Plus Plan (most popular, $49.00/month, 35 projects, 10 GB storage, unlimited users, time tracking, enhanced security).

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Blue Print for Building a Virtual Team (cont.) • SharePoint – widely used for collaboration and social computing; connects people with line-of-business data, other experts, and business processes across the organization; listed in numerous job requisitions (on DICE); cost – Server: $4,424,00; Client access license: $94.00.

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Blue Print for Building a Virtual Team (cont.) • GoToMeeting - demonstrate, present, collaborate from your PC or Mac®. – Free VoIP and integrated phone conferencing. – Hold as many meetings as you want for as long as you want – for one low rate. – ‘The easiest and most affordable’ Web-conferencing solution available.

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Blue Print for Building a Virtual Team (cont.) • Skype – main features – Free Skype-to-Skype calls (unlimited world use: $12.95/mo.). – Call phones and mobiles, send short message service (SMS), forward calls to a phone when you're offline. – Free instant messaging & voicemail. – Free video call.

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Blue Print for Building a Virtual Team (cont.) • WebEx – Communicate as if you are "face-to-face" with people anywhere. – Share documents, make presentations, demonstrate products and services, collaborate, start a secure web meeting from the comfort of your desktop instantly. – No software to install and no hardware to purchase.

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Blue Print for Building a Virtual Team (cont.) • OTSP establishes a Virtual Team of Cal Poly students for marketing collateral projects.

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams The Ultimate Virtual Team Environment

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams A Frustrating Experience!!!

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Acquiring Projects These apply more to those who work independently, perhaps having one’s own business. However, if you find yourself heading in more of an ‘independent direction,’ you might want to keep them in mind. • Determining prospective clients. • How to approach prospective clients.

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Acquiring Projects (cont.) • Focus on the 'right types' of projects and achieve agreement. • Creating a formal letter of engagement or contract (also, what 'boilerplate' provisions a contract should contain). • Promoting one's service through a Web site, resume, networking, various marketing approaches, and so forth.

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Acquiring Projects (cont.) • W-2 or 1099 (if W-2, chances are you will be working through a recruiter or type of job shop; if 1099, ensuring the budget is there and getting a purchase order). • Bid types (fixed vs. hourly). • Billing for services (possibly securing a retainer, invoicing, net terms, etc.).

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Fulfilling the Obligations (to each other and, if working independently, to a client) • You want to show responsibility, maintain accountability, and exhibit due diligence. • Who’s ‘in charge’ (perhaps the client, and if so, how much control will there be?). • Common agreement on responsibilities, tasks, activities, and so forth.

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Fulfilling the Obligations (cont.) • Work closely with the Virtual Team to develop a tailored, not a ‘boiler plate,’ approach. • Preliminary project plan—as a minimum, identify the tasks involved, responsibility for each task, completion date for each task, defining responsibilities to achieve goals, identifying the client's key contact(s) & responsibilities.

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Fulfilling the Obligations (cont.) • Communication Plan – phone, E-mails, conference calls, exchanging information (text files, graphics, business correspondences, etc.). • Provide timely status on a regular basis that includes objectives, accomplishments, and any issues to keep the project on track (this could include reporting time spent on particular activities) & send to everyone.

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Fulfilling the Obligations (cont.) • Maintain continual and timely communication, feedback, Team support, and assistance, especially in situations where clarification is required. • Determine methods for performing research and using the client's products to source the most adequate and accurate information for the specified audience(s).

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Fulfilling the Obligations (cont.) • As required, schedule, and participate in, on-site meetings, design reviews, and training sessions (also, determine who will participate in these). This will depend upon the proximity of the client to where your Virtual Team members are located.

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Fulfilling the Obligations (cont.) • When conducting virtual meetings, make them effective - provide everyone a copy of the agenda and of any materials to be discussed ahead of time so Team members can prepare to participate in the conversation. If appropriate and/or necessary, at the end of each virtual meeting conduct a brief evaluation to find out how you can continuously improve the meeting process.

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams A Somewhat Humorous Experience

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Productivity and Results • Primary factors for making the Virtual Team approach successful. • Successful when participants contribute creative techniques to develop relationships and build trust through a geographically dispersed team. • Measuring the results

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Productivity and Results (cont). • Measuring the results – You know you’re successful when the Virtual Team wants to work with you again! – You know you’re successful when you’re selected (by colleagues, peers, and associates) to lead the next Virtual Team!

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Productivity and Results (cont). – You know you’re successful when your client provides you with more work AND a purchase order number! – You know you’re successful when……………

Co-op Collaboration: Virtual Teams Everyone says, “WAY TO GO!!”

Cooperative Collaboration: The Virtual Team Approach