TEAMS365 #2289 – Effective Virtual Conversations Tip 139: “What does the virtual team need?” and “What’s beyond the Screen”?

Depending on where you are in the world, it’s likely that your team has been working remotely for a few weeks if you have had to Work From Home. With this is in mind, it can be difficult to know “What’s Beyond the Screen?”. We see everyone in little windows of their world and life, and sometimes only see a virtual background. As I write in my 2017 book, Effective Virtual Conversations,  it’s key to explore what is beyond our little boxes.

Getting into the regular practice with remote work about “What does the team need?” is a proactive practice for teams to adopt.

“What does the team need?” may spark conversations around key elements of team effectiveness, which, as I have shared, usually include these six factors.

These six factors of high performing teams include having them develop:
1. Shared purpose or mission
2. Shared performance goals
3. Shared behavioral norms
4. Shared team practices
5. Shared commitment
6. Clear roles
(Source: https://www.potentialsrealized.com/teams-365-blog/teams-365-8-high-performing-team-factors)

What the team needs is a foundation of trust and connection. How is the team self-assessing on these levels? What do they need?

The team may also have a need to feel that they can put conflict on the table and have it be addressed. As Patrick Lencioni writes, ¨If we don’t trust one another; then we aren’t going to engage in open, constructive, ideological conflict. And we’ll just continue to preserve a sense of artificial harmony. ¨ - Lencioni

Research continues to point the fact that teams which excel are complimentary in their skills, not the same. In order to harness the diversity of thought, approaches and perspectives which exist, it is critical to be able to have “spirited debate” to figure our how we need to augment and minimize our perspectives to shape an approach that works for us along both relationship and results lines.

Enjoy your team conversations!
​Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Everything DiSC
Phone (416)996-8326

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