Staying Ahead of the Talent Development Curve: Managing and Developing Remote Teams in a Green, Global Economy (Part 2 of 2)

In part one of this article which appeared in our last newsletter, we explored some of the unique challenges associated with leading remote teams.  The emphasis was on best practices related to leading and managing any team - not just remote teams.  Clarifying the team’s mission and goals, building relationships, fostering inclusion, coaching and supporting and recognizing and rewarding are important practices for a leader to follow with any team.  With remote teams being geographically dispersed however, the logistics and discipline to follow these practices becomes more of a challenge.

The good news, as pointed out in part one, is that technological advances in the area of networking and communication have become tremendous enablers to help address the logistical challenges associated with keeping a disperse team connected.

It was also noted in part one that one of the most important roles of a leader is to ensure that employees get not only the training needed to perform their jobs, but also are provided with opportunities and resources to develop for future career growth.  The goal of this article is to provide you with a set of tips and tool suggestions to help facilitate effective remote team learning and knowledge management for continuous development.

Tips and tools for Effective Remote Team Learning Sessions

1. Use the Right Technology

First, think about what needs to be accomplished in your team’s learning session.  What information needs to be shared?    What will the team members are expected to do with the information after the session?  Answering these questions will help guide your choice of technology (or mix of technologies) to help facilitate the session. 

 Online meeting tools such as Webex®, Live Meeting® or Go-To-Meeting® along with teleconferencing may be the answer.  For other types of learning, the best choice may be some form of videoconferencing.  The key is to select the technology that best supports the content.  Videoconferencing, for example, would not be a good choice if the intent is to demonstrate the functionality of a new system.

 On the other hand, videoconferencing may be a perfect choice if the content is interpersonal in nature and involves some form of skill practice.  In this case, seeing the person’s facial expressions and other non-verbal gestures is essential to the learning.

2. Distribute Documents in Advance

Prior to the learning session, ensure that the agenda (including session background, objectives, logistics and timing) is distributed at least a day or two in advance.  In addition, include any key documents (such as participant guides, job aids, etc.) that will be reviewed during the session.

 3.  Test the Technology in Advance

Before the learning session, test all of the required technology components such as the conference line, speaker phones, headsets, software, etc.  Cue up any documents or presentations that will be shared during the session.  Ensure that you, or whoever is facilitating the session, are comfortable with the use of the technology.