Are you new to leading virtual teams?  The Virtual Team Leader is a fast-track training program designed for managers and supervisors who need the must-know skills to get up and running successfully with virtual teams NOW.

• Delivered LIVE via easy to use, state of the art technology which uses telephone and web conferencing tools.  Fully participate from anywhere in the world; no travel required.
• Leverages the power of a dedicated and focused learning community; learn in the company of like-minded professionals.
• Application oriented.  You'll learn strategies, tactics and tools for leading virtual teams and then return to your group to apply what you've learned.  Then you'll return to class to share your success (or challenges) and receive support and coaching from the instructor and community.
• Professional instruction with personal attention.

If you're new to leading Virtual Teams this program is for you -- Register Now!

The curriculum of the Virtual Team Leader course is delivered via four LIVE and interactive TeleSeminars (phone and web). Each session is scheduled at 11:00 am Pacific / 2:00 pm Eastern for 90 minutes.  See full session descriptions below.

• June 4:  The 7 Qualities of Highly Successful Virtual Team Leaders
• June 11:  How To Structure Your Virtual Team Meetings For Success
• June 18: Telephone Conference Leadership Skills
• June 25:  How To Establish, Strengthen, and Evolve Your Virtual Team

(NOTE:  All TeleSeminars are recorded and the recordings will be provided to you via email.)

Presented by: Tom Heck, President & Founder of the International Association of Teamwork Facilitators and creator of the Virtual Team Leader training program. Virtual Team Leaders is a result of Tom's work at the IATF where 40,000+ subscribers (from 105+ countries) learn strategies, tactics and tools for building and leading high performing teams. When helping Virtual Teams and the people who lead them, Tom draws on my many years of experience working in the virtual arena which includes:

• Working with my team (all virtual) as we operate the IATF, Leader As Coach Fast Track Program, and now VirtualTeamLeader.com.
• Working with coaching clients or teams from the US, Canada, UK, South Africa, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Virgin Islands, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, and India.
• Collaborating on a two year project with the largest facilitation skills training company in Canada - - all using virtual team technologies.
• Product design and development projects with team members in multiple US time zones.
• Multiple collaborative training and development products with team members in multiple US time zones.

Series Session Descriptions:

Session # 1: The 7 Qualities of Highly Successful Virtual Team Leaders

Virtual team leaders who struggle focus 90% on technology and 10% on people.  This mistake is common because the average person doesn't understand what really drives the success of a virtual team.

The truth?

Virtual team success is best defined by this equation:

90% people -- 10% technology

Once you accept this equation, the challenge becomes HOW to focus on people.  What is the most effective way of working with the people on your virtual team?

Vibrant and successful virtual teams are led by people who employ a system of leadership based on coaching skills.  Using this "coach approach", leaders of virtual teams fully leverage the strengths of the team - naturally.

The leaders who struggle most with virtual teams are usually found using an outdated, "traditional" leadership model based on a hierarchical, command and control view of the world.  This model may have worked at one time (pre-internet) but it will literally suck the blood out of a virtual team.

In Session # 1 we explore the 7 Qualities of Highly Successful Virtual Team Leaders:

1. Are models for others, not just experts in their area
2. Create problem free zones versus being expert problem solvers
3. Have reserves in all areas
4. Have the agreement from team members to coach them
5. Are accomplishment, win-win-oriented versus merely results oriented
6. Focus on excellence, present perfect
7. Don't tolerate anything

"How do you lead a virtual team meeting?"

It's the number one question of virtual team leaders worldwide and understandably so.  When was the last time you heard someone say "I LOVE meetings!" ?

More commonly you hear “If I didn’t have to attend meetings, I’d like my job a lot more.”

Most people hate meetings (in the real world or virtual world). Management guru and best selling author of multiple business books Patrick Lencioni has this to say about meetings:

We complain about, try to avoid, and long for the end of meetings, even when we’re running the darn things! How pathetic is it that we have come to accept that the activity most central to the running of our organizations is inherently painful and unproductive?

If your team members hate attending your virtual meetings then how can you make good decisions?

Bad meetings lead to bad decisions which leads to mediocrity.

When your virtual team becomes mediocre you're within a breath of irrelevance.

Can your virtual team afford irrelevance?

There is a solution.

It is possible to have dynamic, passionate and focused virtual team meetings that allow you to fully access the wisdom of the team and move forward with energy.

The first step to holding successful Virtual Team Meetings is to understand the four types of meetings*:

1. Daily Check-in
2. Weekly Tactical
3. Monthly Strategic
4. Quarterly Off Site

The Daily Check-in is typically handled electronically via Instant Messaging or threaded discussion.  This helps team members avoid confusion about how priorities are being translated into action on a daily basis.  The Daily Check-in is a quick forum to ensure nothing is falling through the cracks.  The Virtual Team Leader monitors Daily Check-in communications and looks for "red flags" (discussed in this session) and takes quick action to address these.

The Weekly Tactical takes places on a telephone conference call and uses a proven six step system to help the team review weekly activities and metrics while resolving tactical obstacles and issues.

The Weekly Tactical Meeting is a system that can be easily taught and mastered by virtual teams in short order.   Lasting approximately 60 minutes, the Weekly Tactical Meeting takes the Virtual Team through the following six step process:

1. Lightning Round
2. Key Metrics Review
3. Tactical Agenda Items
4. Potential Strategic Topics
5. Decisions / Actions
6. Cascading Messages

Mastering the Weekly Tactical Meeting is critical to the success of a Virtual Team Leader, therefore the majority of our focus during this session is on understanding the Weekly Tactical and how to use it.

Because Monthly Strategic and Quarterly Off Site meetings are typically held in person (not virtual meetings) we will briefly cover these two types of meetings - - sharing how and why these two types of meetings impact the Daily Check-In and the Weekly Tactical.

Topics also covered in this session include:

* The source of unproductive meetings and the price we pay
* Why people check out and how to hook them
* How to get your team members to make attending a priority
* The benefits of encouraging healthy conflict during meetings
* From "Death By Meeting" by Patrick Lencioni

86% of Virtual Teams utilize telephone conferencing and yet very few Virtual Team Leaders are trained in the effective use of this tool.

"How hard can it be?  Just get the team on a conference line and start talking!"

Anyone whose been on a conference call with an untrained conference call leader knows it's a painful experience.  It's a surefire way to disengage the entire team.

Leading a successful telephone conference call requires special skills and knowledge.  In this session you'll learn specific strategies, tactics and tools to help you lead conference calls that enhance teamwork.

Topics covered in this session include:

* The conscious use of language
* How to prepare for the TeleConference
* Delivery techniques
* Strategies to ensure follow through
* Ways to encourage full participation
* Top 10 mistakes to avoid

Special reports you'll receive:

* Certified Communicator Program
* 100 Communication Flaws
* 100 TeleConference Leader Skills
* Top 21 Phrases To Keep Participants Involved

In Session # 1 the focus was on YOU - - how you can develop who you are as a leader.  Session # 4 is different in that we explore what it takes to build a high performing Virtual Team.

Here's a metaphor:

Imagine a high end race car costing several million dollars.  This race car might be the best in the world but it won't make a bit of difference come race day if you put a driver in it who isn't trained to drive high performance vehicles.  Conversely, you will lose the race by putting a highly trained race car driver behind the wheel of an old piece of junk car.

In this metaphor, the car represents the team and the driver represents the leader.  The winning formula requires the development of BOTH the leader (driver) AND the team (car).

In Session # 4, we focus on the strategies, tactics and tools needed to establish, strengthen and evolve your Virtual Team.

Topics covered in this session include:

* Developing a Virtual Team Charter
* Establishing Roles and Responsibilities on a Virtual Team
* Developing Team Norms (voice mail, email, I.M., conflict management, etc.)
* Building Trust
* New Team Member Orientation