The need for trust in virtual teams is even more crucial than for co-located ones. What do I do to foster it leading virtual teams? Learn more about why and how to develop trust ...
Utilise the virtual coffee corner or water cooler Some time ago I started listening to various podcast series. And one of them is The Happiness Lab by Dr. Laurie Santos. I have developed a habit of listening to the most reflective podcasts whilst out in…
In this month’s tip I want to share some ideas how you can enhance the feeling of meeting in a (virtual) room and not just seeing each other on a flat screen. Using your backgrounds effectively either with virtual images or physical ones…
In this month’s tip I want to share some ideas how you can enhance the feeling of meeting in a (virtual) room and not just seeing each other on a flat screen. Using your backgrounds effectively either with virtual images or physical ones…
The leap from computer-based online meetings to holodeck meetings seems on the horizon A news snippet On 9th August I came across an interesting German news snippet (in Spiegel Netzwelt) about the development of holographic technology. It caught my interest because 3 or 4 years…
To consciously include body language in online conversations might not be an obvious thing, but it is important and simple enough This month's theme for the tip has been triggered by a former colleague of mine. He had gone through a training on LinkedIn Learning…
Brainstorming and ideation work online too The change in working patterns in many organisations, triggered by the pandemic, is gradually building a new normal. Even teams who used to be in the same location have turned into partly dispersed teams with at least some of…
Use your white board like you would use the flipchart in a room Since the start of the pandemic and the push for home office work, virtual working and therefore online meetings are the new normal. When discussing the situation with virtual leaders and their…
To this day 15 years ago I left a well-paid corporate position at Unilever to start working as a coach! I short reflection on a purpose driven life, full of joy and success stories…
Be present in a virtual and home-office setting As in previous months, I want to share a tip for effective virtual leadership. I believe it is even more relevant during the current times of the pandemic in which a lot of teams are not just…
Even more complexity for business leaders There is no escaping the one subject that is on everybody’s mind these days The rapidly spreading pandemic has forced most of us to go through unprecedented changes in the way we live and work. Many companies have asked…
Another tip which can help you in creating focus in your online meetings to boost engagement and effectiveness. The ritual that can help you to enhance the effectiveness and focus in your online meetings! "Check-In"
What highly effective virtual leaders do to enhance engagement in their meetings? How often have you worked remotely in the past or have you been either leading or participating virtual team? How often have been online meetings where you were bored stiff? How many times…
The Coaching Habit: a great approach when you want to empower your people Empowerment has been around for a very long time. So why writing about it again? Well, I want to share with you my experience with leaders in two different organisations and their…
My monthly tip for virtual leaders - February It is a fact that we need eye contact - at least to some degree - when we want to have a trustful conversation and good connection with someone we communicate with. In face-to-face settings that is…
Business leaders will have to change their approach As we are still in the early weeks of the new year, I want to share with you some food for thought in form of a TED-Talk. I have only recently come across it even though it…
How I follow up appraisals to make it valuable and continuous process In part III, I outlined 9 key aspects of the most effective way of conducting an annual appraisal conversation either in a face-to-face or virtual setting. Here is the link so you can…
How I conducted appraisal conversation to be open and constructive Part II in the previous week focused on the things to consider as preparation for very effective appraisal processes. Here is the link: I recommend that you read that first if you missed it before…
How my preparation made annual appraisals very productive and constructive In last week’s part I, I shared the general structure and an overview of what I consider an effective and positive appraisal process. If you have missed that, here is the link to catch up. This…
How I made annual appraisals a positive and even enjoyable experience On a regular basis I meet people who think that the appraisal process in the organisation is a waste of time and a 10 minute conversation would be enough for the annual appraisal. I…
The Virtual Leaders Lounge is (y)our place for informal exchange and learning Next session is on 26th November! Business leaders of virtual teams and our virtual working strategist share tips around what works and what doesn’t to motivate virtual team members. SIGN-UP now for a…
What makes virtual coaching so valuable for leaders in today’s world? In many organisations coaching has been established as one of the most effective tools to support leaders in their development of competencies and personality. Virtual coaching, be it over telephone or audio/video supported platforms,…
My tips for leaders transitioning to virtual organisational structures to remain effective in their leadership without excessive traveling The horror of going virtual In recent weeks I have started working for a European company that went from almost exclusively local organisational structures to 100% virtual structures.…
The simulated coffee corner effect for virtual teams When we, as the leader, start a new team, we like to do everything possible to make it a success and still an enjoyable experience. In order to enable a team to perform well high quality relations…
I already posted this a while back, but thought it would be good to repeat, as more and more teams around the world are facing the situation that they work in dispersed locations and barely -if ever- meet with their colleagues. But there is ...…
Effective tips for young leaders leading people who have been in place for a while Over the last few months a number of young leaders have approached me asking for support in their new leadership role. They had been newly appointed taking on a team…
Effective team coaching has to focus more on the distributed competencies in the collective Depending on the industry, most companies experience what it means to operate in a [tooltip text="Volatility-Uncertainty-Complexity-Ambiguity"]VUCA[/tooltip] driven market. In order to keep up with these dynamics and uncertainties organisations are changing…
My tested and proven ways to grow and sustain increased engagement of people in organisations The following ideas and tips are based on the assumption that intrinsic motivation is one of the key contributing factors for employee engagement. Intrinsic motivation comes from within a person and…
Meet other leaders with us online for an informal exchange about challenges and best practices related to leadership! The topic this time Best practices to develop deep connections in your team to boost performance. Leaders of virtual teams share what works and what doesn’t. SIGN-UP now…
How to communicate as a subject matter expert and to influence senior decision makers effectively? If you are a regular reader of this blog you know that occasionally I share insights from my work as a coach. In such blogs I cover themes which have…
Virtual teams can suffer from critical dynamics going unnoticed Awareness for team dynamics is another competency for effective virtual leaders. This post is closing the series of essential competencies for virtual leaders. With this last one on team dynamics I would like to present you…
Human beings long for development Virtual team members should not be left in the no man’s land. So, caring about their development is also an important competency. Here we are again with the next, and sixth, competency I would like to present. And again I…
Strong intrinsic motivation is essential to virtual teams Direction and meaning are essential triggers, and a key competency for effective virtual leaders. With this post I am continuing the series as announced in the opening blog post 5 weeks ago: I will present the fifth…
Leading teams spread across cultures requires intercultural sensitivity from their leaders Continuing the series of virtual leader competencies, I will present and share my experience on how you can develop intercultural sensitivity further to increase your effectiveness. The first 3 competencies, should you have missed…
Effective team work depends on productive relationships This, therefore, has to be a key competency as well for virtual leaders. Here we are again with the next, the third, competency for virtual leaders which I would like to present and share some thoughts on how…
Leadership is mostly about communication. So, effective communication is also a key competency for virtual leaders. This is now post #3 of an 8-post-series on the subject after the introduction and the one on self-leadership. And today, I would like to present you the second…
Self leadership is a key competency for sustainable and impactful leadership in a virtual context As announced in the opening blog post of this series this is the first of seven competencies I want to present, and reflect on how you can develop this further…
THE 7 key competencies which make you highly effective as a virtual leader Looking into larger organisations and how their structures have evolved over the past years I see the dispersion of functions and their teams across sites, national or global, as the norm. As a response…
Leaders need to be able to disrupt their business in a controlled way before new competitors do it! A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend a webinar offered by Korn Ferry about the future of leadership in disruptive times. This webinar covered…
The leadership paradox of organised informalities Communication is one of the keys to success in any team, be it local or virtual in structure. To get things done and deliver results team leaders have to pay attention to the quality of formal communication with and…
Older maybe, but certainly not outdated We are in the middle of a revolution. Mobile phones, computers and iPods have long become a commonplace around the globe, impacting how we perceive our world and changing ways we interact. Smart machines are starting to compete with…
How I fight the infectious disease of meeteritis More often than not when I start engaging with a new client scheduling the first meeting seems a challenge for the leader. And indeed, if you look into the diaries of these people they are overcrowded with…
How artificial intelligence (AI) could enhance the reach of coaching and change its economics A few weeks back I reported from an event where experts talked about the trends for artificial intelligence. I’m still very much intrigued what artificial intelligence could mean for businesses and…
Creating focus through mindfulness - an experience with senior leaders On a regular basis my coaching clients bring up the theme of becoming more effective or efficient in their job. In some cases it's as simple as rebuilding the awareness for prioritisation and proper time…
How to use artificial intelligence in managing virtual teams I have recently attended an online event organised by Adobe, called Experience Festival. One highlight for me was a talk around artificial intelligence (AI) and how it could help organisations to create a different future in…
My strategy to keep connected to myself in the high-paced business world Working with leaders in organisations I have noticed a continuous acceleration of the pace of business over the years. In some organisations it feels like they are breaking the sound barrier with their…
The wrong kind of empathy prevents you from giving effective feedback! Regularly, I work with leaders who struggle with giving open and honest feedback to low performers in the team. They all have one thing in common: they believe that giving honest feedback to their direct report would…
Exaggerated focus on a single value bears the risk of creating an imbalance in leadership behaviour Working as a coach I experience sometimes phases where clients from different industries or organisational levels bring the same challenge into the conversation. In recent weeks, such a theme…
Three factors I care about managing a virtual team Key factors for successful virtual teams: tips for management and leadership - part II In the first part of this blog I have described my experience and approach in designing a virtual team with focus on…
