Virtual Team Dynamics - The Ulfire Podcast

Communications is such an important part of business life it is largely taken for granted, but as teams are becoming increasingly distributed, planning for the eventuality that at some stage in your project communications will become disrupted is an important activity for a business or a project to undertake. The post Planning For Project Communication Disruptions appeared first on ULFIRE.

Getting the best from video meetings requires both the right technology and the right processes and mindset. Deciding how and where to deploy video conference and video meeting technology then ensuring your personnel approach the meetings with the right perspective of cultural understanding will make them effective and productive experiences for all concerned. The post International Project Video Meetings appeared first on ULFIRE.

Recognising and managing the effects of marginalisation in a virtual team environment is one of the major responsibilities of the leadership of the team, all team members are at risk of marginalisation at some stage but particularly those in small and remote offices who may not receive the level of information and attention as the central and usually larger offices. This article attempts to highlight some of the symptoms and cures. The post Managing Marginalisation In Virtual Teams appeared first on ULFIRE.

Undertaking a comprehensive strategic alignment session at the start of a virtual team project is essential to ensure all parties have a common set of goals and understandings before the project starts. This article considers some of the reasons and benefits of such a session. The post Strategic Alignment Of Virtual Team Goals appeared first on ULFIRE.

The use of colloquialisms and specialist technical language can be a great way to short hand conversations in a group with a common technical, regional or cultural background, but, when you start to work with others from different backgrounds or in different locations, these linguistic short cuts and regional colloquialisms can become a liability. This article considers some of the challenges of their use and argues for the use of a more simple language. The post Language And Colloquialisms In Virtual Teams appeared first on ULFIRE.

Face to face meetings are key to relationship building and the development of trust in virtual teams. They can be expensive upfront but properly managed and structured should reap rewards many times the value of any costs incurred. This article considers some of the key times you should consider holding face to face meetings and their value. The post Value Of Face To Face Meetings In Virtual Teams appeared first on ULFIRE.

Great communication skills are essential for virtually every role these days, gone are the days when someone could have a successful career without being able to communicate well with others. As we move into a more networked and virtual society, those with the abilities to communicate effectively will become increasingly in demand in business and society. The post Why You Need Great Communication Skills appeared first on ULFIRE.

Adapting to new cultures as part of a corporate move or expat placement can be a challenging experience for many if not all people involved. In this article we consider some of the specifics of a relocation and how different individuals may or may not adapt. The post Adapting To New Cultures appeared first on ULFIRE.

Recognising the value of coaching in a modern workplace can deliver great benefits in terms of personal development and improved corporate and project outcomes. This article considers the benefits of communications coaching for leaders of virtual teams. The post The Value Of Communications Coaching To Virtual Teams appeared first on ULFIRE.

For every member of every project team, communicating with your peers is a day to day occurrence, yet many struggle with the demands to communicate well, particularly with those they can't see, the members of virtual teams. This article offers some assistance in improving your communication with your peers. The post Communicating With Peers In Project Virtual Teams appeared first on ULFIRE.

Learning how to communicate down to your team members is a skill all project managers and leaders need to learn. Regardless of the context of your team, you need to be able to deliver timely, useful and contextually appropriate updates to keep your team informed and motivated. The post Communicating Down In Project Virtual Teams appeared first on ULFIRE.

Learning to communicate up in a project team, particularly a virtual team, is a skill every team member will need at some stage in their career. Understanding the needs and expectations of your managers from both an administrative and a cultural sense is critical. The post Communicating Up In Project Teams appeared first on ULFIRE.

Organisations have many different mechanisms available to them to assist their personnel in developing the skills required to survive and throve in international assignments. This article explores some of the options and outlines how they can be both a developmental tool for the individuals and also deliver real benefits for the company. The post Developing International Skills In Virtual Teams appeared first on ULFIRE.

This article discusses how you can build your own support network when you find yourself on a virtual team expat assignment with no formal company support in place. Building a strong personal support network allows you to thrive in your new location rather than struggle to understand the new challenges. The post Developing A Personal Expat Support Network appeared first on ULFIRE.

Determining the appropriate level of training and support for your personnel before sending them off for an international assignment can mean the decision between a full training program and little to no training at all. In the first of a group of articles, we discuss the levels of training to be considered. The post How Companies Develop International Communication Skills appeared first on ULFIRE.

For many who spend large periods of time on overseas assignments the risks and opportunities of going native need to be carefully understood. There are many positives with the phenomena such as a greater level of connection to the host country and culture, but taken too far, personnel can become destructive or obsessive, leading to poor overall results for the business and its staff. The post Going Native On Overseas Assignments appeared first on ULFIRE.

Understanding how impostor syndrome may impact you or your colleagues and how it may be holding back your business is an important way to be able to get the most from yourself and your company. This article aims to begin to describe how impostor syndrome can affect us all one way or another. The post Impostor Syndrome And What It Means For You appeared first on ULFIRE.

Determining whether a virtual team approach is right for your business, your project and your personnel is a critical decision that must be carefully considered. This article discusses some of the issues associated with making this decision and offers some advice to consider. The post Is A Virtual Team Right For My Project? appeared first on ULFIRE.

As virtual reality technology becomes more accessible and, the software and server power needed to bring it into more of a mainstream business environment, its worth considering who virtual reality technology could impact virtual teams communication. The post How Virtual Reality Could Transform Virtual Teams appeared first on ULFIRE.

In this article we consider the meaning of big data and how it may impact on virtual teams and those who work within them. Big data is such a fashionable term, yet many still don't really have a grasp on why it is one how it may change their lives. The post Little People Not Big Data Make Teams Effective appeared first on ULFIRE.