Virtual Team Tips: Hall of Fame

Round 2

Winners

First Place: (220 points) Roberta Berg

Second Place (Tie): (140 points) Aniko Kis

Third Place: (90 points): Nancy Bragard

Top Tips

First (70 points): Agree with the team about what should be considered as an "urgent" e-mail and how fast the answer is expected. (Aniko Kis)

Second (30 points): (Tie): If giving an answer/resolving an issue takes some time, let the other party know that there is "work in progress". (Aniko Kis)

Second (30 points) (Tie): For conference calls, visios, etc., establish upstream a list of "guidelines" with everyone contributing. These can include turn-taking, having each person give their name before talking, interruption management, etc. If the guidelines are in place, it neutralizes things, no one is "picking" on anyone in calling them on transgressions, you're all just respecting your own set of rules. (Nancy Bragard)

Third (10 points) (Tie): 50. Answer in an appropriate channel(s). If, for example, you receive an e-mail which reveals that the sender has misunderstood you or is angry, in some cases it might be best to answer by phone. (Roberta Berg)

Third (10 points) (Tie): Talk upfront about silence and what it implies for team members. Silence doesn't necessarily imply lack of commitment or preparation or that people aren't onboard. If members have shared their use of and perception of silence, there's less likelihood of ill-founded assumptions. (Nancy Bragard)

Special Awards

Most frequent responder: Roberta Berg (who kept sending tips every day)

Most prolific responder: Roberta Berg (21 tips during Round 2)

Person with the sharpest eyes: Betina Szkudlarek (who noticed that tips 59-62 are copies of tips 35-38) (I have fixed this.)

Round 1

Winners

First Place: (120 points) Eva Nell

Second Place (Tie): (80 points) Roberta Berg

Second Place (Tie): (80 points) Betina Szkudiarek)

Third Place: (60 points): Erika Jacobi

Top Tips

First (70 points): Indicate in the subject line whether the email is sent to inform, to get an opinion or decision, or to ask the recipient do something. (Eva Nell)

Second (30 points): (Tie): Remind yourself at regular intervals that what at first glance appears to be a stupid idea to you may simply represent thinking different from yours and may truly be an ingenious idea. (Roberta Berg)

Second (30 points) (Tie): Send to your team members a traditional postcard to show them how happy you are to have them in your team. (Betina Szkudlarek)

Third (10 points) (Tie): On conference calls, call "time" on occasion to ensure that everyone is onboard, on the same page, has expressed reservations, has been able to add their two bits, etc. Give it a catchy name, like "virtual reality check" and have someone on the team responsible for calling it every half-hour or so. (Nancy Bragard)

Third (10 points) (Tie): A virtual team, more than any other type of team, needs to have a clear idea and sharing of its goals. (Vijay Jain)

Special Awards

Fastest responder: Heidi Voser (who sent her tips 7 minutes after I sent the invitation)

Most frequent responder: Erika Jacobi (who sent tips on two different days)

Most prolific responder: Erika Jacobi (who sent six tips so far)

Best sense of humor: Roberta Berg (who sent a pair of tips [27 and 28] about apparently stupid ideas being ingenious — or being really stupid)