The Virtual Difference

We've been working with several clients recently to design training for virtual managers. This topic hits close to home for EPI, since we are a virtual company. Just like anything that has become familiar, sometimes it takes an outside source to force you to look closely and the way you work and why you do things the way you do.


What I've found particularly interesting in researching virtual management best practices is the description of the virtual manager as the conduit for information and relationships on a virtual team. In short, the experts agree that technology--while vital for virtual work--can only get you so far. Technology can't remind people about a resource from past work that is relevant to a new project, and it can't notice that one team member is stressed and ask another to help out. While virtual managers might leverage technology more than managers in face-to-face environments in order to support the productivity and relationships of their teams, at the end of the day it's still the people behind the technology that need to be the focus of the manager's attention in order for the team to succeed.


For example, these are the top five characteristics experts agree virtual managers need to have:

1. Practice effective interpersonal skills

2. Build relationships and foster trust

3. Establish and encourage others to work toward a shared goal

4. Provide a means for and encourage collaboration

5. Set clear expectations focused on results

These five characteristics aren't so different from those most employees would wish of a manager in a face-to-face environment. The difference comes in how the virtual manager puts these characteristics in action, using technology to replace everything from formal status meetings to casual conversations at the water cooler. Fundamentally, though, the message seems to be the same: being a good manager means caring for the people on your team whether you can see them or not.


What do you think? How significant is the difference between virtual and face-to-face management?


References:
"Managing People You Can't See," James Ware, www.thefutureofwork.net
"Achieving Excellence, Virtually," The Ken Blanchard Companies, www.kenblanchard.com
Working Virtually, Trina Hoefling, www.trinahoefling.com

Happy Enchilada

The incomparable songwriter John Prine tells a story about a fan who keeps asking him to play “the Happy Enchilada song.” He explains that while he’s written some weird songs in his life, he sure doesn’t remember one about a happy enchilada and he asks her to tell him how it goes.

As most diehard John Prine fans know, what the woman sings is “It’s a happy enchilada and you think you’re going to drown…” to the tune of That’s the Way That the World Goes ‘Round, the lyrics of which actually are: “It’s half an inch of water and you think you’re going to drown...”

It’s a funny story, a clever song, and an excellent illustration of how we hear – or mishear – things.

The mishearing isn’t usually physical. We don’t have to have actual hearing problems to garble what someone is saying to us. It’s often a case of inattentive listening, a wandering mind, or being oversure that you already know what’s going to be said and then having to backtrack when the other person dares to say something not in your internal script.

It’s a kick with song lyrics, but not so fun when it happens in real life with personal or work relationships.

We’ve been working on a client leadership training program that has taught me a lot about communication. In particular I’m struck by the fact that 55% of messages between people are communicated through body language and facial expressions and another 38% just through tone. That means that only 7% of what we’re trying to communicate comes across through the words themselves.

No wonder we get song lyrics so very wrong sometimes. And no wonder it’s so easy to misunderstand a friend or coworker, especially when much of our communication these days is through email and blogs.

It’s a good thing to keep in mind as we plow through our email every morning and hammer out those rapid-fire responses. It might be better sometimes to let things just slow cook. Like a happy enchilada.

(Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9DA-u2EhmA&feature=related to hear John Prine sing the song and tell the story mentioned here.)