• Executive Teams
• Virtual/Remote Teams
• Appreciative Inquiry - AI
• Facilitation

Background and problems

It is common nowadays for members of working/project groups to be spread over small or extremely large areas. Physical distance, which can create remoteness within a group, can be as short as the distance between two floors or it can consist of many miles and time zones. A certain type of problem can arise when the members of a group are not in the same location. However, this is not an issue for groups that are not separated by distance or for the managers of such groups.

Distances can, for example, make it more difficult for relationships to develop within a group. The group does not develop as a group – group dynamics do not get a foothold. The group members often form relationships with other colleagues instead, i.e. people who are in their own proximity. This can, in turn, lead to double loyalties and a potential conflict between the local environment and the organisational affiliation. In such cases local issues are given a higher priority. This can make the leader/manager of the group feel that their members are hard to reach and that it is difficult to manage the activities. These managers often try to influence the group anyway by other means. This can result in splits or a vacuum between the local and central units. Measures may then be implemented to compensate for these rifts, but these measures usually reinforce the negative patterns that have already been established.

So, what is the best way to organise yourselves? How should you communicate? How should you motivate your colleagues? How should you delegate, negotiate or make decisions? Are meetings carried out in an optimal manner? How should you act in relation to local activities and remote activities, respectively? What should be done when a situation suddenly needs immediate attention? A manager of a remote team, as well as everyone else in the team, may need the opportunity to analyse, understand and reflect upon their way of working and how it could be enhanced.

We offer a well-developed concept and a training programme which focuses on remote teams.

This programme is specifically tailored to each organisation. During the programme all the members of actual working/project groups or their managers/leaders are given the opportunity to:

• Understand how processes function in a remote team and how they can evolve in different ways.
• Understand the different types of needs which people who work in remote teams have and how these needs support or hinder the development of relationships.
• Experience realistic remote group-related difficulties and opportunities by means of specially adapted simulations.
• Work through and plan new methods of work that support the group processes and compensate for the difficulties involved in being a remote team. The focus is on targets and agreements, roles and responsibilities, communication and decision-making.

The training programme is organised and adapted to the needs and wishes of the organisation and the working groups involved. Our programme uses a method that consists of concrete exercises/simulations followed by feedback, reflection and short theoretical sessions.

We have carried out this programme many times in various companies within different lines of business, both in Sweden and abroad and we have experienced a lot of success.