Within this Vlog I talk to Phil Montero, president of Montero Consulting and founder of YouCanWorkFromAnywhere.com and http://www.TheAnywhereOffice.com. Phil’s avocation is working with small to mid-sized business leaders in putting together the technology, education and tools for working online and leading online.
Here’s the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvLExh9RUB0
Virtual Trends
Phil sees the largest fad in online cooperation among execs as just that there is even more of it, and it is a pattern that won’t be changing anytime soon. In many instances, online colleagues may work together for entire years and never meet face to face, yet still enjoy a productive business connection.
Technology Advances
Virtual leadership success stems from finding instruments that serve the sensible objective without getting in the way of people learning to know, like and trust one another. That is still important to humans in any work environment.
What gets you closer that performs consistently and shrinks the virtual distance between any virtual associates?
Cloud-based tools such as Skype Video, Skype Screen share, Google docs and a selection of mobile applications have dropped the cost of gathering from around the globe. Additionally, the widening scope of Wi-Fi connections and hotspots has strengthened the importance of mobile tools, and cloud application programmers are trying to keep up.
Online Meeting Best Practices
Once the technology wall is conquered, not as simple as you would imagine, today’s CEOs and Executives need to handle the human factors during online meetings. Attendants who are on the team with even the best intentions and motivation will stray and begin to multi-task throughout a dull session. To get and maintain maximum engagement, Phil suggests…
Short and Sweet
There is a fad in the physical meeting area to strive to shorten meetings as a result of the large time obligation required on the part of all attendants. Enhance that for virtual meetings. Want a hour meeting? Break it into three 20 minute meetings if possible. It’s less convenient for you but more enjoyable for attendants, and that means they are more useful after leaving the meeting.
Advanced Notice
Get out a plan ahead of time so people can prepare, not only for their sections but to get their heads around what is going to be gone over.
Elementary Teaching Basics
Talk to people at random to verify understanding. Just a couple instances of being caught unaware will create the collective consciousness of staying involved to avoid the opportunity of announcing being unready and enduring the slings and arrows of your peers.
Be Engaging
In a procedure I call Tech Deadening; the online technology decreases the enthusiasm of leader communication in reverse percentage to how far you are from the real thing. For instance, video is the second best thing to being there, but it isn’t being there. Only teleconferencing? Your attendees are still further de-sensitized. Texting– you get the idea.
Leaders should appreciate this and exaggerate tone, gestures, facial expressions and their Knut Rockne speeches in order to connect.
About the Author:
Karl Walinskas owns Smart Company Growth, a firm that helps businesses grow with innovative marketing and leadership tools that highlight their competitive advantages. He’s been published for years on better leadership, communication, and marketing practices for small business and authored the book, “Getting Connected Through Exceptional Leadership”. You can read the Smart Blog for small business growth to learn more tips you can use today.