VIRTUAL TEAMS CAFÉ

Facilitator Guide
Concept Suggestions Visuals
Welcome Show Café Visual #1 (“Welcome to the HMM Café “Virtual Teams”). • Café Visual #1
1 Minute
Session Goals Show Café Visual #2 (“Today’s Objectives”). • Café Visual #2
2 Minutes
 Present the session goals:
 Understand the differences between traditional and virtual teams
 Determine adjustments needed to address these differences
 Identify appropriate and effective styles and methods for virtual
communication
Icebreaker / Initial Conduct an icebreaker exercise: Ask participants to introduce • Café Visual #3
discussion themselves by stating their name, title, department, and have each • Capture the
10 Minutes person reveal if they have experience working virtually. Generate a list of feedback on a
what they like BEST about working virtually and what they like LEAST flipchart or virtual
about working virtually. whiteboard.
Virtual Work – • Begin a discussion about the ways in which the workspace for teams • Café Visuals 4-5
Similarities and is the same whether they are face-to-face or in separate places. • List created in
Differences Utilize the content of HMM to stimulate ideas and contributions. previous section
10 Minutes • If delivering class virtually, encourage participants to have the HMM • Have participants
module opened at their site to generate ideas. open HMM
locally
Starting on the • As the discussion on Similarities / Differences winds down, begin to • Café Visual 6
right foot – describe how a proper launch can greatly improve the success
Effective Launches factor of a virtual team
5 Minutes
Effective • Appropriate Context • Café Visuals 7-
Communication • Email 13
Techniques •
10 Minutes
• Voice Mail Film suggestions:
”Swingers”
• Conference Calls
”Dr. Strangelove”
• Faxes ”Office Space” can
• Video Conferencing be used as
humorous “bad
• Groupware
examples “
Conclusion • Discuss ways the Café content could be applied to the situation in • Café Visual 14
20 Minutes “Jeannie’s Virtual Blues.” • HMM “Working
• Ask participants to identify one “tip” learned during Café that they With Virtual
found valuable and will utilize in their work. Ask if there are any they Teams” Module
will pass along to colleagues who may be “offenders” • Café Visual 15
• Assign “Practice” session in HMM as post-work

SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT:

 Computer with monitor and PowerPoint application, LCD projector, flip chart,
handouts.
 For Virtual Café: Collaboration software, (WebEx, Interwise, Centra, etc.)
Threaded Discussion site, “Chat” room.

Important: Delivery/Facilitation notes in “Notes Page” mode of PPT slides

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