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Virtual Coworkers Learn to Work Together

The internet has taken over most of the business world. Having the ability to communicate live with coworkers from across the country with out having to leave your computer chair has made the work place a bit more complicated. The fact is, although the web has helped in some aspects, the organization and communication skills necessary to work with someone without ever actually being in their vicinity still needs to be perfected. All work teams struggle occasionally to keep focused and productive, but virtual teams have it even worse, they have to learn to build trust and work effectively across time zones and cultural boundaries.

That?s why Nancy Settle-Murphy, CEO of Chrysalis International, a firm that coaches virtual teams, developed the Bridging the Distance webinar series. Each two-hour webinar is full of straightforward guidance and techniques on how to build successful virtual teams. Participants learn how to keep team members engaged, establish team ground rules and build consensus in a virtual environment. Settle-Murphy designed the webinar series using FacilitatePro web collaboration software to create a highly interactive learning experience. She explained that most webinars stop short of allowing the group participation that is a key aspect of learning. There?s a lot of information being pushed out to the audience, but no easy way to develop and discuss ideas as a group.

Keeping presentation time to a minimum, Settle-Murphy uses FacilitatePro meeting software to engage participants in brainstorming issues, prioritizing challenges, solving real-life scenarios, answering quizzes and conducting fast paced ?meeting makeovers". Settle-Murphy finds that participants in these interactive webinars stay more engaged than in a traditional web conference. ?People are contributing as well as listening, so they tend not to turn to their emails or start side conversations. They retain more of the information and leave with direct experience of what it is like to work effectively in a virtual team?.