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NotesSessionOne016

Thanks to PatMedvick we have the "raw" flip chart record of the session. SteveSmith is in the process of organizing and editing these notes and will post that information on the wiki.

Distributed Teams:: Conference calls

List of who is there - names Problem building relationship East versus West focus Time zones Frequent subgroup calls rather than supergroup �foreign� groups- spread around world: time factor never met distributed company: conference calls waste of time pull together for team subgroups at same location at same phone is preferred situation

on phone:: more succinct; not personal; more engaging in person, on phone make sense? Follow? Feedback: on phone is silence, in person is body language

face to face:: modify own behavior=body language, making sure tracking

easier to organize face to face; order known easier to stay on task in conference call, face to face digression easier must be more focus on conference call if following :: who & context still multitasking, more likely on phone

intro: initial forum face to face\ visually-oriented person focused on those met before, had faces in mind: loss in connection stuff

not much personal information on conference call, name and company not create interest in each other

only using sense of hearing: must focus on hearing, integrated senses for full integration

need to be there? If so, multitasking detrimental protocols � say name- introduce self- wait until later? �Hello�? from all, versus visual acknowledgement

make map while in meeting, more senses involved, adds to richness

late entry � �what�s expected?� facilitation

harder to engage, not interested in topic

restaurant selection: stake in ground to start (Chinese) � biases outcome a lot �not want to destroy fragile consensus for better idea (Rawhide)

White space � quiet time � my time to speak? � thinking time Going a round-robin sequence, list of people establish order (virtual table) each person get an opportunity to speak

Face to face � people free to interrupt, conference call may never come back to you

Learning different way of talking : �This is Kathy�

Helps conference call to have met face to face for a couple of days for the first meeting of a virtual team, very valuable connection growing, in the current economy the cost of getting people together may be prohibited, but may be 10X more cost if do not get all together. Regular conference call folks set protocols now � up front:: huge savings much greater productivity

Protocol: names initially to insure recognition, point against necessity for face to face Challenge for the need for a face to face in order to achieve success, recommend fighting tooth and nail to meet face to face up front. Is a way to succeed, not yet found,

If can not get all together before 1st (1:1 with each individual Force all to be more conversational Guarantee ::you will get heard even if we digress

People�s voices can be distracting, someone might focus on tone, one might be more bold on conference call, through out opinions, might get shot down, truth?

Meeting leader can do repeats

Might help to have a special room for conference calls, white board, agenda, minutes out soon, phone, laptop

Not worth capturing, not worth doing

Formal format to point of talking to pictures, secretary taking notes, hand out immediately afterwards

Agenda up, type in minutes up under items as conference call proceeds, minutes out before end of call for comment,

On line meeting web software, theory brainstorm on line, describe processes online, technology can be distracting

Agenda 2 days before, during meeting write meeting read out during meeting for OK?

Different kind of meetings

Drift in and out on conference call meetings, more attentive: Lead : strict agenda- couple hours before, results couple hours after, improving: strict adherence to time

Accountable Agenda Size 5-15

Easier to project motives on disembodied voice Do not have to see them � digital cameras, must do something � pictures, protocol

Reactions needed, even web conferencing is jerky, lose nuances

Interpretation problems, hearing problems, change adjustments joke or side comments different volume

Repeat requests: feel discouraged to request Not hear: repeat & ask fo rrepeat necessary push culture to it�s OK, we understand, repeat rules

Challenge/resistance to other techniques & challenges for team Not the idea what viable ways � how do this well? Necessary

Global company, quickly no face to face meetings, is a cost, make sure comparing apples to apples, hard costs, do met (travel, hotel) & do not meet (productivity decrease)

Diminished communication, something lost, accommodation

Protocols in place/minutes out immediately deduce call time, key most effective way

Technology more efficient/ is this effective? Leverage

Telephone conference more tension / uncertainty

Conference call : coffee talk : simulated break conversions::; bridge open:: no work conversations:: virtual lunches

Things cando/not do while on phone Some help focus/ others distract

Build trust? -trustworthiness : protocols that you put out: do what you say you�ll do: otherwise--- discuss first

new culture building � must get the trust thing out of the way, will do it if I way I will, clean up if not, build up balance

can trust? Trials. Physically in room � assumption face to face: body language, eye contact, not assume truth on phone, must learn how others work, what is their truth

Challenge if not meet face toface: conversation:: what trustworthiness is, learn norms/ discussion how to learn what trust is to you challenge/virtual team/assume trust, how earn trust:: must make explicit

Longer time work together, more time to meet face to face, if greater than a year meet again at quarter or � year

What are we doing? Ultimate goal

SIZE::

How productive did you feel as an individual & as a team? Process development: false start in trying to give out the grid: # in place was value added, once word soloing, stopped floundering :: meta level Can�t hear:: bring up :: protocol// how to interrupt, constrained problem Protocol, information, confirmation :: process 6-across, helpful to experience crossword puzzles

someone not fit in task -> leave group-> more productive call meeting with people that bring the most to the session

politics: key stake holders/ spaonser, need to include, generally why unproductive stuff happening

meetings productive, run: if in a meeting & not productive for you to be there leave resulted in refocusing the meeting, not talking about the right thing, resulted in shorter meetings right people and decision makers know why they leave, must say why? Rare now that people leave/ do not come to meeting

If problem solving, have wrong people there, extra with no knowledge, customers/ solved problem set better solution

Vested interest or declared as observers � �o� button save comments to end

Defect counting Distractions : bad line protocol -> stop call find bad line or call back in

Talk over � team members not heard -> emotional energy If team also failure -> compound problem, even if project worked

Protocol, evolve? Or up front?

Decisions?

What make team more effective?j �Good enough� to start, flexibility Communicate and problem solving,

STOP � breathe, think

Protocols: Kathy: agenda 24 hours before 5 min chit chat at beginning review agenda changes type minutes while doing no check out new members- use names until know voices 100% reintroduction with new person joins, goes last publishes minutes w/in � day publically attendence, summary to do & agreements only

let share protocol, why question �this is Steve doing a heard right� onece voices recognize then dispense, who was that is OK This is Kathy, Tim what blablabla

Agreement decision making algorithm

Consensus : yes, no, abide:: can you live with and support the decision

Size smaller goup � easier, 15 meeting: good size, for conference call too big

Mandatory broadcasting:: stupid

Agenda items measured what want to accomplish, what want how get there

What done How doing Who does Who sabatage When done

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