Influencing Virtual Teams: 17 Tactics That Get Things Done with Your Remote Employees

Welcome to my Influencing Virtual Teams summary!

booboo book rating: ★★★★☆ (it’s a very good book! But at only 63 pages, cannot be 5-stars)

Tactic #1: Use the word ‘because’ to increase compliance by 33%.

Tactic #2: Assign responsibility (use direct language, ask for volunteers, assign to individuals and not groups)

Tactic #3: Trust = Reliability + Likeability. Reliability is the ability and dependability of a team member to accomplish a task according to predefined objectives. It’s a function of a person’s ability and integrity. To increase reliability, verify skills, be explicitly clear, lead by example, and count on others (show your team members that you trust them by counting on them)

Tactic #9: For really important tasks, to ensure 100% commitment, do this:

• Step 1: Ask them to repeat it back to you
• Step 2: Get a time frame (giver one or have them give one, either way repeat it)
• Step 3: Develop an obligation (let the employee know that because of their help, you will be altering your original plans)
• Step 4: Stress importance (let the employee know that you are now dependent on them to get the tasks done, plus stress the negative consequences to you if the tasks does not get done.)
• Step 5: Confirm action (so I’ll definitely be getting a copy of this by Friday, right? You can also send a follow up email after the call)
• Step 6: Show appreciation (soon after the assignment and well before the due date follow up expressing how much you value their efforts of following through and that they’re the kind of person that gets things done; “X, I really appreciate you help on this tasks being done by Wednesday – you’re on of the few people who I can count on getting this done.”)

Tactic #10: Know what someone is really thinking

Step 1: isolate them

Step 2: Ask one of these four questions

• What would it take for you to love this task?
• How do you think I can make this better?
• What would it take for you to be really excited about this?
• What would you do differently?

Tactic #13, 14, 15: about what you should do before, during, and after meetings to make them effective

Tactic #17: Make your emails stand out using the subject line

Step 1: Write their name

Step 2: Summarize the email’s topic (maybe with a question; think of the objective)

Step 3: Write down a deadline (@6pm; EOD; COB)

Did you know I’m an author? I wrote four books on real estate investing, travel, and language learning.

Thanks for visiting and thanks to Hassan Osman for writing Influencing Virtual Teams!