Managing Virtual Team Dynamics

A positive work culture is not: - Free fruit ❌ - Ping pong table ❌ - 2 slices of pizza every other Friday ❌ - Work hard/play hard with your team ❌ A positive work culture is: - Doctor's appointment? See you in a couple hours. Don't need to ask my permission. ✔ - Burnt out and want some days off? Sure, no problem. ✔ - Family commitments later? All good, I'll make sure the meeting is recorded and there is a way you can still contribute towards the outcome. ✔ - Woke up unwell? We got you covered, rest up. ✔ A good leader in a positive work culture will not drive you to set hours, they work to set outcomes. A good leader in a positive work culture will make sure you don't need to ask permission to be an adult. If we need to have a tough conversation, it's not because you spent your morning at the dentist once in a while or were sick for a week. The world of working has changed and for those who don't change with it, risk being left behind when it comes to hiring and retaining staff.

Drowning in Zoom calls and Slack threads? No energy left at the end of the day? 🥱 Zoom fatigue is real. So is information overload. It certainly happens to me. To understand science-backed strategies that get better results while preserving our energy, I invited Andrew Brodsky to Speak Like a CEO. Andrew is a management professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and the author of "Ping: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication". His PING framework is a simple, research-backed method to help you communicate smarter, not harder, in today’s virtual world. 📌 Perspective-taking 💡 Initiative 🎭 Nonverbal cues 🎯 Goals P = Perspective-taking Virtual communication makes it easy to forget there’s a human on the other side. Whether it’s a blunt email or a cold video call, always ask: How will this message feel to them? Clarity and empathy go further than you think. I = Initiative Don’t accept the weaknesses of a platform – fix them. Add warmth to text-based chats, build rapport before negotiations, or switch formats to better match your message. N = Nonverbal cues Your tone, lighting, posture, and even silence send signals. Be intentional. On video, your background, gestures and eye contact matter. G = Goals Start with the outcome. Want quick input? Use Slack. Need alignment? Meet live. Trying to build trust? Turn on the camera. Match the medium to your goal, not your habit. Our virtual communication has become a habit. Let’s challenge them and replace outdated routines with science-backed strategies. ❓ How do you ensure your message lands virtually?   ♻️ Repost to help someone improve their virtual communication. 📌 Follow me, Oliver Aust, for daily strategies on leadership communications.

In a bustling coffee shop, a dozen patrons sit absorbed in their screens. A young couple, seemingly on a date, barely exchanges a word, their eyes fixed on their smartphones. Nearby, a group of friends gathers around a table, yet each one is engrossed in their own digital world, scrolling and tapping away. A barista calls out an order, but the customer, lost in a podcast, doesn't hear. This scene encapsulates the essence of our generation—hyperconnected yet paradoxically disconnected. Technology has woven itself seamlessly into our daily lives, offering endless avenues for communication and entertainment. However, it has also created invisible barriers, isolating individuals in bubbles of digital content. The art of conversation, once a cornerstone of human interaction, is often overshadowed by the allure of instant gratification from social media and online platforms. Despite the incredible convenience and opportunities technology provides, it also challenges us to balance virtual interactions with real-world connections. The scene in the coffee shop is a poignant reminder that while we are more connected than ever before, we must strive to reclaim the depth and authenticity of face-to-face communication. It’s a call to remember that behind every screen is a person craving genuine interaction.

How do you align an entire company around the same goals? It’s something we consider very important at Thinkific especially as the team has grown. Recently, we started rolling out V2MOM to help bring more structure and clarity to that process. For anyone unfamiliar, V2MOM is a goal-setting framework created by Marc Benioff at Salesforce. It stands for Vision, Values, Methods, Obstacles and Measures — a simple but powerful way to clarify what you’re trying to achieve, how you’ll get there and what might stand in your way. We’ve used a few goal setting frameworks over the years (OKRs, Rockefeller Habits) but something always felt like it was missing. I felt we had room for improvement in how we identified obstacles and anchored goals in guided principles. What I like about V2MOM is the structure. It’s not just about setting a vision and defining success, it also forces you to think through the values that guide your work, the potential obstacles and the specific methods you'll use to get there. Another shift for us is in how we cascade goals. My V2MOM connects directly to my direct reports’, and theirs to their teams. There’s still room for team-level priorities, but everything ties back to the company’s broader vision. That level of alignment brings a lot more clarity: on what we’re doing, what we’re not and how each person contributes to the big picture. So far, I’m a fan and I’ve also heard positive feedback from our team who’ve said V2MOM is helping reinforce a stronger sense of unity, shared goals and collective impact. It’s not a silver bullet, but it’s helping us be more intentional about both what we’re working toward and how we get there. Always curious — what frameworks or tools have you found most effective for aligning goals across your team or company?

Culture is everything 🙏🏾 When leaders accept or overlook poor behaviour, they implicitly endorse those actions, potentially eroding the organisation’s values and morale. To build a thriving culture, leaders must actively shape it by refusing to tolerate behaviour that contradicts their values and expectations.
 The best leaders: 
 1. Define and Communicate Core Values: * Articulate Expectations: Clearly define and communicate the organisation’s core values and behavioural expectations. Make these values central to every aspect of the organisation’s operations and culture. * Embed Values in Policies: Integrate these values into your policies, procedures, and performance metrics to ensure they are reflected in daily operations. 
 2. Model the Behaviour You Expect: * Lead by Example: Demonstrate the behaviour you want to see in others. Your actions should reflect the organisation’s values, from how you interact with employees to how you handle challenges. 3. Address Poor Behaviour Promptly: * Act Quickly: Confront and address inappropriate behaviour as soon as it occurs. Delays in addressing issues can lead to a culture of tolerance for misconduct. * Apply Consistent Consequences: Ensure that consequences for poor behaviour are fair, consistent, and aligned with organisational values. This reinforces that there are clear boundaries and expectations.
 4. Foster a Culture of Accountability: * Encourage Self-Regulation: Promote an environment where everyone is encouraged to hold themselves and others accountable for their actions. * Provide Support: Offer resources and support for employees to understand and align with organisational values, helping them navigate challenges and uphold standards.
 5. Seek and Act on Feedback: * Encourage Open Communication: Create channels for employees to provide feedback on behaviour and organisational culture without fear of reprisal. * Respond Constructively: Act on feedback to address and rectify issues. This shows that you value employee input and are committed to maintaining a positive culture.
 6. Celebrate Positive Behaviour: * Recognise and Reward: Acknowledge and reward employees who exemplify the organisation’s values. Celebrating positive behaviour reinforces the desired culture and motivates others to follow suit. * Share Success Stories: Highlight examples of how upholding values has led to positive outcomes, reinforcing the connection between behaviour and organisational success.
 7. Invest in Leadership Development: * Provide Training: Offer training and development opportunities for leaders at all levels to enhance their skills in managing behaviour and fostering a positive culture. 8. Promote Inclusivity and Respect: * Build a Diverse Environment: Create a culture that respects and values diversity. Inclusivity strengthens the organisational fabric and fosters a more collaborative and supportive work environment.

Mastering virtual communication Being a strong communicator in a virtual world isn’t just an advantage; it’s a necessity. To help communicate with clarity, influence, and impact in an online world, PING offers a research-backed, practical framework: Perspective Taking Initiative Nonverbal Cues Goals 🚩 Digital communication strips away vocal tone and body language, often leading to unintended misinterpretations. When communicating digitally, be intentional about tone, clarity, and structure. Adding context, using emojis strategically and being explicit with intentions can bridge the gap. 🚩 Over-communicating doesn’t solve problem - intentional, well-structured communication does. Set clear agendas for meetings, use project management tools, and avoid unnecessary back-and-forth messages. 🚩 Delivering difficult news online requires a different approach - one that accounts for emotional impact, timing, and personalisation. If the conversation is high-stakes (layoffs, performance reviews, conflict resolution), don’t rely solely on email or a rushed video call. Use personalised communication, offer space for dialogue, and acknowledge emotions. 🚩 Strategic emoji use actually enhances engagement and prevents misinterpretation. Use emojis sparingly and strategically. A smiley in a casual message? Great. Overloading a business proposal with them? Maybe not. 🚩 Before scheduling a meeting, ask: Can this be handled asynchronously? If yes, save everyone time and send a well-structured message instead. High-emotion topics (conflicts, big decisions) → Video call Routine updates, data sharing → Email or message. 🚩 Employees don’t disengage because of workload alone; they disengage because they feel unheard in digital workspaces. Prioritise personalised check-ins and transparent communication. Set boundaries around digital overload. Andrew Brodsky | Professor at McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin 📚 Ping: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication #BetterEveryDay #Leadership

Could strategic misalignment be keeping you and your organization away from attaining maximum value? Executives and project managers are often rowing in different directions. The boat moves, but not necessarily toward value. From my doctoral research, and work with several clients, three pillars of strategic alignment consistently separate high-performing organizations from the rest: 1️⃣ Common Goals – A shared definition of success at both the strategic and operational levels. 2️⃣ Shared Language – Clear communication that bridges “executive speak” and project management terms. 3️⃣ Mutual Understanding – Executives gain insight into project realities, while PMs understand the strategic trade-offs leaders are balancing. The challenge? Most organizations talk about alignment but rarely make it a living system. That’s why I created the ALIGN™ Framework as a practical roadmap: 🪀 A – Assess the Value Chain → Define where value is created and lost. 🪀 L – Listen Across Levels → Build the “bilingual dictionary” across teams. 🪀 I – Integrate Strategy into Planning → Include PMs early in design, not just delivery. 🪀 G – Guide with Goals & Guardrails → Establish clarity with KPIs, OKRs, and constraints. 🪀 N – Navigate with Data & Confluence → Create mutual understanding with dashboards, forums, and collaboration tools. 🔑 ALIGN™ isn’t just an acronym. It’s the operating system for embedding the three pillars of Common Goals, Shared Language, and Mutual Understanding into everyday practice. When organizations apply it, strategy stops being a lofty document and becomes a lived reality. 📌 Question for you: In your organization, which of these three pillars: common goals, shared language, or mutual understanding requires the most urgent attention? Let's create the bride to ALIGN! ♻️Share to elevate others and follow🎙️Fola F. Alabi for more! #FolaElevates #StrategicLeadership #ProjectManagement #SPL #StrategicAlignment #Align #ExecutionExcellence #StrategicConfluenc

Meetings aren’t for updates - they’re where your culture is being built… or broken. Meetings are key moments where distributed team members experience culture together. That makes every meeting a high-stakes opportunity. Yet most teams stay in default mode - using meetings for project updates instead of connection, ideation, debate, and culture-building. 3 ways to reduce meetings and make the remaining ones count… 1. Co-create a Team Working Agreement. Before you can reinforce values, your team needs to define them. I’ve spent hundreds of hours helping teams do this - and have seen measurable gains in team effectiveness. Key components: - Shared team goals - Defining team member roles - Agreed-upon behaviors - Communication norms (sync vs. async) 2. Begin meetings with a connection moment. Relationships fuel trust and collaboration. Kick things off with a check-in like: “What gave you energy this week?” Or tailor it to the topic. In a recent meeting on decision-making norms, we asked: “Speed or certainty - which do you value more when making decisions, and why?” 3. Make team values part of the agenda. Create a ritual to recognize teammates for demonstrating team behaviors. Ask the question: “Where did we see our values or team agreements show up this week?” And check in on where could the team have done better. Culture doesn’t happen by accident - especially when your teams are spread across time zones, WFH setups, and multiple office sites. Your meetings can become a powerful tool to build culture with intention.

“How do we behave when no one is looking?” I love this question because it cuts to the core of what values really are in practice. Values aren’t just what we say we believe - they’re how we show up every day. It’s the “how we behave” part of your company operating system. And those behaviours need to be felt, seen, heard, and actioned across the entire employee experience - no matter a person's location. That’s why this week’s "Hybrid How-Might-We" is: ❓ How might we operationalise our values across locations? So, here are some ways to make values a lived reality, not just a list on your website: 1️⃣ Define your behaviours framework Be crystal clear about what behaviours your team accepts - and what it doesn’t. Create a framework that outlines what each value looks like on a "good day" and what it looks like on a "bad day" (after all we're all human). Use key moments and scenarios across your day to stress-test them; think about "how would we behave if..." 2️⃣ Design your "high-value" moments Values need to show up at every critical point of the employee journey: → Hiring: Attract and hire people who align with your values. Build values into interview questions and decision criteria. → Onboarding: Demonstrate early on “how we do things here” through values-led stories, rituals, and clear expectations. → Recognition: Celebrate and reward behaviours that reflect your values - publicly and often. → Feedback: Anchor feedback to behaviours tied to your values, so growth is always aligned with what matters most. → Performance: Assess and develop people not just on what they achieve, but how they achieve it, through the lens of your values. → Offboarding: Often overlooked, but how you say goodbye matters. Offboard in a way that honours your values and provides clarity to the team. 3️⃣ Document, communicate, repeat It takes at least seven repetitions before something sticks and someone takes action - and even then, you’re probably just getting started. Weave your values into daily communications, team rituals, and decision-making processes. And please, make sure everything is documented in an accessible place, integrated into people’s workflows (and not hidden in the depths of an outdated intranet). 🔎 What would you add? How have you embedded values into your team’s daily behaviours? Share your experiences in the comments for others to learn from. -------- Like what you read here? ♻️ Repost or follow me for weekly hybrid-culture hacks. Together we can create kinder, fairer, better designed companies. #HybridTeams #CompanyOperatingSystem #DesignThinking

I have made and saved a lot of money using remote teams across all of my companies.  Here’s how you do it: Almost every business could use at least some remote talent. It’s a great way to access a broader talent pool than your local area. You can also lower overhead costs — less office space, lower bills, and even hire talent from other countries. So how do you get the most out of a team that you don’t see face to face? Step 1: Define your objectives and needs Nail down your biggest reason for building a remote team. Broaden your hiring pool? More flexibility? Lower costs? Your main goal guides your future decisions. Then, assess which of your positions are suitable for remote or hybrid work. — Step 2: Develop a remote work policy A solid policy sets the tone and expectations for your team. Try to answer all questions ahead of time. Clarify Scope and Purpose: •  Who is eligible to work remotely? • For hybrid, how many days? • Is there a distance requirement? Set Communication Standards: • When should people be online and available? • What communication tools should they use? Security Protocols: Password manager?  VPN? Are you providing work equipment or expecting BYOD? — Step 3: Update your hiring process Build remote-specific job descriptions: Highlight skills like self-discipline and communication. Use diverse recruitment channels: Remote-specific job boards and communities. Tailor interviews for remote readiness: Include video calls and assess their home office setup. — Step 4: Find the right tools & technology Equip your team with tools that support collaboration and productivity. You’ll probably need: • An async communication hub (like Slack) • A video call platform (Google Meet) • A project management tool (Asana or Trello) • Hardware/software support Provide equipment or offer a stipend. — Step 5: Establish clear communication guidelines Effective communication is the backbone of remote work. Do you need people to: • Set online statuses? • Post daily updates? • Follow a response time rule? • When do you need people available for video calls? Make sure to set regular meetings and check-ins. Weekly stand-ups and monthly all-hands help keep everyone aligned. — Step 6: Build a strong team culture Strong remote teams thrive on culture and connection. Start with thorough virtual onboarding. Set up meet and greets and mentoring sessions. Add regular team activities: • Virtual coffee breaks • Game time • Casual Slack channels Celebrate everything: • Individual and team wins • Holidays • Company milestones — Step 7: Keep tabs on performance Address concerns head-on with clear goals and regular feedback. Set SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Schedule quarterly reviews. Focus on outcomes — not hours worked. — If you’re interested in remote staff for your teams. Comment below or message me and I’ll get you connected.