acmp 2015: learn, lead, support change at a distance

Learn, Lead & Support Change

at a Distance

JAMES CHISHOLM Principal, ExperiencePoint

#ACMP2015 @experiencepoint

Contribute your insights at: pollev.com/experiencepoint/

Image by Citrix Online (CC BY-‐NC-‐SA 2.0)

90%

Image by Johann Larsson(CC BY-‐NC-‐SA 2.0)

10%

Image by Citrix Online(CC BY-‐NC-‐SA 2.0)

90%

Learning Objectives

Learn Lead Support

Story Insights

Discussion

#ACMP2015 @experiencepoint 2015 © ACMP All Rights Reserved 5

Effective Leaders of Change …

What to do How to be

Right things, at the right Rme,

done well

Task View: MODELS & TOOLS

Human-‐centered Learning-‐orientaRon

Bias for deliberate acRon

RelaRonship View: MINDSETS & REFLEXES

+


Say Hello!

Please say “hello” to the person beside/around you and consider:

”What are some of the hardest things about learning, leading or suppor6ng change at a distance?”

On the web: pollev.com/experiencepoint/ Or text EXPERIENCEPOINT to 37607 once to join, then text your thoughts

SHARE WITH US!

RESPONSES (page 1 of 2):

#ACMP2015 2015 © ACMP All Rights Reserved 8

•  Not being able to 'read' a leader. Can do video, etc, but doesn't allow the genuineness of face to face interacRons to bestow trust.

•  Engagement on complex topics •  Gecng people to understand that work done 'elsewhere' has the same value. •  The lack of visual cues makes interacRon less effecRve •  Time zones! •  CollaboraRon; engaging parRcipaRon •  Technology issurs •  Bringing high energy to a remote meeRng. •  MulRtasking •  Ensuring you stay up to date with "hallway" conversaRons that occur when you are "offline” •  The unability of "just droping by" and have a chat •  People abusing the mute bukon •  RelaRonship building •  No nonverbals on Conf calls •  Missing opportuniRes to engage with stakeholders •  Reaching the field workers •  Building iniRal rapport •  Time zones •  Tone and body language can't be read



•  Keeping akendees engaged •  Timezones for offering effecRve meeRngs and training •  Technology, Time zones, logisRcs in general. But also the inability to connect + build rapport

with stakeholders. •  Levelling the playing field..some remote, most live •  CompeRng with the prioriRes of their locaRon. Technological challenges as well. •  Timezones (x3) •  Difficult to create trust and relaRonships required to understand stakeholder perspecRve •  Technology challenges •  Lack of relaRonships; no common language or context (scakered culture) •  lack of respect for meeRng eRqueke •  Availability and coordinaRon of Rme •  CommunicaRon/language barriers •  Making people believe it will work •  Engagement •  distracRons and mulR tasking •  Keeping remote parRcipants engaged •  language and mis communicaRon •  Avoiding distracRons •  RelaRonships

Learn Change At a Distance

Image by Stars FoundaRon(CC BY-‐NC-‐SA 2.0) #ACMP2015 @experiencepoint 10

Learn: A Story

F

US South

US North

F

C

US South East

40 people

8 teams

3 sites

2 days

75% team-based “learning by doing” 15% teaching 10% discussion


Learn: An Insight

RetenRon Rates

5%

10%

20%

30%

50%

75%

80%

Lecture

Reading

Audio Visual

DemonstraRon

Discussion

Learning by Doing

Teach Others/Immediate Use

What to do How to be


Learn: Implication

We can do beCer than 5-‐10% retenFon rates • Webinars/elearning can help teach ‘What to do’ (Models, Tools) • Don’t help people pracRce ‘How to be’ (Mindsets, Reflexes)

Most team exercises can be adapted for remote/virtual Trend – online for content , in-‐person for experience


Learn: Discussion

“What 6ps can you share for learning change at a distance?”


SHARE WITH US!



•  Use effecRve communicaRon techniques and be interacRve.

•  Regional engagement groups. Come together at the coffee-‐machine to talk about what you just learned

•  Make parRcipants lead •  Coaching •  Real life examples •  Virtual community of pracRce, using lync

meeRngs and a sphere to connect •  Involve everyone in the delivery •  Know what you can't accomplish... •  best delivered in what way -‐ what is more

effecRve and how to engage different learning style preferences

•  Sharing common ground/understanding •  Simulate job as much as possibe •  Regular and plannes •  CollaboraRon •  Virtual teaming. Very different than

reliance on virtual sessions, webex.

•  Conduct one on one sessions with individuals to build rapport/relaRonships.

•  Webex with interacRve polling •  Road shows •  CommuniRes of pracRce •  Short sessions •  Be paRent! :o) •  Well-‐wriken documentaRon •  prework prior to training •  We got nothing •  Follow virtual sessions with on-‐locaRon

small groups •  Video conference



•  Find out what learners want ahead of Rme •  Open house events •  Using Yammer communiRes to engage. •  Listen •  repeRRon •  Good audio •  Regular and planned conf calls •  Small group size •  Well-‐defined learning objecRves •  "Office hours" either in person or virtual

post training •  PaRence is a virtue •  Staff meeRngs •  Have an acRon for the audience every

three minutes •  GotoMeeRng with HD Faces •  use interacRve technology...where

pracRce, exercises are included in the training, with results

•  video portals •  Don't wear a bathrobe •  Beer helps •  Use Web sessions for QA azer at your

own pace based learning •  Plan in advance how you'll measure/

monitor learning •  Set up communiRes of pracRce locally or

regionally to share challenges and successes

Lead Change At a Distance

17 Image by the image group (CC BY-‐NC-‐SA 2.0) #ACMP2015 @experiencepoint

Lead: A Story

#ACMP2015 © 2015 AssociaRon For Change Management Professionals. 18

Lead: Insights

• Trust is key to leading change. At a distance, it’s harder to build and maintain. Shizing from hours to output.

• Much greater temptaFon to be direcFve instead of collaboraRve and inclusive.

• Face-‐to-‐face Rme is precious. Be deliberate about reconnecRng to recharge relaRonships.


Text Voice Video Conf

Face-‐to-‐Face

More connected = less ambiguity, less confusion and less conflict

Lead: Implications

• Schedule Serendipity with regular meeRng blocks with nothing specific on the agenda. Meet face-‐to-‐face as ozen as possible.

• No phone calls when face-‐to-‐face is possible. So many great opRons: GoToMeeRng, GoToWebinar, Connect, WebEx …

• CollaboraFve technologies like Google Docs allow us to quickly create a tool / framework and then discuss and work at the same Rme from many locaRons. More efficient than face-‐to-‐face. We’ve found Trello and Basecamp to be fantasRc for collaboraRve project planning.


Lead: Discussion

“What 6ps can you share for strengthening connec6ons and building trust with your remote colleagues?”


SHARE WITH US!



•  Set expectaRons, define R+Rs clearly from the beginning. Allow for pre-‐determined Rmes of "check + adjust"

•  Set aside Rme to learn about each other..family, hobbies, sports, movies

•  Make Rme for connecRng as people. VacaRons, new cars, kids, etc.

•  respect Rme differences and sleep Rme..some of us aren't awake at 4 am pacific Rme

•  Bring something personal to the video meeRng "room"

•  Shoot the breeze •  Demonstrate follow through consistently •  Establish relaRonship as you would in

person... Connect personally. •  Use cameras on webex meeRngs •  ShooRng the breeze •  Video one on ones

•  Be mindful of their alternate schedules of different from corporate office

•  Kick off meeRng, virtual introducRons, tell stories to each other, uRlize mulRple points of technology to support. IE-‐ Azer kick off meeRng have a portal where members have pre-‐loaded their pictures, brief descripRons about themselves for the broader team.

•  Ask beker quesRons •  Spend your first 5 minutes of a business

call on interpersonal conversaRon •  Just do it. Start by trusRng. •  chat first before gecng into the meeRng

or discussion at hand •  Face to face is important, but in person is

priceless, even if it can't be frequent. •  Making plans for face to face Rme •  Consistency with communicaRon. •  Hold their hand



•  Consistently pretend that your call is being dropped.

•  share slipper pictures? •  Happens all the Rme in cloud apps like

whatsapp. How do we leverage power of invisible tribe?

•  Be conscienRous of Rme zone differences •  Semi-‐virtual happy hour. Someone said

"beer helps" •  Be consistent and predictable, set

expectaRons and sRck to them! Set the expectaRon that being 'in a session' is IN a session. Don't allow 'parRal akendance'.

•  Don't say, we'll parking-‐lot it! •  Have a "worst case scenario" discussion...

who does what if the s&*t hits the fan. •  Respect big projects that plant might be

having at that Rme that is taking up their Rme

•  Humor....

•  Rotate the odd-‐man-‐out when choosing Rme zones

•  Virtual Happy Hours. •  Do ice breakers •  Make first •  Use open ended quesRons, not yes/no •  At guidelines for distance conversaRons

and adhere to them. ERqueke!

Support Change At a Distance

24 Image by the ebarney (CC BY-‐NC-‐SA 2.0) #ACMP2015 @experiencepoint

Support: A Story

Global Champion Network

Support: An Insight

Different personality types and cultural backgrounds further complicate our ability to build relaRonships at a distance. One of the eight dimensions Erin Meyer highlights is different approaches to CommunicaRon.

Low-‐Context High-‐Context

US Netherlands Finland Spain Italy Singapore Iran China Japan Australia Germany Denmark Poland Brazil Mexico France India Kenya Korea Canada UK ArgenRna Peru Russia Saudi Indonesia

Arabia


Support: Implications

• Build a community of pracFce. Seek out and support others in your organizaRon who are like minded and get the importance of relaRonships. Who are your next generaRon change champions?

• Everyone is a leader and a supporter. Easier to ignore warning signs as signals are fewer and weaker.

• Respect for remote colleagues – Seek to minimize the haves and have nots (try to put everyone on equal fooRng) e.g. spread the Rme zone pain


Support: Discussion

“What 6ps can you share for suppor6ng change at a distance?”


SHARE WITH US!



•  Come up with a schedule when leading virtual meeRngs. Like a window of common Rmes

•  Allocate roles: note taker, facilitator, agenda and secretariat... And rotate according to skills, preferences and development plans... But make sure everyone gets to do everything. Everyone get 'limelight', development and stretch tasks and the opportunity to parRcipate *without* boring administraRve tasks also.

•  Explore areas that are outside of the normal areas

•  CommuniRes of pracRce to discuss what worked with change implementaRon what didn't and how do we move on

•  Send swag •  Use mulRple Rmes types of

communicaRons e.g., audio, visual and wriken

•  Have your remote employees do the presentaRons to mgmt

•  Subliminal messaging •  Know the legal ramificaRons of the change

in each country you are impacRng •  Don't forget about them azer go-‐live •  Food helps •  Bridge the gap; put people together

intenRonally. It shows commitment to the change, that the organizaRon cares enough about the iniRaRve to bother sending reps out to the field.

•  Robust communicaRon cascades •  Too much structure can kill it •  Have a buddy to remind people of the

commikments they made during the session

•  Follow up with people one on one azer the virtual meeRng.

•  Be aware of the geographic culture, but also the corporate culture of your remote partners.



•  Create a roadmap for change that people can follow to put in acRon

•  Truly understanding the WIIFM for each person

•  Make encounters fun •  If you have 1-‐2 remote folks and a larger

group in one place, run fully virtual meeRngs periodically (instead of having the remote folks be the minority).

•  Use visuals less words •  Small talk is important in relaRonship dev •  Encourage two way dialogue •  RecruiRng employees who are invested in

the change to support it at their locaRon and willing to promote "talk it up"

•  Give your partners their chance to shine. Consider a global newsleker highlighRng accomplishments.

•  Regular touch points with audience parRcipaRon to present change topics

•  Have consistent messages-‐-‐video recording

•  clarity of communicaRon about the support...don't train, leave and expect miracles.

•  Region neutral resources to learn, share, and communicate virtually

•  Find commonaliRes and things people are compassionate about and build on it

•  Listen to what your employees need •  Get as many people from different

locaRons involved as possible •  Don't leave them out and make sure that

they are supported and have access to the same resources

•  Be consistent. When you schedule something, even if no one accepts, be there virtually or in person. Don't cancel things.

•  Talk about concerns openly •  Leader support •  Be sure there is a way to get feedback in •  Access to resources and people

One Word Summary

Learn -‐ Involve Lead – Trust Support – Respect


Questions and answers


acmp 2015: learn, lead, support change at a distance

Leadership & Management