Coaching Virtual Global Leaders:The Communications Challenge

Ana Maria Reyes

This article first appeared in the International Journal of Coaching in Organizations, 2009 7(2), 122-136. It can only be reprinted and distributed with prior written permission from Professional Coaching

Publications, Inc. (PCPI). Email John Lazar at john@ijco.info for such permission.

ISSN 1553-3735

2009

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122 | IJCO Issue 2 2009

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coaching virtual Global leaders: the communications challengeAnaMariaReyes

The future of coaching will be shaped by the interrelated evolution of 21st century global collaborations, their enabling technologies, and the ability of coaches to adapt their services to the requirements of this era. This article describes how coaches can help leaders and teams to meet the challenges of our increasingly mobile, technology enabled and globally distributed organizations. A cultural lens is used to facilitate understanding of how communication, relationship building and leadership development are shaped and challenged by virtual global environments. Three case examples are used to illustrate ways that coaching can support virtual global leaders in ‘first, second and third generation’ virtual workplaces. The closing section addresses the future of virtual global leadership and team coaching.

“If you put a spaceship in someone’s driveway, you shouldn’t be surprised when they don’t jump in and drive it to work. In fact, they are more likely to run to their therapist to discuss how it’s not really there, or call the police to make it go away.”-MarthaHaywoodinManaging Virtual Teams(1998)

Theevolutionof globalknowledgeworkanddigitaltools,growingindividual expectations of technological sophistication and thecurrent economic downturn have combined to accelerate thegrowthof geographically,organizationallyandculturallydispersedwork. While research and practitioner literatures on virtualteaming,virtualorganizationsandvirtual leadershiphavegrownexponentially in the lastdecade, thecoachingprofessionhasnotfullyaddressedhowcoachescanhelp leadersandteamstomeetthe challenges of our increasingly mobile, technology enabledand globally distributed organizations (Rosinski, 2003). Thesemajorchallenges includecross-culturalandtechnologymediatedcommunication, and the need to build trusting relationships viadigital interactions. The future of coaching will be shaped bythisinterrelatedevolutionof globalcollaborations,theirenablingtechnologiesandtheabilityof coachestoadapttheirservicestotherequirementsof thisera.

Theuseof aculturalframeworkonvirtualorganizationfacilitatesrecognitionof theculturalpracticesembeddedinbusinessprocesses,thetechnologiesusedtosupportworkactivitiesandbringsmulti-disciplinary culture-learning tools to bear on coaching practice(Reyes,1994).Culture isthehuman-madepartof theenvironment:thepatternedwaysof organizingspace,time,humanactivityandthematerialenvironment(Hofstede,1997).Wecanviewhumaninteractions (collaboration), organizations (cultural forms) andtheir technologies (humanpractices turnedover tomachines[seeforexample,Jeorges&Czarniawska,1998])througha cultural lens.

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Largescalechanges suchasthecreationof virtualorganizationsaregenerating new cultural formsof interaction.Fromthisperspective,individuals from different cultural backgrounds (national,professional,organizational,generational)areexpectedtointeractdifferentlywithandthroughthosetechnologiessothatdifferencesin communication practices can actually be mirrored, magnifiedordiminished.Theseinteractionaloutcomescaninturnaffectanyexecutive’sabilitytocreatethetrustingrelationshipsnecessaryforvirtualgloballeadershipandteamwork.

Thisarticlewilluseaculturallenstofacilitateunderstandingof howcommunication,relationshipbuildingandleadershipdevelopmentareshapedandchallengedbyvirtualglobalenvironments.Usingcase examples, the article will illustrate ways that coaching cansupport virtual global leaders in three phases of organizationdevelopment:first,secondandthirdgenerationvirtualworkplaces.Theclosingwilladdressthefutureof virtualgloballeadershipandteamcoaching.

HoW vIrtual orGanIZatIons sHaPE coMMunIcatIon and tHE EstaBlIsHMEnt oF

trustInG rElatIonsHIPsThegoalof effectivecommunicationistoconveyamessageandbeunderstoodexactlyaswe intended.Whenwecommunicatewithpeople from similar cultural backgrounds in face-to-face settings,communication processes are likely to be smooth and messagesare likely to be clearly understood. By contrast, in multi-culturalandvirtualwork settings, communicationprocessesare likelyto be bumpy with miscommunications and misinterpretationspunctuatingtheuncertainpathtounderstanding.Theinteractionaloutcomesof acommunicationcanbegoodorbad.Thebumpiertheinteraction,theharderitisforindividualstomanagetheirreactionstothe frustratingprocessof tryingtocompleteacommunicationeffectivelyenoughtoachieveitsintendedoutcomes.Theframeworkbelowisintendedtoprovidetoolsforcommunicatingeffectivelyinthesesettings.

Communication Face-to-faceinteractionisakindof danceorarhythmically choreographed exchange of communicationsignalsandinterpretationcues(Erickson,1985).Smoothinterpersonalinteractionorrhythmic synchronyelicitsfeelingsof empathyandrapport,orof being"emotionallywith"an interactionalpartner. Incontrast, culturaldifferencescausecoordination problems, a kind of interactional stumbling or a faultyrhythmof interaction.Metaphorically,thesekindsof interactionsfeellikeattemptstodanceawaltzwithsomeonewhoisdancingthetango.Arrhythmic momentselicitfeelingsof discomfort,confusionandof beingoutof sync.Sinceadultscoordinateinteractionmostlyonautomaticpilot,coordinationproblemsarerarelyrecognizedandthenegativefeelingselicitedbythemareusuallyattributedtopersonalityconflictsorgroupstereotypes.Forexample,if adanceronlyknows

In multi-cultural and virtual work settings, communication processes are likely to be bumpy with miscommunications and misinterpretations punctuating the uncertain path to understanding.

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thewaltz,s/hewoulddeemthetangodancerincompetent.If thewesternmusicianonlyknowstheclassicalscale,s/hewouldjudgetheChineseoperasingertobeoffkey.Inourincreasinglyglobalmulti-cultural organizations, interactional stumbling has become anormalpatternof day-to-dayinteraction.Resettingexpectationssothatindividualsanticipatebumpycommunicationprocesseshelpstosetappropriateexpectations,mitigaterelatednegativeemotions,andmotivateinteractionrepairinrealtime.Thishelpstoensurepositiveoutcomesdespitebumpyprocesses.

Digitallymediatedinteractionsarenew cultural formsofcommunicationand social influence that have to be learned, much like the rulesand methods of face-to-face interaction that all children learnin each culture. Remote communication preferences, attitudesand behaviors are shaped by the face-to-face communicationpractices of one’s culture(s) of origin.Someculturesmaypreferwritten mediums (e.g., Germans), others the human voice (e.g.,LatinAmericans);somepublic‘wallposting’(e.g.,Millenials)versus‘privateemails’(e.g.,babyboomers).Eachmedium(e.g.,groupware,tele-conference, instant messaging) distorts particular face-to-facecommunicationsignalsandinterpretationcues as well as their rhythmic exchange and leadstothesamekindsof interactional stumbling thatwe experience in cross-cultural interactions. In our increasinglydispersed work organizations, interactional arrhythmias and thenegative feelings these elicit permeate our technology mediatedinteractions. Aculturalframeworkcanhelpindividualsto:

• Anticipatecommunicationprocessdistortionsineachmedium;

• Guideindividualandcollectivereflectionsonemotionalresponsestobumpyinteractions;

• Understand andrepair communication breakdowns;and

• Setcommonexpectationsformoreeffectivetechnology-enabledcommunicationprotocols.

Communicating remotelymakesvisiblethetwo-waynatureof in-personcommunicationprocesses(Haywood,1998).Whencommunicationisremote,sender controlof theinteractionisreplacedbyreceiver controlof theprocess.Forexample,sendercontrolinanofficesettingcanbedemonstratedbyphysicallystandinginfrontof areceiveruntilthatpersoncommentsonthesender’smemo.Incontrast,whenanemailmessagearrivesinaninboxwitharequestforcomment,itisthereceiverwhocontrolsthecompletionof thatcommunicationprocess. In face-to-face interaction, the crucial communicationsteps (message transmission, receiver acknowledgement, messageunderstanding and response) occur simultaneously in rhythmic synchrony. Inremotecommunications,thesefourstepsareseparatedintimeandthesendercannotcontroltheprocess.Thisdecouplingof communicationcontentandprocess intimeandtheresultingchange from sender to receiver control can lead to difficulty

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interpretingtheintendedtoneorpurposeof anelectronicmessageor response. In fact, without a trusting relationship to motivatereceiverresponsesateachof the four steps in theprocess, thereis no guarantee that a remote communication cycle will becompleted.Animportantimplicationof thiseffectisthattrustingrelationshipsandexplicitlynegotiatedagreementsregardingeachstep in remote communication are required to ensure commonsenderandreceiverexpectationsindispersedteamwork.

Coachesareinauniquepositiontosupporteffectivecommunicationsin virtual global organizations. They can help their coacheesto notice, understand and anticipate interactional stumbling andperceptual distortions,towithholdprematurejudgmentsandtomakeeffortstounderstandandrepairinteractionprocessesastheyoccur.Coaches can support leadership learningaboutmedia selectionandhelpleaderstounderstandthelikelysignalandinterpretationdistortions of a particular medium and how to compensate forthose in their mediated communication practices. Coaches canalsohelpcoacheestobuildthekindsof trustingrelationshipsinwhichcommunicationprotocolscanbecreatedandrespectedbydiverseanddispersedgroups.

Development of trusting relationshipsAs mentioned above, mobile, technology-enabled and globally-distributed organizations require individuals to build trustingrelationships via digital interactions. Trust, or the acceptance of vulnerabilityinrelationships,iscrucialforeffectiveleadershipandteam work. Trust facilitates risk-taking behaviors necessary forlearning,creativity,andinnovation.Lackof trustfostersfearandthereforelowersone’sabilitytoriskauthenticdisclosure.Lackof authenticcommunicationinturncreatesambiguityinrelationships,processesand taskwork.Research (see for example,Duarte&Snyder, 2006) shows that people are more likely to trust, or riskvulnerabilitywith, leaderswhoperformcompetently in theirroles,demonstrateintegrity,andshowconcernforthebestinterestof others.

Researchalsoshowsthatsustainedengagementandfamiliarityhelptobuildtrustingrelationshipsinface-to-facesettings.Thishasledsomevirtualorganizationdesigners(SobelLojeski&Reilly,2008)toconcludethattrustmustbedevelopedinpersonandthereforetoemphasizeinvestmentinperiodicin-personworkand/orintheuseof synchronouscommunicationtools(e.g.,instantmessengers,phone)orthosethatareasclosetonaturalface-to-facecommunicationaspossible (e.g., highdefinitionvideo conferencing).Analternativeperspective suggests that similar behavioral strategies (i.e.,demonstratingcompetency,integrityandconcernforothers)fosterbothvirtualandin-persontrust.Fromthisperspective,itisonlythebehavioral signals andcuesused to indicate trustworthiness thatchangeinvirtualinteractions.Useof anasynchronoustrustbuildingmodelandonlinetrusttoolshowthatengaginginexplicitdialogueabouttheimportantindicatorsof trustinaparticularvirtualgroup

Smooth interpersonal interaction or rhythmic synchrony elicits feelings of empathy and rapport, or of being "emotionally with" an interactional partner.

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andcollectivelycommittingtodisplayingthosebehaviors,canbuildtrustingvirtualrelationships (Francovitch,Reina,Reina,&Dilts,2008).Forexample,aleaderwhosupportshervirtualteaminthecontextof acustomercomplaint,butdoesnotexplicitly ‘cc’herteamonhersupportiveresponsetothecustomercanunwittinglygeneratemistrust.Similarly,avirtualteamleaderthatmanagesawebmeetingscheduleefficientlycanbemisinterpretedbyfarawaycolleaguesassomeonewhoisnottrustworthybecauses/hedoesnotshowsharedconcernforthewell-beingof his/herteammembersbyexplicitlymakingtimeforsmalltalkwithintheteam.

Fromthestart,virtualglobalorganizationsrequireintensesupporttocoordinateworkandtobuildasenseof communityandexternalrecognition among dispersed and diverse team members andstakeholders.Itisimportanttoproactivelyaddressdevelopmentalidiosyncrasiesandsupportneedsinordertoestablishvirtuouscyclesof interaction.Supportingtheongoingrisk-takingnecessaryforthedevelopmentof trustingrelationshipsiscrucialamongpeoplewhomayrarelymeet.Dealingwithemotions,suchasfrustration,thatcanattenddisruptedorpoorteamcommunicationsisnecessaryforthemaintenanceof trust.Anexampleof thekindof effortsrequiredtosupportauthenticcommunicationandtrust is the initiativeof CEOof ABB,GoranLindahl,topromoteinformationsharinginhisgloballydispersedanddiverseworkforcebypronouncing“BadEnglish,”or the less thanperfectEnglishof foreign speakers, tobetheofficialbusinesslanguageof hiscompany(Govindarajan&Gupta,2001).

Theformidabletechnological,logistical,andtask-relatedcomplexitiesof virtual global organizations can dominate the attention of new virtual global leaders and distract them from the needto focus on establishing trusting relationships. Mastering thetechnologiesnecessary todo thework canbedifficult and timeconsuming. Managing the extensive diversity of profession,function, organization, geography, time zones and languagesof theworkforcecanbedemandingfrombothinternationalbusinessand human resource perspectives. Grappling with the dynamicnatureof knowledgeworkcaninvolvecomplexproblemswithnorightanswers.

Inthesecontextsof communicationandtrust-buildingcomplexity,coaches can help coachees balance expectations of processimprovements with acceptance of bumpy but ‘good enough’communicationprocessesforachievingdesiredoutcomes.Coachescan support the patience and persistence required to createinnovative practices for mapping multiple cultural perspectives,navigatingdifferent interpretations of taskwork andnegotiatingcreative solutions. Coaches can help coachees to attend to thenuances of conveying trustworthiness in dispersed and diversesettingsbymaintainingpredictableroleperformance,consistentlywalking their digital talk, and engaging, onboarding, developing

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andpromoting their teamremote teammembers.Coachescan suggest that coachees explicitly discuss how trust might begainedand lost in theirparticularvirtual teamrelationshipsandhelp coaches to commit to monitoring those explicitly discussedtrust-buildingbehaviorsinthoseworkrelationships.Coachescanhelpleaderstomitigatetheknowncostsof inadequateattentionto relational trust (Govindarajan&Gupta,2001)which includefewer and less effective interactions due to logistical problems,more frequent miscommunication, misinterpretation, less groupcohesivenessandeffectiveness,andultimately,lesscreativebusinesssolutions.Coachescancollaboratewith leaders toconsiderwaystocultivatetrustandcooperationamongteammembers,manageunproductive conflict, and facilitate expression of diverse viewsthat foster thekindsof innovation that virtualorganizationsarecreatedtodeliver.

lEadErsHIP cHallEnGEs at dIFFErEnt PHasEs oF vIrtual orGanIZatIon dEvEloPMEnt

Duringtwodecadesof coachingandconsultingexperience,Ihaveobserved that virtual global leadership challenges differ withinthreephasesof virtualorganizationdevelopmentthatexistatthispointinhistory.Inthissection,Iwilldescribemyunderstandingof thesethreegenerationsandofferacoachingcaseexample1toillustratekeyleadershipchallengesandcoachingareasof focusineachgeneration.

First generation organizations First generation organizations are new to virtual global teaming.Workpracticesaredesignedforcollocatedwork.Thereisaculturalassumptionthatpeoplemustbecollocatedtocollaborateeffectivelysowhenteamsaredispersed,peopletraveltothesiteswheretheworkisbeingdone.Collaborativetechnologiesbeyondemailandphonesareoutsidethenormalframeof referenceandarerarelyused.Theirleadershipchallengesintheseorganizationsinvolvedesigningthehumanandtechnologyinfrastructuresandmakingthemindsetchangesrequiredtobegintoengageinvirtualglobalteaming.

Coaching case example.ThefollowingcaseexampleillustratesVirtual Global Leadership coaching in an organization new tovirtual global collaboration.This executive coaching assignmentwithJohn,oneof theBusinessHeadsof atoptierAssetManagementOrganization, was initially focused on building a virtual globalteaminginfrastructure,internalandexternalteamcommunicationplans,andconvincingJohn’snewleadershipteammembers that“virtual” teamingwasa legitimateway towork.Specifically, thethreeareasof business-alignedexecutivedevelopmentwere:

1The case details and names for each coaching case example have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the individuals andorganizationsdescribed.

Metaphorically, these kinds of interactions feel like attempts to dance a waltz with someone who is dancing the tango.

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1. Buildingbroadmulti-regionalorganizational supportfor transforming one of several regional businesseswithinthelargerassetmanagementorganizationintoa new global business entity in order to respond toitsmultinationalclientdemands for ‘global’financialproducts,salescoverageandservices;

2. Creating partnerships with individuals in the otherassetmanagementbusinessesandregionsof theworld,includingteamstakeholdersandsponsors,thepreviousregional business heads and new team membersinseveral regionsaddedto the teamasaresultof amerger;

3. Developing virtual global team leadership capabilityto ensure virtual collaboration among regional teamleaders and their members across locations in theUnitedStates,EuropeandAsiainordertodevelopanddelivernewproductsandenternewglobalmarkets.

Thesheerculturalcomplexityof theseindividualandorganizationalchanges required John to engage in a continuous triage of opportunities and challenges related to the three areas of focusabove.Thethreeexamplesbelowillustratehowexecutivecoachingwasusedtohelpanticipate,navigateandbridgeculturaldifferencesinordertohelpintegratetheteammembersineachworldregionintothenewglobalentity.Coachingalsohelpedtobegintobuildatechnologyinfrastructuretosupportvirtualglobalteamwork.

OnJohn’snewglobalbusinessteam,HarrisonwasassignedtoheadtheAsiaregionafterthemerger.Despitehisexcellentcredentialsandprofessionalbackground,Harrison’spreviousexperiencewasinamore“aggressive”businessculturethanassetmanagement’s.Additionally,his“American”culturaldemeanorandleadershipstylecontradictedhisAsianethnicity.HisdemeanorconfusedhisnewAsianteamandcreatedconflictswiththeprevious,traditionalandolderAsianteamleaderwhohadbeenpassedoverforHarrison’srole. Coaching helped John to map this cultural landscape andto provide Harrison with quietly gathered feedback about theinteractional stumbling that characterized his interactions with theAsiateam.CoachingalsoprovidedJohnwithguidanceonhowtonavigatethebusinessandregionalculturaldifferences.

When John was appointed global head for this new business, hewasalsoprovidedwithamanagementadvisorygrouptohelpguidethe integration. The group was comprised of one senior leaderrepresentingeachregion,eachof whomhadastakeintheirownregionalbusinesseswhichinteractedwithJohn’snewglobalmodel.CoachinghelpedJohnnavigatethepoliticalsituationandbalancehisneedtotakechargeandtopartnerwithothersinthisrealignment.Coaching also helped John to strengthen his relationships witheachof thesestakeholdersbyhelpinghimtoanalyzehisstrategic,

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relational and cultural alignment with each advisor and then tobuildpartnershipsaroundcommongoalsandaspirations.

Anin-personexecutiveteamdevelopmentoffsitewasspecificallydesignedtocreateeffectivevirtualcollaborationpracticesandtoaccelerate leadership teammember integrationand thechangesrequired to operate globally. Data collection and feedback wereusedbythecoachtopartnerwithJohnonthedesignanddeliveryof avirtualteamcharteringdiscussionthatincludedbestpracticesand implementation ideas learned fromthepreviousvirtualandglobal teaming experiences of group members. Additionally, avirtual team trust-building presentation, exercise, debriefing anddiscussion co-ledby Johnand the coach led to thediscoveryof desiredpracticesforbuildingtrustandcommunicatingeffectivelyinthisparticularvirtualglobalteam.Lastly,adialogueaboutrequiredcollaborativesalesandnewproductdevelopmenteffortsledtoanagreement to build and support a global customer relationshipmanagement system so theentirebusiness couldvirtuallyaccesssales and service information across the globe. While John andhis regional leaders continued to travel heavily to collaboratein person outside the initial agreed upon areas of virtual work,coachinghelpedJohn toexplicitlyaddressandgainglobal teamcommitmenttocollaboratingvirtuallyontheirtwomostimportantbusinessgoals,i.e.,globalsalesandnewproductdevelopment.

Second generation organizationsSecond generationorganizationsare themostcommonat thispointin history. At this stage, organizations include a wide range of individualparticipationandcompetenceinvirtualworkanduseof collaborativetechnologies.Effectiveorganizationalsupportsystemsforthisformof workarenotinplaceandpeoplepreferinpersoncollaborationatleastfor“highstakes”work.Inthisenvironment,therearefewenterprise-wideguidelinesfortechnology-mediatedworkandcommunication,andthereisasenseof “psychologicaldistance” when people are working remotely (Govindarajan &Gupta,2001).Leadershipchallengesinvolveidentifyingoraccessingresources to support effective teaming and technology use, anddesigningeffectiveleadershipandworkpracticesacrossteams.

Coaching case example.ThefollowingcaseillustratescoachinginaFortune500professionalservicesorganizationinwhichworldclasscollaborativetoolswereavailableandavarietyof professionalsengaged in virtual and global collaboration. Yet, there were noconsistentguidelinesortrainingandsupportsystemsbeyondtooluse training. This targeted coaching assignment with Jennifer, anewregionalCFO,focusedonbuildingremotemanagementandvirtualteambuildingcapability.

Followingthemergerof twolinesof businessandtheoutsourcingof 50percentof a jobclass toIndia,Jennifer’svirtual teamwascreated with members from both of the merged organizations.

Digitally mediated interactions are new cultural forms of communication and social influence that have to be learned, much like the rules and methods of face-to-face interaction that all children learn in each culture.

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Shortly afterwards, Jennifer asked HR for support in managingher virtual team.She reported to aControllerwho resided inadifferentStateandhadacoreteamof onefull-timeandtwopart-timereportsinthreedifferentlocations.Eightdotted-lineregionalcontrollers each devoted ten percent of their time to her coreteam’sworkanddirectlyreportedforninetypercentof theirtimetotheirregionalbusinessheads.Teammembershadnevermetoneanotherinperson.BecausenoenterprisesupportresourceswereknowntoHR,anexternalcoachwassourcedforJennifer.

CoachinginitiallyfocusedonhelpingJennifertoarticulateherteamcreationstoryandremotemanagementchallenges.Theseincluded:trusting,motivating,challenging,developingandmonitoringpeoplethatshehadnevermetandwhoshecouldnotsee.Teammembersdidnotknowwhentoescalateproblems,whentoaskforassistance,howmuchdecisionmakingautonomytheyshouldhaveorhowmuchnewworktheyshouldacceptonpart-timeschedules.Further,duetothefastpace,longhoursandtimezonedifferences,thenewteamhadnothadanymeetings.CoachinghelpedJennifertoconsiderhowshecouldusethesuiteof availabletoolstocreateremotemanagementpracticesassimpleasusingindividualphonecalls for thekindsof activities thatshewouldhave likedtodo inperson.Forexample,shedecidedtostartbysimplyusingindividualphone calls for regular individual status check-ins, supervisorycommunications, and to get to her team’s individuals goals,strengthsanddevelopmentareas.Shewasthenabletodelegateorcreatechallengingdevelopmentalactivities.

Jennifer’sworkinvolvedanalyzingfinancialreportsandsupportingforecasting.Hercoreteammemberspreparedschedulesforanalysesandgatheredinformationfromthemoreperipheralregionalteammembers.Theycollaboratedonnon-routineworkabouthalf of the time using teleconferencing, email and instant messagingtools.Althoughthenewlycreatedvirtualteamhadclearlydefinedperformance goals, team members had no guidelines for howto coordinate their geographically dispersed, day-to-day work.Coaching provided just in time presentation materials on bestpracticesinvirtualteamingfocusedontheaboveareasthatJenniferfoundproblematic.CoachingalsohelpedJennifertotailorcoachingtemplatesforvirtualteamdevelopmentworkandthentousethesetoconductteamdevelopmentsessionswithherteam.Forexample,Jennifer eventually used the online calendar to schedule monthlyvirtualluncheswithasocialorteamdevelopmentagenda,inwhichnobusinesstalkwasallowed.Instead,viavideoandwebconferences,theysharedtravelpicturesandsocialnews.Biweeklyworkmeetingswerescheduledalternatingthecoreteamandthewholeteamandtheir senior management. In order to motivate attendance, themeeting agendas for the regional controllers were strictly limitedto financial topics. Lastly, coaching helped Jennifer to identifyexperiencedvirtualteamleadersintheorganizationinordertolearnandsharebestpractices.

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Third generation organizationsThird generationorganizationsengage inbroad-basedvirtualwork.Becausevirtualglobalteamingispartof thefabricof theireverydaywork, these organizations leverage and support collaborativetechnologiesandtheteamworkthattheseenable.Theirdevelopmentfocusisonbuildingenterprise-widevirtualglobalteamingcapabilityandleadership.Virtualworkforcesinthesesettingsmakeconsciousdecisions to engage in distributed global teamwork, to leveragedigitaltechnologiesforcomplexworkprocessesandtousevirtualworkpracticesdesignedtoenhancetrustinghumanrelationships.Theirleadershipchallengesinvolvecontinuousimprovementandinnovationincollaborativecapacitybuildingacrosstheenterprise.

Coaching case example.Thefollowingcaseexampleillustratesvirtualglobalmanagementteamcoachinginathirdgeneration,multinational softwareorganization.Coachingwasused tocollaborativelydesignanddeliveralarge-scalevirtualorganizationdevelopment intervention with the objective of building virtualleadershipandteamingcapability.Ronald,theheadof thislargedivisionhadseveralspecificobjectives:

1. To create, pilot and refine a protocol for virtualmanagement;

2. To leverage previous team building with anotherdivision;

3. Toensurethatremotemanagementdevelopmentwasalignedwithvirtualteambuildingwork;and

4. Tohelphisdivisionleaderstoexperimentwiththeuseof theirworldclasstoolsforvirtualcollaboration.

SinceRonald’smanagement teamwasgeographicallydispersed,teamcoachingtookplaceduringregularlyscheduledmanagementteammeetingsviavideoandwebconferencing.ThefirstcoachingmeetingwasusedtohelpRonald’steamoutlinetheirorganizationdevelopmentobjectives,definetheirdesiredleadershiprolesintheplannedactivities,andselectthecollaborativetoolsforeachof thoseactivities.Next,a300-personteleconferencewasusedtokickoffthevirtualorganizationdevelopmentinterventionwiththeentiredivision.Teleconferencingbest-practiceprotocolsweredesignedtoelicit large-groupparticipationandengagement.Anoverviewof anupcomingvirtualglobal teamingeffectivenessassessmentwasdiscussedwiththelargegroup.

Group interviews were conducted via teleconference with thevirtual team leadership triads of each of twenty teams to learnabouttheirchallengesandteamdevelopmentexpectations.Sincethe coach, the team leaders and many in the division workedremotelyanddidnotknoweachother,adatavalidationprocesswasdesignedtobeginbuildingdivision-widetrust.Theinterviewdataforeachteamwassummarizedbythecoachandemailedto

When communication is remote, sender control of the interaction is replaced by receiver control of the process.

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eachsetof teamleadersforvalidationof thedatawiththeirentireteambeforesendingitbackwithapprovalforpresentationbythecoach to Ronald’s leadership team. When all twenty teams hadvalidatedtheirassessmentdata,anothervideoandwebconferencemeetingwasscheduledwithRonald’steamtoreviewthefindingsanddiscusspossibleteambuildingscenariosforthedivision.

Ronald’s leadership team designed and conducted a division-wideteleconference with parallel kickoff presentations at both sitesto introduce the upcoming organization development work.This includeda face-to-face large-group training sessionat eachgeographic site and follow-up team development assignments.The twohalf-day trainingworkshops consistedof a largegroupbehavioral simulationanddebriefingsession,andan intact-teamfeedbackandparticipativeteamredesignassignmentforeachof thetwentyteams.WhentheteamssubmittedtheirproposedredesignstoRonald’s leadership teams forapproval,coachingwasused tohelpRon’sleadershipteamcollaboratewiththetwentyindividualteamstodesignmoreeffectivevirtualglobalteamingprotocolsanddesiredtrainingandsupportsystemsforteamwork.

The distributed leadership team coaching model used tocollaboratively design and pilot virtual work practices for thedivision-wide assessment and intervention also served as apilot for many leadership practices in this division following theintervention.Thisorganization continued tobuildon this initialvirtualteambuildingwork.Itiscurrentlyarecognizedbest-practicevirtualglobalteamingcompanywhereday-to-dayworkisconductedin globally distributed and diverse teams using leading edgecollaborativetechnologies.Byallmeasures,thisworkforceishighlyengagedacrosstheemployeespectrum.Thereisanenterprise-widetalentmanagement focuson supportingandbuildingvirtualandmulti-culturalcollaborationandleadershipcapabilities.

Although the cases above illustrate how first, second and thirdgenerationorganizationspresenttheirvirtualglobalteamleadersandmemberswithspecialchallenges,thethemesrelatedtocomplexcommunication processes and relationship building cut acrossorganizations.Weareclearlyheaded towardsgreaterdispersion,diversity,mobilityandtechnologymediatedwork.Thesetrendswilltransformhowweliveandworkandtheskillsnecessarytodosowell(Harris,Gammage,&Basso,2008).Thesectionbelowaddressestheimplicationof thesetrendsforleadershipandcoaching.

tHE FuturE oF vIrtual GloBal lEadErsHIP coacHInG

Coacheswillcontinuetohelpleadersfocusonhumandevelopmentand leadership impact,andhelp teamscollaborateeffectively. Inthisclosingsection,large-scaleenvironmental,global,technologyandleadershiptrendswillbebrieflyoutlinedalongwithimportantimplicationsforcoaching.

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Global futures Recently,futuristMaryO’HaraDevereaux(2004)used‘NavigatingtheBadlands’of theoldwestasametaphorforthegreatpotentialandhazardsof ourcurrent“global”journeyfromtheindustrialtotheinformationage.Shecharacterizedthefirstquarterof thetwenty-first century as the biggest natural cycle of continuoustechnological, social, governmental and natural disruptiveinnovationsincetheMiddleAgesandpredictedthattherewouldbeanopportunityforanewRenaissanceAgeattheend.Forthefirst time in history, there is awareness of the existence of oneinterdependentearthandhumanity.Withinthisnewframework,sustainabilityisof growingimportanceandnewtechnologiesandtheirresultinghumaninterconnectionsarefuelingrapidchanges.Shepredictedthatbytheendof thecycle,thisvolatilecontextwillleadtothereinventionof civilsocietyanditsgovernance.

In fact, the growing awareness of global interdependencies,sustainabilitychallengesandrelatedcomplexsystemchangeneedsacross the planet has created a collaboration imperative for diverseorganizational scholars (see for example, Hart, 2005; Senge,Lichtenstein,Kaeufer,Bradbury,&Carroll,2007;Senge,Scharmer,Jaworski,&Flowers,2008).Forexample,inonemodelof leadershipforanetworkedeconomy(Ancona,Walone,Orlikowski,&Senge,2007),leadershipisdistributedandcollaborativebydefinition,andoccursthrougheitherdirectinvolvementwithchangeorthroughcreationof environments inwhichothersareempowered toactor both. The diverse, fluid, mobile, rotating, and collaborativeleadershipmodelsfashionedbysecondandthirdgenerationvirtualglobal teaming organizations have direct implications for howcoachingmustevolvetoremainvaluableandviable.

Evolution of collaborative technologiesKnowledgemanagementexpertBuckman(2005)describedthreetechnology trends that exemplify the kind of natural disruptiveinnovation cycle described above. These trends will shape thenature of globally dispersed work. Firstly, digital connectionsbetween people will spread to form national, then regional andthen global networks of connected groups. Those organizationswiththehighestqualityandfastestdigitalconnectionswillachievecompetitiveadvantagebyofferingwebservicesandactivitiesthatsimplycannotbeprovidedonnetworkconnectionsof lowerqualityand speed. Secondly, technology developments will eventuallylead toautomatic language translationsand tonatural languagerecognition so that computers will facilitate spoken and writtenforms of multi-national communications. These developmentswill spur more virtual global work. Additionally, faster digitizedcommunications coupled with semantic search software willsupportsensemaking,helptoreducedigitalinformationoverloadandsofacilitateknowledgeworkinvirtualglobalteams.Thirdly,mobility will be facilitated by attenuated market boundariesbetween consumer and work tools. For example, mobile worker

The diverse, fluid, mobile, rotating, and collaborative leadership models fashioned by second and third generation virtual global teaming organizations have direct implications for how coaching must evolve to remain valuable and viable.

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productsandserviceswillbedesignedforremoteanddistributedworkforces andvirtual training.Collaboration systemswillmovetowards singledevices thatmeetmultiple communicationneeds.Coachingworkwillalsobeaffectedbythesetrendssuchthatthosethatcanadapttomobileanddistributeddigitalworkandleverageenabling tools will remain valuable and achieve competitiveprofessionaladvantage.The e-collaboration state of the artWearequicklymovingtowardswidespreaduseof webbrowser-basedtoolsthatsupportgloballydispersedrealtimemeetingsof allsorts.Theseprovideaudioandvideoconferencing,desktopsharing,electronic whiteboards, and web touring capabilities that enabledispersedcollaborativeinnovationwork.Even“skunkworks”canbecreatedacrossspace,timeandorganization.Similarly,thenextgenerationof webtoolsalreadysupportasynchronousworkacrosstimezones.Forexample,web2.0tools(likewikiswhichsupportcollaborativeauthoringandblogswhichsupportnon-professionalwrittenexpressionandaudiencecommentonsocietal scales)areubiquitousintheconsumerspace.Thesetechnologiesarequicklypenetratingvirtualglobalteamingviagrassrootsdemandsforthesamelowcost,highqualitytoolsthatdispersedconsumerscanaccessontheweb.Socialnetworkingplatformsarequicklymorphingintoprofessional networking and organizational sourcing platforms,blurringtheboundarybetweenhowconsumersandhowworkersrelate. Similar corporate platforms are penetrating corporatefirewallsandareevenbeingusedfortalentdevelopmentinitiatives.Immersiveworkenvironments(forexample,Weil,2008),includingweb-basedseriousmassivemulti-playergames(suchasPeacemakerandFoodSource),and3Dvirtualworlds,(suchascorporateeventsinSecondLifeorIBM’svirtualworld,Metaverse),whereemployeesmeet,willsoonblurtheboundariesbetweenentertainment,learningandworkmediabyutilizing“co-presence,” thehumancapacityto detect and relate to others in 3D environments regardless of whetherthesearephysicalorvirtualspaces.Eventuallytheface-to-facedancethatissocialinteractionwillbemadepossibleinvirtualspace by avatars, or digital representatives of individuals online.These new forms of collaboration will create needs for digitallyagilecoacheswhounderstandvirtualandglobalworkandareabletodesignandfacilitatehumanizingpracticestohelp leadersandteamsseizetheirbusinessopportunitiesandnavigatethechallengesof e-collaboration.

Implications for leaders, teamwork and coaching Withinthecurrentglobalcycleof disruptiveinnovationdescribedabove, futures are invisible to all. This makes hierarchy a lesseffectivewaytoleadorganizations(Anconaetal.,2007;O’Hara-Devereaux, 2004). Instead, informal ‘networked’ leadership thatcan quickly self-organize will be better able to identify quicklychangingopportunities,toexecutestrategyandtoinnovateacrossinternalandexternalnetworksof alliances.Intheglobal,network-

Coaching work will be affected by these trends such that those that can adapt to mobile and distributed digital work and leverage enabling tools will remain valuable and achieve competitive professional advantage.

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drivenbusinessenvironmentdescribedabove,effectiveleadershipfunctionswillbedistributedamong“incomplete”leaderswhoaredifferentiallyskilledinfourcriticalcapabilities:theabilitytomakesenseof thecontextinwhichacompanyanditspeopleoperate;theabilitytobuildrelationshipswithinandacrossorganizations;theabilitytocreatecompellingfuturescenarios;andtheabilitytoinnovateinordertoachievethosefutures(Anconaetal.,2007).Bydefinitionthiswayof leadingiscollaborative,involvingtheabilitytonegotiatethesynergisticcombinationof differentviewpointsthatresultsininnovation.Inrecentinter-organizationalcollaborationsfocused on large, complex systems change work, organizationalscholarshavearguedthatsuchcollaborationrequiresenactingnewwaysof thinking,creatingnewformalstructuresandtransformingrelationships(Sengeetal.,2007).

Coacheswhocanhelpleaderstobuildenvironmentalscanningandsensemakingskills,andcognitiveflexibilityinproblemsolvingwillhelp leaders to navigate the complex virtual, global, technology-enabledcommunicationproblemsthatpermeatethenewbusinesslandscape.Thesecoacheswillremainrelevant.Coacheswhocanfacilitate new ways to build trusting relationships across culturesandotherknowledgeboundariesincyberspacewillcontinuetoaddvalue.Asorganizationsadoptquicklyevolvingcollaborativetoolsandfocustalentdevelopmentonvirtualgloballeadershipeffectiveness,coachingitself willhavetobeableto leveragethecapabilitiesof advanceddigitalcommunicationtechnologiestoaccessnewworldclassknowledgemodels,resourcesandmethods,andtodesignnewservicesjustintimefromanytimeandanywhere.

rEFErEncEs

Ancona,D.,Malone,T.W.,Orlikowski,W.J.,&Senge,P.M.(2007).Inpraiseof theincompleteleader.Harvard Business Review, 85(2),92-100.

Buckman,R.H.(2005).Theworldisgettingflatter:Threefuturetrendsforknowledgemanagement.Knowledge Management Review, 8(5).

Duarte,D.L.,&Snyder,N.T.(2006).Mastering virtual teams: Strategies, tools and techniques that succeed (3rded.).SanFrancisco:Jossey-Bass.

Erickson,F.E.(1985).Listeningandspeaking.InD.Tannen&J.E.Alatis(Eds.),Languages and linguistics: The interdependencies of theory, data, and application (pp.294-319).Washington,D.C.:GeorgetownUniversityRoundtableonLanguagesandLinguistics.

Francovitch,C.,Reina,M.,Reina,D.,&Dilts,C.(2008).Trustbuildingonline:Virtualcollaborationandthedevelopmentof trust.InJ.Nemiro,M.M.Beyerlein,L.Bradley,&S.Beyerlein(Eds.),

The handbook of high-performance virtual teams: A toolkit for collaborating across boundaries (pp.153-176). SanFrancisco:Jossey-Bass.

Govindarajan,V.,&Gupta,A.K.(2001).Buildinganeffectiveglobalbusinessteam. MIT Sloan Management Review, 42(4),63-71.

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Harris,K.,Gammage,B.,&Basso,M.(2008).Managinginthe21stcentury:Theemergingmanager’splatform.Gartner Research Report:IDnumberG00163584,Publication.

Hart,S.L.(2005).Capitalism at the crossroads: The unlimited business opportunities in solving the world’s most difficult problems. Philadelphia,PA:WhartonSchoolPublishing.

Haywood,M.(1998).Managing virtual teams. Practical techniques for high-technology project managers. Boston:ArtechHousePublishers.

Hofstede,G.(1997).Cultures and organizations: Software for the mind.NewYork:McGraw-Hill.

Jeorges,B.,&Czarniawska,B.(1998).Thequestionof technology,orhoworganizationsinscribetheworld.Organization Studies, 19(3),363-385.

O’Hara-Devereaux,M.(2004).Navigating the badlands: Thriving in the decade of radical transformation. SanFrancisco:Jossey-Bass.

Reyes,A.M.(1994,August).Projectschedulingprocesses:Theuseof temporaltemplatesforprojectlifecycles.PresentationpreparedforAcademyof ManagementSymposium,Dallas,Texas.

Rosinski,P.(2003).Coachingacrosscultures.International Journal of Coaching in Organizations, 1(4),4-16.

Senge,P.M.,Lichtenstein,B.B.,Kaeufer,K.,Bradbury,H.,&Carroll,J.S.(2007).Collaboratingforsystemicchange.MIT Sloan Management Review, 48(2).

Senge,P.M.,Scharmer,C.O.,Jaworski,J.,&Flowers,B.S.(2008).Alternativefutures.Leadership Excellence, 25(2),3.

SobelLojeski,K.,&Reilly,R.R.(2008).Uniting the virtual workforce: Transforming leadership and innovation in the globally integrated enterprise.SanFrancisco:Wiley.

Weil,N.(2008).VirtualworldslikeSecondLifearen’tjustforgames.CIO, 21(11).

n aBout tHE autHor

Ana Maria Reyes, Ph.D.

Phone: 215-925-7828Email: amreyes@NewWorldsEnterprise.com

AnaReyesisafoundingPartnerof NewWorldsEnterprise,agloballeadershipandvirtualorganizationaldevelopment consultingfirm.Ana is anExecutiveCoach,OrganizationalConsultant, andEducatorspecializing in global leadership development, culturally complex collaboration, virtual organizationdevelopment, and applied ethnographic assessment. Her coaching clients include internationallydiverseexecutives,highpotentialexpatriates,inpatriates,andvirtualglobalteamleadersinknowledgeintenseindustries,amongthemprofessionalandfinancialservices,pharmaceuticals,highereducation,aerospace,andsoftware.Anaisrespectedforherabilitytodeeplyengagediverseleadersandtheirteamsinthe21stcenturyhumandevelopmentchallengesof buildinginternationalbusinessesandmindsets,mastering geographically dispersed teamwork, humanizing technology mediated collaboration andcommunication, and coaching individuals andgroups, often across distance and time.She is knownforherabilitytodrawfromabroadculturalandeducationalbackgroundtocreateanartfulvarietyof assessment,interventionandeducationdesigns,andcoachingtechniquestohelpleadersachievetheirdesiredstrategic,professional,andpersonalgoals.

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