Virtual Teams: Holding the Center When You Can’t Meet Face-to-Face

By Carlos Valdes-Dapena

In the face of the COVID-19 virus, organizations large and small are shuttering offices and factories, requiring as much work as possible be done from peoples’ homes. The book draws on the insights of the author's earlier book, Lessons from Mars, providing a set of the powerful tools and exercises developed within the Mars Corporation to create high performance teams. These tools have been adapted for teams suddenly forced to work apart, in many cases for the first time. These simple secrets and tested techniques have been used by thousands of teams who know that creating a foundation of team identity and shared meaning makes them resilient, even in a time of crisis. The "Resilience Series" is the result of an intensive, collaborative effort of our authors in response to the 2020 coronavirus epidemic. Each volume offers expert advice for developing the practical, emotional and spiritual skills that you can master to become more resilient in a time of crisis.

• Language: English
• Publisher: John Hunt Publishing
• Release date: May 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9781789046922

Book preview

What people said about Carlos’s previous book, Lessons from Mars: How One Global Corporation Cracked the Code on High Performance Teamwork and Collaboration

Carlos is an iconoclast—in the best sense, highly credible but responsible too. Challenging the conventional wisdom of corporate team building, he offers a sound, research-based alternative that organizations and teams can put to work with immediate positive impact. His tried and tested approach delivers concrete results while minimizing the need for external support. He conveys his experience and wisdom in a style that is informal and accessible, presenting his robust evidence and no nonsense advice with humor and humility.

Arvi Dhesi, Senior Client Partner, Korn Ferry

There may be no I in team, but there is in informative, interesting, innovative, and insightful—all apt descriptions of Lessons from Mars. Building on his nearly 30 years in the field, Carlos Valdes-Dapena takes a hard look at what passes for team building in the corporate world and finds it wanting. After thoroughly dissecting the ineffective way most companies spend their money on team effectiveness, this book offers a cogent, research-based alternative that can be used by anyone managing groups of people.

Roy Sekoff, Founding Editor, The Huffington Post

I have been a participant in the High Performance Collaboration approach multiple times throughout my time at Mars and it is not only a fabulous approach, it is essential if you really want to focus teams. The approach creates truly proactive and collaborative teams, with a purpose and crystallized intent at the heart of everything they do, which in turn accelerates performance.

Ulf Hahnemann, CHRO, A.P Moeller- Maersk

The Mars Framework for High Performance Collaboration is a 21st-century model for work teams to deliver greater value for their organizations. Workers, managers and leaders in any organization can enhance their teams’ effectiveness by understanding and applying these essentials, encapsulated in this easy-to-understand unique model—detailed in his book.

Artie Mahal, author of Facilitator’s and Trainer’s Toolkit and How Work Gets Done: Business Process Management, Basics and Beyond

With insight born of years of experience and the warmth of a natural storyteller, Valdes-Dapena lets the air out of teaminess and gets to the roots of what motivates productive collaboration. I was surprised, heartened and inspired.

Jane Grenier, Creative Brand Story Teller, Braze.com

Teams of cross-functional leaders know they need to collaborate but on what precisely? Who should be involved and when should they collaborate? This is a great new addition to team development literature and is instantly in my rotation of go to sources for management development materials.

Quincy Troupe, Sr, VP, Supply Chain, Boston Beer Company

Resilience:

Virtual Teams

Holding the Center When You Can’t Meet Face to Face

The Resilience Series

Resilience: Adapt and Plan for the New Abnormal - in the COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic

Gleb Tsipursky

Resilience: Aging with Vision, Hope and Courage in a Time of Crisis

John C. Robinson

Resilience: Connecting With Nature in a Time of Crisis

Melanie Choukas-Bradley

Resilience: Going Within in a Time of Crisis

P. T. Mistlberger

Resilience: Grow Stronger in a Time of Crisis

Linda Ferguson

Resilience: Handling Anxiety in a Time of Crisis

George Hoffman

Resilience: Navigating Loss in a Time of Crisis

Jules De Vitto

Resilience: The Life-Saving Skill of Story

Michelle Auerbach

Resilience: Virtual Teams - Holding the Center When You Can’t Meet Face-to-Face

Carlos Valdes Dapena

Resilience: Virtually Speaking - Communicating at a Distance

Tim Ward and Teresa Erickson

Resilience:

Virtual Teams

Holding the Center When You Can’t Meet Face to Face

Carlos Valdes-Dapena

Winchester, UK

Washington, USA

First published by Changemakers Books, 2020

Changemakers Books is an imprint of John Hunt Publishing Ltd., No. 3 East Street,

Alresford, Hampshire SO24 9EE, UK

[e-mail]

www.johnhuntpublishing.com

www.changemakers-books.com

For distributor details and how to order please visit the ‘Ordering’ section on our website.

© Carlos Valdes-Dapena 2020

ISBN: 978 1 78904 691 5

978 1 78904 692 2 (ebook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020937390

All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publishers.

The rights of Carlos Valdes-Dapena as author have been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Design: Stuart Davies

UK: Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY

Printed in North America by CPI GPS partners

We operate a distinctive and ethical publishing philosophy in all areas of our business, from our global network of authors to production and worldwide distribution.

Contents

Cover

Half Title

Title

Copyright

Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Introduction: A Whole New World

Chapter 1: The High Performance Collaboration Framework

Chapter 2: Inspire Purpose

Chapter 3: Crystallize Intent

Chapter 4: Cultivate Collaboration

Chapter 5: Activate Ways-of-working

Chapter 6: Sustain & Renew

Chapter 7: Clarify Context

Chapter 8: Leading High Performance Collaboration

Appendix: Tips for Virtual Meetings

Author Biography

Previous Titles

Note to readers

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Guide

Cover

Half Title

Title

Copyright

Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Start of Content

Appendix: Tips for Virtual Meetings

Author Biography

Previous Titles

Note to readers

This book is for my friends, collaborators, and supporters who insisted that the High Performance Collaboration framework deserved a wider audience in an accessible format. It’s also for the hundreds and hundreds who have used the Framework to help their teams, who continue to use it even though they are forced to work apart. I sincerely hope this book provides needed help in this difficult time.

Acknowledgments

This book would not exist without the leadership, passion and guidance of Tim Ward the Publisher of Changemakers Books, and John Hunt, owner of John Hunt Publishing who is managing the production of this series of books.

I could not have met the aggressive deadlines that were part of