Online Zoom Course

Virtual Communication Skills for Global Working Teams

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Module Aims

The objective of this online course is to train participants in advanced communications skills when working in global teams. The course uses an online experiential learning process (role-play in environments like Zoom) as a training methodology. Participants are put into simulations of complex situations (e.g. a dissatisfied client or major global event) in a recorded video conference environment. Afterwards, the team reflects together on communication issues under the guidance of Dr. Davidoff.

According to research, the course improves the participants' real-world online engagement skills significantly and ultimately improves their effectiveness in working in global project teams.

The Need

Communication Technology has opened up a wide range of options for organizations using virtual teams to tackle their biggest projects. Smartphone apps, productivity software, and a variety of instant communication messaging and conferencing options have made it possible to connect employees around the world, regardless of their geographic location.

Even pre-Covid, a 2018 IWG study found that 70% of professionals around the world worked remotely at least one day a week, while 53% worked remotely for at least half of the week. As organizations have rapidly evolved to make use of virtual teams in these changing times, the need for effective virtual communication skills has become increasingly important. Unfortunately, companies often have a tendency to move forward into the virtual working space without training employees in specific skills essential in this medium. According to the IWG study, (2018) the cause, is that too many organizations approach virtual teams as if the dynamics are the same as those for co-located teams.

To be effective, team members in a virtual environment must be especially sensitive to interpersonal, communication, and cultural factors to overcome the limitations of distance. Organizations need team members who are comfortable with technology and have the interpersonal skills required to effectively lead in a virtual environment (Onpoint, 2019).

Learning Outcomes

  • Experience in achieving goals in virtual environments.

  • Understanding how others perceive you in a conference of this nature.

  • Understanding the importance of running an egalitarian discourse – in terms of the time given to each speaker, the space between interjections and the importance. attributed to the speaker by other participants.

  • Learning to convey empathy towards all the parties involved.  Taking into account, screens, language and cultural barriers.

  • Video conference etiquette.

  • Video body language and its impact.

  • The effects of all the above on motivation and psychological empowerment when working across boundaries and on urgent topics.

Module Overview

  • The module can run over a year and to include 8 / 12 meetings of 1.5 hours (2 academic hours) – depends on the department and participant's needs.

  • Another option is to run a short version of the online workshops with four meetings of 2 hours each, that can be part of an existing module.

  • Maximum number of participants in each group is 10 

  • The module can run as a meeting per month/week.

  • Details of the course and the specific subject of each lesson are to be refined based on the needs of the relevant department

Much of this work is based on the research works of Abudi, 2013; Davidoff, 2016; Duhigg,
2016; Kumar, 2009; Pool, 2019; PMI, 2013; Shapira-Lishchinsky, 2013.