Page 16 - May-June 2020 Vol38 No1
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STATEWIDE by Lisa Hood Skinner
Team Technology and Psychology
in “These Interesting Times”
Teleconferencing, webinars and virtual by” task deadlines and to have definite engagement, and ultimately improves
meetings are just a part of the brave new dates reserved for when they need to performance.
world ushered in by natural disasters such brainstorm or problemsolve issues with • Evaluate and discuss the virtual
as this spring’s tornadoes, the COVID-19 your entire team. experience: As you go through this new
outbreak and as-yet-unnamed future • Say it and then say it again another experience with groups and individuals,
challenging situations. way: Who hasn’t multi-tasked during a ask for off-line feedback about how
teleconference or webinar…looked at well you and your team are (or are not)
Many electronic communications email on their phone or scrolled through transitioning from in-person meetings to
tools have been around for some time, Facebook? You may need your team to virtual ones. In other group, individual
but circumstances now may dictate that hear important points multiple times, in meetings, or emails, ask your team if this
we use them with more frequency and multiple ways. Think (in advance) about is working for them, and if it’s not…ask
intentionality. how to do that. “why not.”
Technology: Many Options • Body language: Seeing folks on a laptop, Some team members are hesitant to
computer or phone screen is a sub-par proactively offer this feedback, so you
For many of us, it can be daunting to dip experience compared to being together need to ask for their opinions and query
our toes into hosting a remote (video or where you clearly can read their body them about “what else” you can do to
teleconference) meeting with coworkers, language, hear their voices near you and improve communications. (This makes
family, or even our TCAPWA branch read their expressions. If you’re hosting the discussion more future-focused and
members…whether it’s due to meeting the call, consider using a program not based as much on past team inaction
conflicts, distances between teams, a that displays a screen where you see or flaws.)
weather disaster, or a pandemic. Not all your participants’ individual faces in • Communication and delegation:
platforms and tools may be compatible their work spaces…not a big screen of Whether you’re a branch director,
with your office or home software, so it’s tiny ant-size people sitting around a committee chair or president of an
a good idea to look around at different conference table. organization, two keys to keeping
solutions. These include free or low-cost Encourage people who work together everyone engaged are advance
offerings such as: Zoom; Google (G Suite in the same office to log into the call communication and delegation. Do
and G Suite for Education, Hangouts); separately from their own devices, so distribute an agenda in advance, so
Adobe Connect; Cisco Webex; Microsoft that they’re front and center on the that your group can be pre-thinking
(If users have Office 365); Slack; Basecamp; screen in front of you. about how the topics affect them. And
UberConference; FreeConferenceCall; • Eliminate distractions that intrigue or don’t forget delegation...you can be a
ON24; GoToMeeting; Join.me; HighFive; confuse your viewers: If you’re hosting more efficient leader if you provide an
Skype for Business and Roundee. the call, pick a quiet area that’s well- avenue for them to do the work together
Select Easy-to-Access Technology lit and has few distractions behind or (without you.)
around you. Think of it as staging a - Manage the work based on your
Try to choose online apps that people photo: make the background as neutral subcommittee’s or team’s capabilities for
can access anytime and anywhere, whether as possible so that the participants pay specific tasks.
by PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone and Android attention to what’s coming out of your - Agree on the task to be done, who’s
device. The best options are programs and mouth, and not giggling about the cat going to do it, and leave it up to them.
apps that can be “spun up” within minutes grooming itself on the shelf behind your Don’t hover.
on any of these devices, with functionality chair, or musing about the strangely - If there appears to be very little
and intuitive instructions that allow people disturbing sculpture behind you that movement toward needed action, act as
to connect easily and quickly, without makes your head appear to be growing either a coach or consultant, but NOT
training. spikes. as the team or subcommittee’s problem
Psychology of Groups and Teams • Listen to your team or committee solver by taking it all on yourself.
interact on the call: Pay attention to • Organizational news and your
When using technology for business their interactions to see if everyone is colleagues’ best practices: Talk with
or professional/organizational meeting participating. Does everyone have an other section leaders or branch directors
purposes, the following best practices can equal voice? Do teammates interrupt to find out what’s going on in their
be helpful: others? If so, perhaps gently correct the geographic area, what formats their
• Schedule meetings regularly: Just worst scofflaws offline. Doing so helps meetings are taking, and the frequency
strengthen team dynamics, improves
like face-to-face meetings, schedule Continued on page 18
virtual meetings with your groups or
teams at regular intervals. This allows
the participants to internalize “due
16 TPW May/June 2020
