Information

7 July 2020 | 14:00 to 16:00
Afternoon Online Seminar 

All presentations will be recorded and made available to delegates for viewing again after the event.

In 2020, work is virtual, with dispersed teams, hybrid teams (some in the office, some working from home) and virtual meetings becoming the norm globally during this pandemic. At its best, virtual working can be productive and creative, bringing skills and experience together at low cost and no risk. But it can also lead to isolated and disengaged workers, ineffective communication and uncoordinated and even counterproductive activity. We see individuals spending far too long in video meetings, sometimes from 8am to 8pm, and the term 'Zoomed out' has entered our conversations!

This afternoon seminar on 'Virtual Leadership' will cover how to get the best out of virtual work and virtual teams in our COVID19 affected world, including the set of skills that this new way of working requires and a facilitative leadership approach.

This interactive presentation will use questions and comments from the participants to deal with a range of practical issues for successful virtual and hybrid work:

• How can we build a shared vision, motivate others and provide leadership remotely?
• How can we collaborate more effectively when we can't be together?
• How can we be crystal clear on what we are doing and how we are doing it together?
• How can our virtual meetings be more effective, engaging and productive, and lead to actions that are followed through?
• How can we really engage people in the work, and develop strong connections as a team without being on constant video calls?
• How do we deal with hybrid teams, where some are in the office and others are remote? (This is perhaps the biggest challenge of all!)
• How can we build a team virtually that will be able to work through conflict and difficult times, rather than just brushing it under the carpet?

During the afternoon seminar, Penny will model the behaviours that are so important to virtual success: clarity, consistency, connection, collaboration, communication and care. You'll gain a range of practical tips, from how to scribble all over your virtual presentations, how to start a virtual session so it stays focused, effective and short, three powerful techniques to keep people with you in your virtual meetings, and much much more. Her participants (never audience!) find her sessions quite different to the normal virtual presentations and the most common feedback includes: 'That was thoroughly enjoyable' and 'full of practical things I can implement straight away'

MORE INFORMATION

Contact Katie van der Schyff for more information +27 (11) 706 6009 | katie@knowres.co.za

REGISTER

To book your seat contact Magdeline Matlatse on +2711 706 6009 |  magdeline@knowres.co.za 

ABOUT THE FACILITATOR

Dr Penny Pullan is the author of several books including 'Virtual Leadership: Practical Strategies for Getting the Best out of Virtual Work and Virtual Teams' (Kogan Page, 2016). Penny founded the consultancy Making Projects Work in 2007, where she works with people in multinational organisations who are grappling with tricky projects and programmes of change: uncertainty, with ambiguous requirements, stakeholders who need to be engaged and virtual teams dispersed around the world. When they work with Penny, clients notice that communication, collaboration, clarity, commitment, connection and confidence grow, and change doesn't seem quite as tricky as before!

Penny's previous books include 'Business Analysis and Leadership: Influencing Change' (Co-editor, Kogan Page 2013), 'A Short Guide to Facilitating Risk Management' (Gower, 2011). She's also a co-author of the soon to be released 'Managing Successful Programme' (TSO, 2020) and is currently writing her next book 'Making Workshops Work: Creative Collaboration for Our Time' (Practical Inspiration Publishing, 2021).

Penny's earlier career was with the fast-moving consumer goods giant Mars Inc, pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, consultancy firm Logica and the manufacturing company GEC. She is a Certified Professional Facilitator (Master), a chartered Engineer and her doctorate is from Cambridge University, in nanotechnology.

Penny's bemused that her formerly niche topic of virtual leadership is suddenly something which makes sense to everyone, when people used to scratch their heads and wonder what on earth it was that she did. However, she's delighted to be returning to South Africa, albeit virtually, as she spent much of her childhood in Cape Town.