ConceptsNest

  ***Continued from Chapter 01 (Covered previously: Virtual Teams- Meaning & Interpretation, Trust in Remote Teams, Affective & Cognitive Trust) Link to Chapter -01 Building of Affective Trust In Remote Teams   01: Prioritize On Boarding More Than We Usually Do: According to research, affective trust tends to be more important to foster at the beginning of a relationship . Accordingly, on boarding well becomes even more paramount for virtual team building. A few key elements for remotely on boarding the team may include: 02: Avoid Cliché Icebreakers. How often do we find ourselves asking “How was your weekend?” to break the ice before the start a meeting? Their answers to this question feel worn, tired, and un-engaging.  To shift the mood for the team and build affective trust, we will want our virtual team building to focus on non-cheesy icebreakers. Cheeky, enlivening icebreaker questions can reveal something new and intriguing about the person you might not have

  Now that our team isn’t working in the same office anymore, the things we used to say to each other in the hall – a simple “hello” in the mornings or a smile at someone as we walked by their desk – are absent. Gone are post-lunch catch-ups over coffee or asking about how a co-worker’s weekend was when we go to fill up our water bottle. So what do we do? How do we bring back trust and cohesiveness in the team? Games and activities are charming, sure. But does it truly help build trust in a remote team? We have to dig deeper for more meaningful and more sustainable ways of building trust in a remote team . What is a Virtual Team “Virtual team” is an odd phrase. It sounds like something that only exists in a digital alternate reality. But virtual teams are very much a reality, and they’re becoming more prevalent with each passing day. A virtual team is no longer an outlier. Organizations have realized the benefit of using technology to look beyond their local community for talent

  Organizational development “refers to the context, focus and purpose of the change while developing an organization.” Additionally, one recent definition of organizational development states: “Organizational development is a critical and science-based process that helps organizations build their capacity to change and achieve greater effectiveness by developing, improving, and reinforcing strategies, structures, and processes.” In essence, good organizational change and development require a systems-thinking mindset and an interdisciplinary, holistic approach to tackling complex organizational challenges. Systems Thinking has been gaining significant interest lately as a comprehensive approach to introducing organizational change and development. Through systems thinking, a number of core concepts and practical tools can be applied to better understand the complexity of each organization. There are many competing definitions of systems thinking in the academic literature. As Ross D.

  As much as we wish for each day to be different, the cycle of repeating the same actions day after day is pretty common. Habits and routines are an important part of our lives . Making our bed in the morning, that first cup of coffee, grabbing a toast on our way to work, listening to our favorite music on the train, are some instances. And while we tend to use the words “habit” and “routine” interchangeably, they both mean two distinct things. Understanding their definitions can help us design good routines and build good habits . Shades of consciousness The main difference between habits and routines is how much aware and intentional we are. A habit usually manifests itself as an automatic urge to do something, often triggered by a particular cue. The stronger the connection between the trigger and the habit, the more ingrained the habit. Waking up, commuting, walking past a particular store, starting a meeting at work are all common cues that can trigger actions such as drinki

Both science and common sense tell us we should avoid discussing topics at work that incite emotion and make us irrational. Hundreds of behavioral science studies show that people rarely understand the true intentions of others. Two main reasons exist. On one hand, we all exhibit thinking biases, and these biases distort how we interpret what others tell us. On the other hand, even if we as listeners take pains to counter our biases and think correctly, emotions aroused by controversial, hot-button topics, can deplete abilities to reason . This two-fold assault on the mental strength or cognitive control can lead to misunderstandings and getting viewed as a threat. For all those reasons, it is essential we appreciate the consequences of raising, controversial, hot button topics in the wrong place or at the wrong time—especially at work. Unfortunately, many of us undermine the efforts to bring about meaningful change in organizations by deferring to non-empirical tactics that ignore t