Team Working - Action Planning for Virtual Teams

In-House Training Courses > Team Working – Action Planning for Virtual Teams

A facilitated virtual course to stimulate joint action planning within teams who are working together in a virtual environment - increasing communication between, and support for, each other.

Course Context

Working remotely can result in feelings of isolation and detachment. Colleagues miss out on all the benefits of face-to-face teamwork and the social aspects of interacting in the workplace.

Managers must develop more creative ways of bringing team members together to ensure they continue to collaborate and support each other. Team performance is intrinsically linked to collaboration, communication, and morale, and this facilitated training course brings remote teams together so they can explore new ways of working to build team cohesion.

The course is delivered by an experienced facilitator who can create an open and supportive virtual meeting where colleagues can freely discuss their challenges and work together to develop mutually agreed-upon action plans. A skilled external facilitator with an objective approach can stimulate purposeful discussion and keep the team focused on outcomes that benefit their wellbeing and performance. By harnessing the expertise of someone not connected to the organisation, the team will avoid ‘going over old ground’ and will be challenged to consider more productive ways of teamwork.

The unique feature of this course is that it is tailored to meet the needs of individual teams, as the content is based on the main findings of a pre-course questionnaire.

Key Benefits

  • Course content is tailored to the outcomes of a short anonymous questionnaire, completed by all team members and emailed directly to the course facilitator before the training. Only the main findings will be highlighted during the training, and the course facilitator will fully respect delegate confidentiality.
  • A greater understanding of the negative impact that deteriorating physical and psychological health and wellbeing can have on relationships, communication and work practices - and how important it is to focus on and rebuild these aspects.
  • Increased mutual awareness of the opportunities that change and adversity can create.
  • An opportunity to focus on and address the key areas currently affecting team members, as highlighted in their team working survey.
  • Team members work together to agree on priority team actions within the current climate.
  • Delegates can enjoy some positive online time together during and after the session.

Who Is It For?

Any team that would like to increase their interactions, camaraderie, and work output - together.
This training is particularly suited to teams that find it hard to make progress due to communication difficulties, a dip in perceived support, feelings of isolation, patterns of negative thinking, a possible lack of motivation, and fears about the future. Team members and managers/supervisors are encouraged to participate as delegates in the session together.

The course content and capacity can be customised for individuality and to meet organisations’ specific learning criteria. Consultancy in team working is also an option either as a standalone service or in conjunction with training.

Course Content

  • Pre-work = Individual completion of a short pressure profiling questionnaire before the 2-hour team session. This questionnaire utilises six HSE Management Standards which allow individuals to consider their perceptions of any live pressures within the workplace. These Standard areas allow team exploration within workplace: demands; aspects of control; supports available; relationships; role; and change elements, and the facilitator will review the key outcomes of the questionnaire results during the course.
  • An exploration exercise: adversity; pressure; and potential adverse health impacts.
  • Facilitated discussion on coping strategies for health benefit, and individual thoughts on action requirements.
  • Assessment of the main outcomes from the team working pre-course questionnaire (detailed by the course facilitator), with open conferring and discussions around potential whole team development needs.
  • Facilitated agreements on collaborative action requirements - with timescales and responsibilities - also including a review of available supports for individuals and the team as a whole. All team members will be encouraged to take at least 1 action step forward for themselves and the team as a whole - with progression and outcomes to be discussed during team meetings thereafter.
  • A brief summary of discussion points and action agreements made during the session will be forwarded to the team by the facilitator following the training.

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Find out more

 

Please get in touch with us if you have any questions. 

We are always happy to talk about our courses and help you to work out the best match for your requirements.

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY

"The quality of the training has been fantastic and our employees are really engaging with the trainer and getting something out of it. Also In Equilibrium makes the whole process very easy to arrange."

— Employee Engagement & Wellbeing Officer, Sophie Holland
AGE UK
 
 

"We wanted to provide a course that taught useful and practical coping strategies that our members could put into place straight away. In Equilibrium’s experience showed us that they could provide this, and they tailored the course perfectly."

— The Association of Electoral Administrators
 
 
 
 

"In-Equilibrium recently presented Mental Health Awareness to Managers in all of our area offices. The training was really well received and all of the trainers were praised for their in-depth knowledge and understanding."

 

— Roger Bullivant Limited
 

"The training was very well received by staff who now all intend to implement the session’s practical tips and techniques into their existing roles. A large proportion of the staff rated the facilitator and their delivery as excellent and their only recommendation was for a further and longer session!"

— Leeds City College
 

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