We may earn an affiliate commission when you visit our partners.
Jo Harder

This course will teach you about the unique challenges of virtual teams, including understanding non-verbal communications, improving relationships, and maximizing team member engagement. In addition, cultural and global challenges will be explored.

Read more

This course will teach you about the unique challenges of virtual teams, including understanding non-verbal communications, improving relationships, and maximizing team member engagement. In addition, cultural and global challenges will be explored.

In the virtual workforce, work colleagues are often perceived as faceless because they’re not physically present like office-mates. In this course, Cultivating Effective Relationships in Virtual Work, you’ll learn to avoid pitfalls that often face virtual teams and enable you to achieve greater success as part of a remote workforce. First, you’ll explore team dynamics. Next, you’ll discover the importance of non-verbal communications. Finally, you’ll learn how to cultivate better communications and virtual teamwork. When you’re finished with this course, you’ll have the skills and knowledge to enhance virtual team relationships.

Enroll now

What's inside

Syllabus

Course Overview
Understanding Team Dynamics of the Virtual Workforce
Listening for Non-Verbal Communications
Cultivating Better Communications and Virtual Teamwork
Read more

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Explores virtual team dynamics and challenges, which is standard in industry
Taught by Jo Harder, who is recognized for their work in virtual teams
Teaches non-verbal communications, which is a key but often overlooked aspect of virtual teams
Examines cultural and global challenges relevant to virtual teams
Develops virtual team engagement and communication skills, which may be in high demand for many workers
Does not require prerequisites, which may be attractive to learners with busy schedules or who are new to the workforce

Save this course

Save Cultivating Effective Relationships in Virtual Work to your list so you can find it easily later:
Save

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Cultivating Effective Relationships in Virtual Work with these activities:
Review Effective Communication Skills
Strengthen your communication skills to improve your interactions in virtual teams.
Browse courses on Communication
Show steps
  • Review materials on active listening, empathy, and clarity in communication.
  • Practice these skills in mock conversations or role-playing exercises.
Read "Remote, Inc.: How to Thrive in a Remote Work Environment"
Gain insights from experts on best practices for effective collaboration and communication in virtual teams.
View Remote on Amazon
Show steps
  • Purchase or borrow a copy of the book.
  • Read through the chapters and highlight key concepts.
  • Take notes or summarize the main points.
Review & Practice Pronunciation via Speech Shadowing
Improve your ability to understand non-verbal cues by practicing shadowing native speakers.
Browse courses on Non-Verbal Communication
Show steps
  • Identify a video or audio recording of a native speaker.
  • Listen attentively to the speaker's pronunciation and try to imitate their sounds and intonation.
  • Repeat the process with other recordings to improve your accuracy.
Eight other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all 11 activities
Design a Visual Guide to Non-Verbal Cues
Enhance your understanding of non-verbal cues by creating a visual representation.
Browse courses on Non-Verbal Communication
Show steps
  • Gather images or illustrations that represent different non-verbal cues.
  • Organize the images or illustrations into a coherent visual format.
  • Add brief descriptions or explanations to each non-verbal cue.
Explore virtual collaboration tools
Explore different virtual collaboration tools and their features to enhance your understanding of effective team communication.
Browse courses on Virtual Collaboration
Show steps
  • Research and identify different virtual collaboration tools
  • Try out key features of the tools
  • Identify the pros and cons of each tool
Practice active listening
Practice active listening skills to improve your ability to understand non-verbal cues in virtual interactions.
Browse courses on Non-Verbal Communication
Show steps
  • Identify non-verbal cues in virtual meetings
  • Practice responding appropriately to non-verbal cues
Virtual Team Role-Playing Exercise
Gain hands-on experience in navigating virtual team dynamics through role-playing exercises.
Browse courses on Team Dynamics
Show steps
  • Form small groups of 3-4 participants.
  • Assign each participant a specific role within a virtual team scenario.
  • Facilitate a role-playing exercise where participants interact as their assigned roles.
  • Afterwards, debrief with the group to analyze team dynamics and identify areas for improvement.
Create a virtual team charter
Draft a virtual team charter to establish clear roles, responsibilities, and communication protocols, fostering a cohesive and productive team environment.
Browse courses on Team Dynamics
Show steps
  • Gather input from team members
  • Define team goals and objectives
  • Establish communication channels
  • Set norms and expectations
Join a Virtual Study Group
Enhance your learning and support others by participating in a virtual study group.
Show steps
  • Find or create a virtual study group with other course participants.
  • Meet regularly to discuss course material, share insights, and provide support.
Contribute to Online Discussion Forums
Engage with the broader virtual community and contribute your knowledge.
Browse courses on Non-Verbal Communication
Show steps
  • Identify relevant online discussion forums or communities.
  • Participate in discussions by answering questions, sharing insights, and contributing resources.
Organize Course Materials
Improve accessibility and recall by organizing course materials in a logical manner.
Show steps
  • Gather and collate all course materials, including notes, assignments, and quizzes.
  • Organize the materials into folders or a digital filing system.
  • Create a study guide or summary sheet that highlights key concepts.

Career center

Learners who complete Cultivating Effective Relationships in Virtual Work will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Virtual Team Manager
Virtual Team Managers lead virtual teams to success. This course is a tremendous asset to current and aspiring Virtual Team Managers, as improving virtual team relationships is exactly what they do. This course teaches about understanding team dynamics, non-verbal communications, and how to maximize virtual team member engagement. This knowledge is fundamental to success in this role.
Remote Team Leader
Remote Team Leaders empower their remote teams to achieve even greater success. As the title indicates, this role centers around remote work, and this course covers many of the topics that can help Remote Team Leaders succeed. By improving team relationships, and strengthening communications and teamwork, Remote Team Leaders can build stronger teams capable of achieving better results.
Telecommuting Manager
Telecommuting Managers oversee teams that work remotely. As managers of remote and distributed teams, they can greatly benefit from taking this course. This course can help them improve team dynamics, understand non-verbal communications, and build stronger relationships with their employees. All of these skills are highly relevant to success in this role.
Virtual Team Facilitator
Virtual Team Facilitators enable virtual teams to collaborate effectively. By understanding how to build better relationships in virtual settings, Virtual Team Facilitators can lead their teams to success. This course teaches about the unique challenges of virtual teams, and how to overcome them. It also teaches about the importance of communications and teamwork in virtual settings.
Distributed Team Lead
Distributed Team Leads guide their teams to innovative solutions. This course is highly relevant to those in this role, and can help Distributed Team Leads build stronger, more cohesive teams. It teaches how to overcome the challenges of virtual work, improve teamwork, and develop better communication strategies. These are all key skills for a Distributed Team Lead to master.
Virtual Project Manager
Virtual Project Managers coordinate teams in completing project deliverables. Virtual Project Managers can improve their skills with this course, and will likely find the lessons on team dynamics and communication especially helpful. In addition, learning how to better interpret non-verbal cues in virtual settings is sure to improve the leadership and project management skills of those in this role.
Digital Collaboration Manager
Digital Collaboration Managers are masters of building relationships in virtual settings. This course, therefore, is a highly relevant asset to professionals in this role. It covers the unique challenges of virtual teams, and how to build relationships and trust among team members. With a particular emphasis on communications, this course is perfectly aligned with what Digital Collaboration Managers must know.
Remote Collaboration Specialist
Remote Collaboration Specialists help remote teams work together effectively. To be successful in this role, one must be able to understand the challenges that virtual teams face, especially with regards to collaboration. This course dives deeply into the topic of virtual team dynamics, and can help Remote Collaboration Specialists develop strategies to help their teams collaborate more effectively.
Team Collaboration Engineer
Team Collaboration Engineers are responsible for creating and implementing tools and strategies that improve team collaboration. This role has a high degree of overlap with that of the Remote Collaboration Specialist. Therefore, this course can be useful for those in this role. It can help them better understand the challenges that distributed teams face, and develop innovative strategies to overcome those challenges.
Project Coordinator
Project Coordinators typically work in virtual settings, and may be responsible for facilitating collaboration and communication between team members. While this course does not teach project management, it can certainly be useful to Project Coordinators, especially those that work with virtual teams. The lessons on virtual team dynamics, communications, and non-verbal communications are particularly relevant to this role.
Virtual Event Planner
Virtual Event Planners may not always work with remote teams, but they do need to understand how to build relationships and collaborations in virtual settings. This course offers a unique perspective on the challenges of virtual work, and provides strategies for relationship building and communication. For Virtual Event Planners, these skills are invaluable.
Learning and Development Manager
Learning and Development Managers may sometimes be responsible for training and developing remote teams. For this reason, this course may be useful to those in this role, as it teaches about the unique challenges of virtual teams. By understanding these challenges, Learning and Development Mangers can better tailor training and development programs to the specific needs of virtual teams.
Diversity and Inclusion Manager
Diversity and Inclusion Managers may work with virtual teams, and therefore may find this course useful. It teaches about the challenges that virtual teams face, and how to build relationships and trust among team members. This is particularly relevant to the work of Diversity and Inclusion Managers, who are responsible for creating and maintaining an inclusive workplace.
Human Resources Manager
Human Resources Managers may sometimes be responsible for managing remote teams. As such, this course may be useful to those in this role. It teaches about the unique challenges that virtual teams face, including how to build relationships and trust, and how to communicate effectively. These are all important skills for Human Resources Managers who work with virtual teams.
Associate Professor
Associate Professors may find this course useful for their research. This course teaches about the unique challenges of virtual teams, and how to overcome them. This knowledge can be applied to research on virtual teams, and can help Associate Professors build a stronger foundation for their work.

Reading list

We've selected 14 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Cultivating Effective Relationships in Virtual Work.
Provides practical advice on how to create and manage a successful remote team, covering topics such as hiring, onboarding, and communication.
Teaches readers how to interpret nonverbal cues, which is essential for building relationships and communicating effectively in virtual teams.
Explores the cultural differences that can impact communication in virtual teams, and provides strategies for overcoming these challenges.
Is intended for team leaders, but it also has some good information for team members on how to be effective in a virtual environment.
Good **reference** for understanding nonverbal communication, which can be especially important in a virtual environment where you can't see people's body language in person.
Provides a **framework** for understanding and developing the culture of your team, which is important for any team that wants to be successful, including virtual teams.
**classic** in the field of personal development, and it has some good advice for anyone who wants to be more effective in their work life, including those who work in virtual teams.
Provides a **framework** for understanding your own strengths and weaknesses, which can be helpful for anyone who wants to be more effective in their work life, including those who work in virtual teams.
Is intended for leaders, but it also has some good information for team members on how to be more effective in a virtual environment.
Provides some **practical advice** on how to have difficult conversations, which can be especially important in a virtual environment where it can be harder to read body language and other nonverbal cues.
Provides some **practical advice** on how to succeed in a remote work environment, including how to stay motivated, build relationships, and manage your time.

Share

Help others find this course page by sharing it with your friends and followers:
Our mission

OpenCourser helps millions of learners each year. People visit us to learn workspace skills, ace their exams, and nurture their curiosity.

Our extensive catalog contains over 50,000 courses and twice as many books. Browse by search, by topic, or even by career interests. We'll match you to the right resources quickly.

Find this site helpful? Tell a friend about us.

Affiliate disclosure

We're supported by our community of learners. When you purchase or subscribe to courses and programs or purchase books, we may earn a commission from our partners.

Your purchases help us maintain our catalog and keep our servers humming without ads.

Thank you for supporting OpenCourser.

© 2016 - 2024 OpenCourser