TECHnically Connected: Navigating Distance on Virtual Teams by Warren Janzen, SEND's International Director.

TECHnically Connected draws from research, interviews of those in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors, and over 15 years of personal leadership experience to bring you practical insights that will help your team thrive without the drive. The virtual environment creates new challenges to the typical elements of teaming. Warren reflects on what it means to work virtually and unpacks the critical insight that when you are separated, “how” you work as a team is even more important than “who” is on the team. With practical examples from his experience leading a Christian non-profit agency, Warren shows you how to build trust, work through conflict, lead meetings, and bridge cultures while working from a distance.

See Table of Contents for TECHnically Connected.

A review of TECHnically Connected by Missio Nexus

(suggested by Warren Janzen)

• The Handbook of High-Performance Virtual Teams: A Toolkit for Collaborating Across Boundaries > Nemiro, Beyerlein, Beyerlein, Bradley, editors. Jossey-Bass, 2008. This is like a textbook, lots of information.
• Liberating Structures >This website provides 35 powerful tools for facilitating in person and online meetings of teams or workgroups.
• Idea Boards > A simple tool for people to post their ideas on virtual sticky notes and post them on a board for all to see
• How to Manage in a Flat World > Bloch and Whiteley. FT Press, 2009. Probably the best short summary of working virtually with teams.
• The Long Distance Leader > Eikenberry, Turmel. Berrett-Koehler, 2018.
• Effective Virtual Teams > Nancy Settle-Murphy. CRC Press, 2013.
• Uniting the Virtual Workforce > Lojeski, Reilly. Wiley, 2008. This book goes in depth on “virtual distance”, what it is and how to overcome it.
• The five keys to a successful Google team > Description of Project Aristotle by Google which identifies what makes for a high performing team.
• What Google Learned From Its Quest To Build the Perfect Team > A full article on Goggle's findings on teaming.
• High-Performing Teams Need Psychological Safety. Here's how to create it > Article on creating psychological safety in a team.