Playing catch-up in virtual leadership development

With the nation's economic woes making it incumbent upon employers and employees alike to find more effective, fuel-saving, cost-saving ways to work, the use of technology to conduct business is expected to grow. Conferences, client meetings and internal team interactions that would have taken place face-to-face in even the not-too-distant past are going online as quickly as corporate travel budgets are drying up. We're certainly ready for the convenience and affordability of virtual work environments, but are our organizational leaders equipped with the know-how to manage effectively in the electronic workplace?

A resounding "maybe" is the answer to that, according to research conducted earlier this year by i4cp. March's Pulse Survey on virtual leadership gained the input of 543 respondents, finding about half satisfied with their leaders' capabilities when it comes to managing from a distance. Not bad, but that still left the other half admitting dissatisfaction or significant room for improvement in virtual leadership. Even at that point during this year of financial volatility, more than 40% of the survey respondents said that at least half of the work they do is virtual. It's likely that both percentages have risen during the intervening months.

The survey points out both a concern and an opportunity for leadership development programming. The concern is that only 33% of respondents said their leaders recover to a high or very high extent in the event that glitches occur and interrupt the flow of virtual work. That's surprising since nearly one in four of the participating firms admitted that they offer absolutely no training or development options designed to help leaders learn to master the online work world. The opportunity lies in the fact that three-quarters of respondents acknowledged that such training is important.

Leaders still need conventional management skills, but "developing top-notch virtual leaders often requires good planning as well as developmental support and practice," explains an excerpt from i4cp's Leadership Knowledge Center. "Organizations should ensure that leadership development programs include segments on how any given leadership skill or practice can be applied virtually. The training should also include how to recover when distance-related miscommunications or issues occur." Don't forget to include in leadership training some nuts-and-bolts guidance on the use of a full range of technologies. Capable virtual leaders must be ready to interact via e-mail, Webinars, videoconferences, online chats, instant messaging and more.

We have only to drive past the neighborhood gas station or grocery store to see the writing on the wall. No matter how much we dislike it or rail against it, our world is changing. So it's our mandate to change what we're doing in the business world. If we're shifting to a world where telecommuting and online management must become more common, then our leaders must be ready to manage that electronic workplace effectively. Organizations that act now to align their leadership development content with the realities of the new work world will be much more likely to achieve optimum productivity – and competitive advantage – across cyberspace.