U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

In today’s Government workforce, more and more people are taking advantage of flexible work options and are working virtually a large percentage of their time. A virtual workforce creates unique management challenges, not the least of which is effectively managing a mixed workforce of some virtual and some in-office workers. This seminar will help supervisors and managers develop strategies for managing in this new reality.

Through experiential activities, small- and large-group discussions, skill practice, and application planning, you will understand how your attitudes and beliefs about virtual work affect how you manage virtual workers. You will learn the difference between managing virtual workers versus in-office workers, which job types lend themselves well to virtual work and which don’t, and how to communicate with your employees about whether virtual work is appropriate for them. You will learn tools and techniques for communicating with virtual workers, setting expectations, and creating policies and procedures that will drive the behavior and achieve the results you are looking for.

• Understand how to manage your own and others’ attitudes about virtual workers
• Manage the dilemma of trust versus control that can arise with virtual workers
• Describe the aspects of a job that make it appropriate for virtual work
• Establish expectations, policies, and procedures for virtual workersIdentify strategies for working effectively with a dispersed team
• Use various communication methods, including meeting tools, to communicate effectively with virtual workers
• Create specific tactics for making the strategies work in your own teams

Supervisors and managers who want to better navigate the brave new world of a virtual workforce

• Accountability
• Conflict Management
• Continual Learning
• Flexibility
• Oral Communication