Managing Contracts Virtually

Course I. Virtual work environments in a crisis: From surviving to thriving

40 minutes

While working remotely has long been a perk for some office workers, the COVID-19 crisis has made it a necessity for nearly all. People need to raise their game fast. Online collaboration is key to managing the ‘new normal’. Even those accustomed to virtual work environments must help make previously office-bound colleagues and business partners more efficient and effective. In these circumstances, how can you not just survive but thrive?

Part 1 of this course lays out the strategic challenges and goals of making virtual environments and collaboration work. Part 2 covers survival basics: getting your space set up, deploying the right tools, and learning digital etiquette. Part 3 teaches you how to drive communication’s best practices across your workflow and relationships. Finally, Part 4 shows you how to thrive by boosting creativity and morale. 

The course also includes a list of online collaboration tools and links to expert reviews to efficiently identify and incorporate the best tools for you and your team.

Course II. Effective virtual negotiations

1.5 hours

When virtual negotiation is the only option, this course provides tangible strategies, tools, and tactics to influence negotiations and maintain Process Control in a virtual environment to achieve your desired outcomes.  

At the end of this course, participants will understand how to maintain Process Control in a virtual environment by unearthing common ground remotely, and virtual options for controlling psychological atmospherics, tactics, and pacing. Attention will also be given to effective email drafting in negotiation and technology alternatives for conducting a negotiation online.

Course III. Managing risk and uncertainty in a virtual environment

1 hour

Global supply chains have been thrust into a ‘new normal’. Most risk management systems and processes were not built to adequately deal with the degree of risk and uncertainty our current environment presents. They were also not built to tackle the rate of change and management from dispersing, remote locations. But with these challenges, our ‘new normal’ also provides an opportunity for contract and commercial managers to re-think the status quo and enhance the role they play in managing risk and uncertainty. 

This course speaks to that opportunity. It will help simplify risk and uncertainty management in the current climate to a 3-step process – Identity; Assess; Act. It also includes tools that have been exclusively developed for this course to manage the 3-step process from a virtual workspace during a time of unprecedented change and uncertainty.

Bonus. Finding your rhythm in a virtual work environment, Podcast

The Finding your rhythm in a virtual work environment Podcast has been developed exclusively for World Commerce & Contracting members.