Managing Virtual Projects with Success

Jiju ‘Jay’ Nair is a Senior Manager with Fannie Mae driving Cloud Transformation and adoption. He is an avid advocate for using innovative project and process management principles for building reliable and sustainable products.

  Communications Management   Talent Management   Teams  

Even as some major global companies have been on a mission to reduce their virtual workforce in recent years, a substantial number of organizations have stepped up their efforts to increase their remote or virtual team presence, thereby reaping measurable benefits. While the debate still rages on whether virtual teams are as effective as traditionally managed collocated teams, enterprises are exploring and institutionalizing new approaches in managing their burgeoning, geographically diverse workforce.

Moreover, recent studies have indicated that employees rate flexible work schedules offered by virtual workplaces over salaries. There is no simple way to determine the ideal means to organize teams within an enterprise. The core business model, customer expectations and market reality will influence an organization’s decision to keep its teams collocated, virtual or in a hybrid state.

There are compelling reasons for organizations to adopt a virtual work culture where the pros outweigh the cons. The success of virtual teams’ tasks and deliverables will without doubt depend on how effectively they are managed by the organization. A haphazardly managed rollout of virtual teams will only invite ill-will toward a virtual work culture, thereby incurring cost and risking corporate credibility. A well-oiled project management team that is attuned to the …

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