Marcus UdokangProject Manager| Aivaz ConsultingCalgary, Alberta, Canada
It can be difficult to maintain team continuity for remote teams spread around the world, in various time zones? To best keep the team cohesive and motivated with high morale, while tracking, leading, managing the team can be challenging. Would be nice to hear how other PMs have dealt with this? Quarterly face-to-face meetups, perhaps?
Thanks, Marcus Saving Changes...
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Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
As somebody that is working in all type of projects with people that are remotly located around the world from 1995 up to date (no zoom or skype at this time) I have to say NO. I can talk a lot but the key ingredient is trust. If you do not trust in your people forget about it. The other key ingredient is apply agile practices and tools to project schedule and project time management which is something not new. Saving Changes...
Sam MotesManager II Business Sys, Operational Excellence| BA Systems Inc.Ellenton, Fl, United States
Building trust is key I can't agree with Sergio more. Working on one on one relationships through calls and IM chats to get to know what motivates them individually. Its the little things as well like being respectful of time zones and different holidays. I agree a quarterly face-to-face would be nice, but unless you can justify such a trip with a deliverable that warrants the travel historically I haven't seen that going over in the organizations I have worked for. Especially not in today's global climate where travel may not be as safe as it once seemed. If you can justify the trip it is great to break bread together for sure and helps speed up the building of trust. Saving Changes...
Marcus UdokangProject Manager| Aivaz ConsultingCalgary, Alberta, Canada
@Sergio, @Sam, many thanks for the input. Much appreciated.
Marcus Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Travel will be limited for some time, so facetoface is a rarely usable technique. Existing teams will change, people will leave and new people will join. Or even you have to setup a new team.
The most important goal for a PM is to establish safety for every single team member. It must be safe to talk, have an idea, contradict, ask, even show my video. Everybody has another environment when working at home, so to provide safety is a very individual thing.
Do you know if a member is living with wife, 2 kids, a dog in 2 room apartment? Do you know if they have enough to eat or there is a medical problem?
Without safety there is no trust.
Here are some practical steps to establish safety in a virtual environment
- make sure honesty (transparency), respect and fairness are explicit values and observed in every meeting (why not do an exit poll asking about this) - establish regular 1:1 to discuss personal situations, and find opportunities to help - be and show patience - establish discipline, routines, recognizable signs - learn how to delegate - offer a weekly open virtual meeting to ask and discuss anything Saving Changes...
Marcus UdokangProject Manager| Aivaz ConsultingCalgary, Alberta, Canada
@Thomas, I like your ideas. I have to agree that establishing discipline, routines, and learning how to delegate would create much needed focus for remote work.
