In the modern-day reality of global corporations, outsourcing, and a vehement emphasis on productivity, virtual teams (also known as “geographically dispersed teams”) are commonplace; even small companies have embraced virtual teams as a result of their outsourcing operations to other companies. Technological innovation and the very low cost of communication have enabled companies to overcome physical distance as an obstacle to doing business, or have they? There are multiple facets to making a virtual team work. This paper focuses on communication issues for a distributed team.
The effect of multitasking is just one of many variables this author is trying to uncover in his research of virtual teams. Find out what he's learned--and join in the fun by taking a survey that is sure to provide further enlightenment.
During the Control Stage of your project, maintain performance of your virtual team by using formal techniques for reassessment of team work rules. It's that or get plenty of practice for your IT Firefighter Certification.
A snip here and a stitch there. Let out a bit over here. Don't suck in your stomach! There, you have a kick-off meeting fit for a virtual team, no matter how spread out it has become.
Without specialized knowledge of virtual team characteristics, you will likely make some incorrect assumptions about their management. The surprising truth is that virtual teams perform better than face-to-face teams in many situations. Here are the proper techniques for activating a virtual team.
Do you take care of your dog the same way you take care of your fish? Not if you want to keep him happy. The same idea holds for virtual teams--they require a special kind of handling.
