Comments on: Management and Leadership – Managing Your Virtual Team http://www.strategydriven.com/2009/04/07/management-and-leadership-managing-your-virtual-team/ effective executives, efficient employees Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:35:20 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Management and Leadership – Managing Your Virtual Team « An Executive Coaching Perspective http://www.strategydriven.com/2009/04/07/management-and-leadership-managing-your-virtual-team/comment-page-1/#comment-2405 Management and Leadership – Managing Your Virtual Team « An Executive Coaching Perspective Wed, 20 May 2009 22:35:10 +0000 http://www.strategydriven.com/2009/04/07/management-and-leadership-managing-your-virtual-team/#comment-2405 [...] read more | digg story [...] [...] read more | digg story [...]

]]> By: mader http://www.strategydriven.com/2009/04/07/management-and-leadership-managing-your-virtual-team/comment-page-1/#comment-2404 mader Thu, 14 May 2009 16:18:16 +0000 http://www.strategydriven.com/2009/04/07/management-and-leadership-managing-your-virtual-team/#comment-2404 I agree that the 'distraction engine' aspect of the Internet is a real challenge. However, whether a tool is online, installed on a server, or paper based, the Internet is always just a click away. So it's a bit of a reality that one simply has to manage. In choosing a tool, we (Smartsheet) advise managers on a few key points: - It's as important to choose the solution your team will use as it is choosing the tool that meets YOUR needs - If you want your collaboration tool to TRACK vs. be a free form repository for information sharing, choose a tool that is optimized for tracking accountability, tasks, managing files, and storing e-mail threads (decisions) - Make sure the system can alert people of changes and also remind them of what they own and when it's due. Those three items may seem like very elementary items - but it's amazing how many collaboration tools do them poorly or not at all. Here are a few video links to what Smartsheet can do for your task/team management needs Overview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOKy_yihCHk Alerts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUtsqdLKs0I Share and send files: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAnpW0LiZcU Smartsheet product page: http://www.smartsheet.com/product I agree that the ‘distraction engine’ aspect of the Internet is a real challenge. However, whether a tool is online, installed on a server, or paper based, the Internet is always just a click away. So it’s a bit of a reality that one simply has to manage.

In choosing a tool, we (Smartsheet) advise managers on a few key points:
- It’s as important to choose the solution your team will use as it is choosing the tool that meets YOUR needs
- If you want your collaboration tool to TRACK vs. be a free form repository for information sharing, choose a tool that is optimized for tracking accountability, tasks, managing files, and storing e-mail threads (decisions)
- Make sure the system can alert people of changes and also remind them of what they own and when it’s due.

Those three items may seem like very elementary items – but it’s amazing how many collaboration tools do them poorly or not at all.

Here are a few video links to what Smartsheet can do for your task/team management needs

Overview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOKy_yihCHk
Alerts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUtsqdLKs0I
Share and send files: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAnpW0LiZcU

Smartsheet product page: http://www.smartsheet.com/product

]]> By: bom http://www.strategydriven.com/2009/04/07/management-and-leadership-managing-your-virtual-team/comment-page-1/#comment-2383 bom Sun, 12 Apr 2009 02:55:44 +0000 http://www.strategydriven.com/2009/04/07/management-and-leadership-managing-your-virtual-team/#comment-2383 From a project management perspective, I would agree with the communication protocols as you suggested. However, in a few examples you highlight the potential "abuse" of these and in a virtual environment the need to socialize / network via a virtual water cooler is critical. That brief im of "hey whats going on" is the equivalent of stopping by someone's cube or running into them in a hallway. It can be an interruption and should not be a constant, but it can provide a much needed opportunity to build and maintain team morale. The need for socialization should be balanced with the stricter "task master" dialog. From a project management perspective, I would agree with the communication protocols as you suggested. However, in a few examples you highlight the potential “abuse” of these and in a virtual environment the need to socialize / network via a virtual water cooler is critical.

That brief im of “hey whats going on” is the equivalent of stopping by someone’s cube or running into them in a hallway. It can be an interruption and should not be a constant, but it can provide a much needed opportunity to build and maintain team morale.

The need for socialization should be balanced with the stricter “task master” dialog.

]]> By: ryazwinski http://www.strategydriven.com/2009/04/07/management-and-leadership-managing-your-virtual-team/comment-page-1/#comment-2361 ryazwinski Sat, 11 Apr 2009 02:34:22 +0000 http://www.strategydriven.com/2009/04/07/management-and-leadership-managing-your-virtual-team/#comment-2361 Communication method is important, but measurable deliverables are more important. With a distributed team, especially so, it's important to use an agile-like methodology: short iterations, hard deliverables, and demos. It's common for people to procrastinate when faced with a large project on long timeline. Take that element out of the picture ;) Communication method is important, but measurable deliverables are more important.

With a distributed team, especially so, it’s important to use an agile-like methodology: short iterations, hard deliverables, and demos.

It’s common for people to procrastinate when faced with a large project on long timeline. Take that element out of the picture ;)

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