Jun 20, 2009
Let's face it: it's challenging enough to lead and
deliver when your team is all together in one location!
The problems compound when team members are distributed across
multiple locations and perhaps even time zones.
When is the best time to meet? How often? How can we help this
team truly work together and feel like a team? It's a real
challenge for those who desire to excel at delivering projects and
leading teams in today's virtual workplace.
I've had to learn many lessons the hard way while
managing distributed teams that include offshore development. What
I've learned over the years is this: great teams, whether located
together or spread out across the globe, don't just happen. We have
to absolutely be intentional about forming, developing, and
maintaining them. If we don't we always leave much needed
productivity on the table.
These days when I'm looking for fresh insights on virtual
teams and leadership I turn to my colleague Dr. Karen Sobel
Lojeski, author of Uniting the Virtual Workforce: Transforming
Leadership and Innovation in the Globally Integrated
Enterprise. Her views on leadership and team development in a
virtual world are always timely and insightful. I look forward to
your feedback on my interview with her in this episode.
You can learn more about Karen and her company at http://www.virtualdistance.com/.
A major part of team effectiveness comes down to
relationships. In fact, just about everything in business
and life comes down to relationships, which is the main point of
our keynote presentation entitled The Dirty Little Secret
of Business. Though the title sounds provocative, the
message is clear: whether we're talking about your individual
success or that of your company, chances are it is heavily
dependent on the strength of relationships.
Contact me at andy@i-leadonline.com or
toll-free at 866-884-5323 to learn more about how this keynote can
put an exclamation point on your upcoming company or department
gathering, offsite retreat, or association meeting.
And here's a big thank you to you! Baseline
magazine rated the People and Projects Podcast one
of the Ten Must-Listen To podcasts regarding project management. If
you're getting value from these episodes, take a moment to tell
your friends and colleagues!
Thank you for listening to the People and Projects
Podcast!