This is a great time of year to celebrate holidays around the world, commemorate team accomplishments, or just take time to build relationships for the year ahead. When people work together face to face, celebrating can be spontaneous. Without prompting, someone brings in snacks or puts up decorations to celebrate a holiday, group achievement, or…
Most virtual teams are organized for cut and paste work, or what I like to call quilting. Each team member creates a part of the project—sometimes simultaneously, sometimes sequentially—and the parts are sewn together. Each person operates independently, performance evaluations are based solely on individual work, and meetings are opportunities to share progress reports. This…
Working from home can improve employee productivity and satisfaction and provide substantial cost savings for businesses. But is it right for everyone? Not necessarily. Even organizations with the most successful work from home programs confirm that some individuals work better in an office environment than they do from a home office. What about you? Here…
Whether it is caused by flooding in Alberta, snowstorms in Washington D.C., or fires in California, the need for clear continuity of operations plans (COOP) has brought renewed emphasis on telework and virtual working. Unfortunately, too many organizations jump into telework without a clear understanding of what is necessary for a successful telecommuting initiative. Here…
The more that virtual teams become our normal way of working, the more we realize how difficult it is to build the positive relationships so critical for team success. A face-to-face meeting for team building is best, yet most teams can’t afford that luxury. So how do you build team spirit when you can’t have…
When I talk with clients, I often hear that the main reason they look forward to participating in regularly scheduled virtual meetings is because it’s the best time they have to catch up on their emails. That’s a missed opportunity. Reports can be emailed, updates can be left on voice mail, but conference calls are…
Most virtual leaders struggle with managing the performance of those they can’t see. Would they be more effective managers if they had “super-vision”? Some organizations install software so leaders can randomly check the screens of their employees. Some leaders even whisper that they want remote video cameras at employee’s desks. Here’s the reality. If you…
Marissa Mayer’s decision to halt employee telecommuting at Yahoo has unleashed a torrent of controversy around telework, remote work, collaboration, and productivity. For those of us who work at home or remotely, or even in an office, it’s a great time to refocus on what we do—consciously or subconsciously—that looks like work but often isn’t.…
Telecommuting, virtual teams and remote work have many advantages for organizations and productivity. At the same time virtual workers often have concerns about their lack of recognition and visibility since they aren’t seen at the office every day. What many don’t realize is fewer opportunities means more control over perceptions. When you work in the…
Ever had this experience as a virtual member of a face-to-face team meeting? You dial into a conference phone. You can’t hear what people are saying. You can’t see the documents, slides, or whiteboards people are referencing, and there is no easy way for you to get the group’s attention to ask a question or…