More Related Content
Similar to Human challenges in virtual project teams pmi.
Similar to Human challenges in virtual project teams pmi. (20)
Human challenges in virtual project teams pmi.
- 2. What is Virtual Working
Virtual Team Scenarios
What are the Benefits?
Virtual Team Examples
Human Challenges
Responses and Priorities
Questions & Answers
© Scatterwork GmbH 2012 2
- 4. Minimum Scenario
Traditional working environment
Some time and geographic flexibility
Demanding Scenario
The team participants:
• Rarely (or never) meet
• Are in different countries and time zones
• Work for organisations which have:
• different legal status such as public, private etc
• different economic strengths, resulting in unbalanced
teams
• Multicultural environments
© Scatterwork GmbH 2012 4
- 5. Greater access to
skill resources than for
collocated teams
Accelerated Project
Team Recruitment
Members of virtual
teams do not require Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
additional workspace
Greatly increased networking which can
be leveraged to support Stakeholder
Management
Your experience?
© Scatterwork GmbH 2012
- 6. Clinical Trials for pharmaceutical
companies
Industry Sectoral Task Groups charged
with assignments such as registration of the
use of chemicals
Company Merger Teams, together with
their advisers such as consultancy firms and
banks
New Business Consortia during the early
stages of formation
Industry and Professional
Associations involving members in
different companies
Your experience?
© Scatterwork GmbH 2012
- 7. Form into teams
at the flip charts
Brainstorm the
for challenges Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
and difficulties
◦ Focus on Human Challenges
◦ Do not discuss the solutions yet
(will be addressed later)
© Scatterwork GmbH 2012
- 8. Human Challenges
Within Virtual Project Teams
© Scatterwork GmbH 2012
- 9. Brainstorm / exploration for
Responses, based on the
challenges already identified
Focus on the same scenarios
You may move to a different
team for this discussion
before starting
© Scatterwork GmbH 2012
- 10. Responses to the Human
Challenges within Virtual
Project Teams
© Scatterwork GmbH 2012
- 11. EstablishTrust
Agree the Operational
Guidelines
Check Assumptions
Be Aware of the People
Exploit Multiple Time Zones
© Scatterwork GmbH 2012
- 12. The most important requirement for Virtual
Project Teams
Even a suspicion that trust is absent will have
negative effects
Response: Project Manager must show:
◦ Show genuine concern for the individual team
members, e.g. by active listening to team members and
stakeholders
◦ Demonstrate competence for the work at hand
◦ Encourage individual responsibility
◦ Emphasize deliverables , not how to achieve them
Ref: John Spence
© Scatterwork GmbH 2012 12
- 13. Implement immediately basic rules of behaviour, e.g.
◦ How we agree meeting times
◦ How literally we interpret the start and finish times
◦ How quickly can we expect replies to e-mail
◦ Whether we can always expect a reply
Priority of Speech over Written Communication?
Depends on:
◦ Time zones
◦ Competence in foreign languages (foreign from the
individual’s point of view)
Respect for local rest periods: weekends, nights and
holidays?
Use a Wiki to negotiate and publish the Operational
Guidelines
© Scatterwork GmbH 2012 13
- 14. Misunderstandings arise from incorrect
assumptions
◦ Conscious
◦ Subconscious
Example: Assuming that because a message
was sent, that it was received and
understood.
◦ “No response" might mean that everything is all
right
◦ OR that the question has not been read.
Hold a group brainstorm during project
initiation to identify assumptions
◦ Use a collaborative Mindmap, e.g Mind42.com in
parallel with voice contact © Scatterwork GmbH 2012 14
- 15. Presence: e.g available, do not disturb, away etc.
Mood
◦ Working hard, ready for a break, etc.
◦ Use "what are you doing now?" type messages
Current Local time
◦ whether or not it is within normal business hours
◦ take account of weekends and local holidays
Current Location.
◦ Country Location
◦ Exact Location from GPS in the mobile phone and displayed as a
location on a map.
Professional and Personal Information
Team Building Communication
◦ Cake Competition
◦ Virtual Day Out
© Scatterwork GmbH 2012 15
- 16. Ì Reduce need for simultaneous
availability
s Maximize the simultaneous business
hours e.g. taking calls from home before
travelling to work
r Improve the simultaneous
communications for maximum
effectiveness
© Scatterwork GmbH 2012 16
- 18. Discuss personal “take-
aways” with your neighbour
Write them down on PostIt®
notes
© Scatterwork GmbH 2012
- 19. Collaboration Consultant at Scatterwork, offering
Project Management and Coaching services to
exploit the opportunities arising from
developments in Collaboration.
Active in projects throughout his entire career, he
has been Manager, Project Manager, Consultant and trainer for
scores of clients globally, including Novartis, Swiss Re, Nestlé,
Ericsson and the European Commission.
Author of forthcoming book
“Overview of the PMBOK® Guide”, Springer
Contact
E-mail: deasun.oconchuir@scatterwork.com
Tel: +41 79 692 4735
© Scatterwork GmbH 2012