The document provides guidance on managing virtual teams. It discusses establishing a clear mission, goals and ground rules. Identifying stakeholders and their expectations is also important. Teams should have complementary roles and responsibilities defined. Building relationships, trust and rewarding experiences through face-to-face meetings can help virtual teams succeed despite the challenges of working remotely. Potential pitfalls include a lack of shared understanding or misalignment with stakeholder needs. Solutions involve documenting roles and expectations as well as opportunities to meet in person.

1. HOW TO MANAGE PEOPLE
COMPILED BY: PRATYUSH S PRADHAN
HR MANAGER

2. INTRODUCTION
BECAUSE OF THE DISTINCTIVE TRIALS CHALLENGING SUCH A LONG TEAM, IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT AT THEIR FORMATION THAT THEY BUILD UPON A STRONG FOUNDATION.
SOME OF THE IDEAS IN THIS CHAPTER ARE EXPANDED AND EXPLORED IN THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER. AMONG OTHERS, BUILDING BLOCKS FOR SUCCESSFUL VIRTUAL TEAMS
INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
 CREATING A MISSION, GOALS, AND GROUND RULES
 IDENTIFYING STAKEHOLDERS AND THEIR EXPECTATIONS
 COMPLEMENTARY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
 BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS, TRUST, AND REWARDING EXPERIENCES
• CREATING A MISSION, GOALS, AND GROUND RULES
AN OFTEN-OVERLOOKED EXERCISE IN ANY TEAM SITUATION IS THE DISCUSSION OF PROCESSES AND RULES WHICH SHOULD GOVERN TEAM MEETINGS AND PROJECTS. VIRTUAL
TEAMS ARE NO EXCEPTION. IN REALITY, ESTABLISHING AND ADHERING TO GOALS AND GROUND RULES IS MORE COMPLICATED IN VIRTUAL TEAMS THAN IN THOSE WHERE
MEMBERS HAVE THE FREQUENT OPPORTUNITY TO MEET FACE-TO-FACE. THE INABILITY TO HAVE FACE TIME WITH ONE ANOTHER MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR TEAM MEMBERS TO
"TOUCH BASE" AND MAINTAIN A UNIFIED PURPOSE. THE NEED TO DO THIS, HOWEVER, IS CLEAR. IF THE INDIVIDUALS OF A TEAM DO NOT HAVE A CLEAR AND SHARED
UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THEY ARE GOING, THEY WILL NEVER GET THERE. VIRTUAL TEAMS SHOULD HOLD AN ORIENTATION MEETING (FACE-TO-FACE IF POSSIBLE) WHERE
TEAM MEMBERS ACKNOWLEDGE NOT ONLY THE PURPOSE OF THE TEAM, BUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THEIR TEAM'S PURPOSE FOR THE ORGANIZATION IN WHICH IT OPERATES.
UNDERSTANDING THEIR PURPOSE, MEMBERS OF THE TEAM SHOULD THEN SET GOALS AND ASSIGN TASKS TOWARD THE FULFILLING OF THAT PURPOSE. EACH TEAM MEMBER
SHOULD COME AWAY FROM THE ORIENTATION MEETING WITH A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE TEAM'S PURPOSE AS WELL AS THEIR INDIVIDUAL ROLE.

3. IDENTIFYING STAKEHOLDERS AND THEIR EXPECTATIONS
• THE PURPOSE OF A VIRTUAL TEAM SHOULD BE VERY CLOSELY TIED TO THE EXPECTATIONS OF STAKEHOLDERS. THEREFORE,
STAKEHOLDERS OR STAKEHOLDER REPRESENTATIVES SHOULD BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE FORMATION OF THE VIRTUAL TEAM.
CLARIFYING THE NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF STAKEHOLDERS IN THE BEGINNING WILL HELP THE TEAM TO AVOID UNNECESSARY WORK,
CONFUSION, AND CONFLICT. A DOCUMENTATION OF STAKEHOLDER'S EXPECTATIONS SHOULD BE MADE FOR REFERENCE THROUGHOUT
THE PROJECT. FUTURE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN STAKEHOLDERS AND TEAM REPRESENTATIVES WILL FURTHER ENSURE THAT THE
TEAM'S PURPOSE IS ON TRACK AND BEING FULFILLED.

4. COMPLEMENTARY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• IT IS IMPORTANT THAT EVERY MEMBER OF A VIRTUAL TEAM HAS A FULL UNDERSTANDING OF THE CAPABILITIES
AND ROLES OF INDIVIDUAL TEAM MEMBERS. EACH MUST KNOW HIS OR HER ROLE, THE ROLE OF OTHERS, AND
TO WHO THEY MAY LOOK FOR RESOURCES AND SUPPORT. WITHOUT THIS KNOWLEDGE, THE TEAM WILL NOT
ACHIEVE ITS PERFORMANCE POTENTIAL. IF THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF TEAM MEMBERS ARE CLEARLY DEFINED
AND DOCUMENTED, EACH TEAM MEMBER WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE TO EACH OTHER AND TO THE GROUP FOR THE
FULFILLING OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES. THE GROUND RULES ESTABLISHED IN THE FORMATION OF THE GROUP
SHOULD ADDRESS RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS AND LIKEWISE IDENTIFY REMEDIES AND PROTOCOL WHEN
INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP RESPONSIBILITIES ARE NOT FULFILLED. IN ORDER FOR TEAM MEMBERS TO "OWN"
THEIR ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES, THEY SHOULD DOCUMENT THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR ROLE WITHIN THE
TEAM. ONLY WHEN TEAM MEMBERS HAVE FULLY BOUGHT INTO THE TEAM'S PURPOSE AND THEIR ROLE WITHIN
IT CAN THEY BE HELD FULLY ACCOUNTABLE.
• NATURALLY, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF TEAM MEMBERS COMPLEMENT ONE
ANOTHER AND REPRESENT A UNIQUE AND USEFUL ASSET TO THE TEAM. SELECTING INDIVIDUALS TO TAKE PART
IN A VIRTUAL TEAM REQUIRES THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION. DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE TEAM AND
SCOPE OF ITS PURPOSE, TEAMS MAY INCLUDE A CORE GROUP WHICH IS FULLY ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE RESULTS,
AS WELL AS EXTENDED OR ANCILLARY MEMBERS WHO BRING UNIQUE KNOWLEDGE TO THE TEAM. FLEXIBILITY
AND ADAPTABILITY ARE NECESSARY IN NEW VIRTUAL TEAMS AS THEIR PURPOSE AND NEEDS EVOLVE.

5. BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS, TRUST, AND REWARDING
EXPERIENCES
• THE IDEAL WAY OF BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH TEAM MEMBERS IS TO SPEND TIME TOGETHER FACE-TO-FACE. AS MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS CAN BE DIFFICULT IN
VIRTUAL TEAMS WHOSE MEMBERS MAY RESIDE CONTINENTS AWAY. LAFASTO AND LARSON SUGGEST THAT IT IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT FOR VIRTUAL TEAMS TO CONNECT
IN PERSON ON A REGULAR BASIS: "FOR A GROUP OF REGIONAL MANAGERS SPREAD ACROSS THE COUNTRY OR AROUND THE WORLD, ENSURING ADEQUATE FACE TIME
MIGHT MEAN MEETING TOGETHER EVERY QUARTER TO CALIBRATE MAJOR ACTIVITIES, EXPLORE COMMON CHALLENGES, AND CONFIRM RELATIONSHIPS" .
• WHEN RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TEAM MEMBERS ARE BUILT AND CONFIRMED ON AN ONGOING BASIS, A CULTURE OF TRUST WILL EXIST EVEN WHEN MEMBERS ARE
WORKING VIRTUALLY WITH ONE ANOTHER. THE WAY A GROUP BEHAVES AND PERFORMS AFFECTS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS. WHEN TRUST IS PRESENT AND GROUP BEHAVIOUR
IS POSITIVE, SO TOO WILL BE TEAM MEMBER'S EVALUATION OF THE EXPERIENCE. AN INDIVIDUAL'S POSITIVE EVALUATION OF THE TEAM LEADS TO GREATER TRUST AND
ONGOING PARTICIPATION.
• THERE ARE MANY BENEFITS OF USING GLOBAL VIRTUAL TEAMS DUE TO THE INCREASED NUMBER OF OPTIONS AND RESOURCES THEY PROVIDE. JARVENPAA AND LEIDNER
EXPLAIN THAT "VIRTUAL TEAMS PROMISE THE FLEXIBILITY, RESPONSIVENESS, LOWER COSTS, AND IMPROVED RESOURCE UTILIZATION NECESSARY TO MEET EVER-CHANGING
TASK REQUIREMENTS IN HIGHLY TURBULENT AND DYNAMIC GLOBAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENTS (1999:791)." MOREOVER, THE USE OF GLOBAL VIRTUAL TEAMS PROVIDES AN
OPPORTUNITY TO COORDINATE COMPLEX BUSINESS TASKS ACROSS A POTENTIALLY FAR-FLUNG CONFEDERATION OF ORGANIZATIONS. THIS ALLOWS COMPANIES TO BETTER
COMMUNICATE AND COORDINATE EVEN THOUGH VAST DISTANCES SEPARATE THE DIFFERENT TEAM MEMBERS, MAKING IT EASIER TO EXPAND INTERNATIONALLY AND
REMOVING OTHER LOCATION AND DISTANCE-BASED RESTRICTIONS

6. FLEXIBILITY
• THE REQUIRED EXPERTISE FOR A GIVEN TASK OR PROJECT CAN BE DISPERSED BY MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. HOWEVER, A GLOBAL VIRTUAL TEAM MAY FACILITATE THE POOLING OF THIS
TALENT TO PROVIDE FOCUSED ATTENTION TO A PARTICULAR PROBLEM WITHOUT HAVING TO PHYSICALLY
RELOCATE INDIVIDUALS. “VIRTUAL TEAMS ALLOW ORGANIZATIONS TO BRING TOGETHER CRITICAL
CONTRIBUTORS WHO MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER DUE TO TIME, TRAVEL, AND
COST RESTRICTIONS (KERBER, 2004: 4).” THIS ALLOWS WORKERS TO BE LOCATED ANYWHERE AND ALLOWS
COMPANIES THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK VIRTUALLY WITH TEAM MEMBERS IN GEOGRAPHIC AREAS THAT
WERE PREVIOUSLY CONSIDERED TOO DISTANT TO BE CONSIDERED A VIABLE WORK LOCATION

7. RESPONSIVENESS
• COMPANIES CAN BE MORE RESPONSIVE TO THEIR CUSTOMERS THROUGH DIVERSITY. “VIRTUAL TEAMS
MAY ALLOW ORGANIZATIONS TO UNIFY THE VARYING PERSPECTIVES OF DIFFERENT CULTURES AND
BUSINESS CUSTOMS TO AVOID COUNTERPRODUCTIVE ETHNO-CENTRIC BIASES (KAYWORTH, 2000:184).”
GLOBAL VIRTUAL TEAMS COMPOSED OF MEMBERS WITH DIFFERENT CULTURAL VISIONS MAY BE LESS
LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE “GROUPTHINK” AND ARE MORE LIKELY TO DEVELOP INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO
PROBLEMS. IN ADDITION, THE ABILITY TO RESPOND TO THE SPECIFIC AND VARIED NEEDS OF A GLOBAL
AUDIENCE CAN BE ADDRESSED QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY WITH A GLOBAL VIRTUAL TEAM. MEMBERS OF A
GLOBAL VIRTUAL TEAM CAN IMMEDIATELY RESPOND TO SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC AND CULTURAL
REQUIREMENTS PREVIOUSLY IGNORED OR MISSED BY COLLOCATED TEAMS.

8. LOWER COSTS
• GLOBAL VIRTUAL TEAMS CAN HELP CORPORATIONS LOWER THEIR LABOUR AND OVERHEAD COSTS. THERE
ARE POOLS OF INEXPENSIVE, HIGHLY SKILLED LABOUR FORCES IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS AROUND THE
WORLD WHO CAN’T OR DO NOT WANT TO BE RELOCATED. ACCESS BY COMMUNICATION TO THESE
LABOUR FORCES LEADS MANY ORGANIZATIONS TO OFFSHORE CERTAIN FUNCTIONS TRADITIONALLY
PERFORMED IN-HOUSE OR BY CONTRACTORS. THIS IS AN APPEALING OPTION TO MANY ORGANIZATIONS
LOOKING TO REDUCE OVERALL PROJECT AND MAINTENANCE COSTS. BY OUTSOURCING THE
DEVELOPMENT OF AN APPLICATION TO INDIA, FOR EXAMPLE, AN ORGANIZATION CAN REDUCE THE COST
OF A PROJECT. THIS IS BECAUSE INDIA, IN ADDITION TO MANY OTHER COUNTRIES, HAS A LARGE
POPULATION OF HIGHLY EDUCATED PEOPLE WHO CAN BE ACCESSED WITH TODAY’S ADVANCED
COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY. THIS ALLOWS THE COMPANY TO PAY SOMEONE IN INDIA MUCH LESS TO
DO THE SAME WORK COMPARED TO SOMEONE WORKING LOCALLY IN THE U.S. GLOBAL VIRTUAL TEAMS
ALSO REDUCE TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES FOR TEAM MEMBERS

9. IMPROVED RESOURCE UTILIZATION
• GLOBAL VIRTUAL TEAMS CAN IMPROVE RESOURCE UTILIZATION BY LEVERAGING TIME TO THEIR
ADVANTAGE. PERFORMING WORK ASYNCHRONOUSLY HELPS GLOBAL ORGANIZATIONS EFFECTIVELY
BRIDGE DIFFERENT TIME ZONES SO THAT TEAMS CAN BE MORE PRODUCTIVE DURING A WORK PERIOD.
“FOR EXAMPLE, LONDON TEAM MEMBERS OF A GLOBAL VIRTUAL TEAM OF SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS AT
TANDEM SERVICES CORPORATION INITIALLY CODED THE PROJECT AND TRANSMITTED THEIR CODE EACH
EVENING TO U.S. TEAM MEMBERS FOR TESTING. U.S. MEMBERS FORWARDED THE CODE THEY TESTED TO
TOKYO FOR DEBUGGING. LONDON TEAM MEMBERS STARTED THEIR NEXT DAY WITH THE CODE DEBUGGED
BY THEIR JAPANESE COLLEAGUES, AND ANOTHER CYCLE WAS INITIATED. THIS IS ONLY ONE EXAMPLE OF
HOW GVTS CAN INCREASE TEAM-MEMBER PRODUCTIVITY AND REDUCE DEVELOPMENT TIME (SAUNDERS,
2004:19).”

10. PITFALLS
• THE PITFALLS THAT VIRTUAL TEAMS FACE IN THEIR EARLY STAGES STEM SIMPLY FROM THE ANTITHESES OF
THE BUILDING BLOCKS DESCRIBED ABOVE. AS WITH WATER, TEAMS TEND TO FOLLOW THE "PATH OF LEAST
RESISTANCE." THIS IS BECAUSE THE PITFALLS OF VIRTUAL TEAM BUILDING ARE DUE TO OMISSIONS AND
INACTIVITY. A COMMON PITFALL IS SETTING OUT WITHOUT A CLEAR GOAL OR PURPOSE. IF TEAM
MEMBERS UNDERSTAND LITTLE MORE THAN THE ROUTINE TASKS, THEY ARE TO PERFORM DAY-TO-DAY, A
LACK OF COMMON UNDERSTANDING WILL LEAD TO MISDIRECTED WORK AND WASTED TIME AND
RESOURCES. A RELATED PITFALL IS MISALIGNING THE PURPOSE OF THE TEAM WITH THE NEEDS AND
EXPECTATIONS OF STAKEHOLDERS AND THE ORGANIZATION AS A WHOLE. VIRTUAL TEAMS FURTHER
DAMAGE THEMSELVES WHEN THEY NEGLECT TO TAKE OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUILDING STRONG
COMMUNICATION AND TRUST IN THEIR RELATIONSHIPS.

11. SOLUTIONS
 HOLD AN ORIENTATION MEETING WHERE TEAM MEMBERS PARTICIPATE IN TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES
AND DOCUMENT THE TEAM'S PURPOSE. EACH TEAM MEMBER SHOULD DOCUMENT HIS OR HER
UNDERSTANDING OF THE TEAM'S PURPOSE AND THEIR PERCEIVED ROLE. THESE DESCRIPTIONS SHOULD
BE CIRCULATED WITHIN THE GROUP.
 PREPARE A QUESTIONNAIRE FOR EACH STAKEHOLDER TO COMPLETE AND RETURN TO THE GROUP. THE
QUESTIONS SHOULD ILLICIT A RESPONSE WHICH HELPS THE TEAM IN THE FORMATION OF GOALS AND
CONFIRMATION OF THE TEAM'S PURPOSE.
 WHENEVER POSSIBLE, TEAM MEMBERS SHOULD MEET FACE-TO-FACE TO CONFIRM RELATIONSHIPS AND
PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES WHICH BUILD TRUST AND ENCOURAGE COMMUNICATION.

12. THE FRAMEWORK WE HAVE DEVELOPED CONSISTS
OF 8 'BUBBLES':
1. CULTURE
2. ORGANIZATION
3. PRODUCT
4. TEAM
5. ARCHITECTURE
6. ENGINEERING PRACTICES
7. COMMUNICATION
8. TOOLS

13. CULTURE
• DISTRIBUTED TEAMS WITH PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT CULTURAL BACKGROUND INEVITABLY FACE
COLLABORATION CHALLENGES. CULTURE HAS MULTIPLE LEVELS (COUNTRY, REGION, COMPANY, TEAM). IN OUR
MODEL CULTURE REFERS TO THE COUNTRY LEVEL. ORGANIZATION AND TEAM ARE DISCUSSED IN SEPARATE
BUBBLES. TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES AND FIND WAYS TO ORGANIZE THEM, THE
FOLLOWING SET OF QUESTIONS CAN BE USED:
 ARE WE EXPERIENCING IMPACT FROM CULTURAL DIFFERENCES?
 DO WE HAVE AN 'US VERSUS THEM' PARADIGM?
 HOW DO WE DEAL WITH DIFFERENCES?
 WHAT WILL WE DO TO GET THE DIFFERENCES TO THE SURFACE?
 HOW COMFORTABLE IS EACH CULTURE WITH BEING OPEN, SHARING MATTERS OF MIND AND HEART?
 WHAT'S THE IMPACT OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IF WE'RE COLLOCATED VERSUS DISTRIBUTED?

14.  HOW MUCH HIERARCHY DO WE HAVE IN OUR ORGANIZATION?
 HOW DOES EACH CULTURE PERCEIVE HIERARCHY?
 HOW MUCH 'SELF-ORGANISATION' DO WE EXPECT?
 WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET EVERYONE ON THE SAME LEVEL OF 'SELF-ORGANIZATION'?
 TO WHAT DEGREE DOES LANGUAGE HAVE IMPACT?
 DOES EVERYONE HAVE THE SAME UNDERSTANDING OF SAYING 'NO’?
 SOME EXAMPLES. MOST COUNTRIES VARY IN THE DEGREE OF HIERARCHY THAT GOVERNS FAMILIES, SOCIETY, COMPANIES. IN
MANY ASIAN COUNTRIES, HIERARCHY PLAYS A BIG ROLE. PEOPLE ARE USED TO HAVING FATHERS, TEACHERS AND BOSSES GIVE
'INSTRUCTIONS'. BECAUSE OF THAT, THE LEVEL OF 'PROACTIVENESS' IS OFTEN LOW. QUESTIONING AUTHORITY AND
CHALLENGING SUPERIORS’ ASSUMPTIONS IS NOT DONE. IN THE US AND EUROPE, MANY COUNTRIES HAVE A 'FLAT'
STRUCTURE. IN THE NETHERLANDS AS AN EXAMPLE, PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED TO QUESTION ASSUMPTIONS AND ENCOURAGED
TO COME UP WITH THEIR OWN IDEAS. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT LEVEL WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION THE IDEA ORIGINATES
FROM. HOFSTEDE’S MODEL CALLS THIS ‘POWER DISTANCE’. COUNTRIES ARE RANKED BASED ON SOME COMPLEX METRIC
SYSTEM. FROM THIS OVERVIEW YOU CAN SEE FOR EXAMPLE THAT INDIA (77) AND INDONESIA (78) RANK VERY HIGH, WHEREAS
THE NETHERLANDS (37) AND THE US (40) SCORE LOWER.

15. • ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS THE LEVEL OF OPENNESS. AS A DUTCH PERSON, IF I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE WAY YOU
BEHAVE, I WILL TELL YOU WHAT'S ON MY MIND. MY BELIEF IS THAT BY SHARING MY CONCERN, WE CAN FIND A
WAY TO SOLVE IT TOGETHER. IN ASIAN SOCIETIES, PEOPLE ARE NOT USED TO THIS. THEY'D RATHER POLISH A
STORY; SPEAK AROUND THE CONCERN THEY HAVE WITHOUT ADDRESSING IT HEADS ON. AS A DUTCH I MIGHT
NOT UNDERSTAND THE MESSAGE THE PERSON IS GIVING ME BECAUSE I AM USED TO GETTING IT UNPOLISHED,
STRAIGHT INTO MY FACE. THIS CAUSES TENSIONS IN RELATIONSHIPS AND STRAINS COLLABORATION.
• LAST WEEK, HUGO ORGANIZED A MEETUP IN JOGJAKARTA, INDONESIA. ONE OF THE TOPICS WE DISCUSSED WAS
OPENNESS, AS IT'S ONE OF THE VALUES OF SCRUM. HUGO WAS FACILITATING A DISCUSSION WITH A GROUP OF
ABOUT 25 PEOPLE, ALL INDONESIAN. AS IS COMMON IN GROUPS, THERE WERE A FEW OUTSPOKEN PEOPLE.
NOW THERE ARE MANY FORCES AT PLAY ON THE TOPIC OF OPENNESS: SOME PEOPLE ARE SHY AND DON'T LIKE
SPEAKING UP (ARE LESS OPEN); SOME PEOPLE ARE COMFORTABLE SPEAKING ENGLISH, SOME ARE NOT (SO THEY
APPEAR LESS OPEN, BUT MIGHT 'POP OPEN' WHEN THEY SPEAK THEIR OWN LANGUAGE); SOME MIGHT
CONSIDER IT RUDE TO SPEAK UP BECAUSE OF THEIR ROLE WITHIN THE GROUP. AS A PERSON, HUGO IS USED TO
THIS (IN INDIA HE HAD SIMILAR EXPERIENCES AND WORKED WITH DIFFERENT CULTURES FOR OVER A DECADE).
BUT WHEN AN UNEXPERIENCED DUTCH PERSON (WHO'S OFTEN OUTSPOKEN AND DIRECT), NEEDS TO
COLLABORATE WITH INDONESIAN ENGINEERS, IT WILL GIVE CHALLENGES.

16. • WE HAVE DEFINED 5 VIRTUES THAT HELP BRIDGE CULTURAL GAPS:
 EMPATHY: ACCEPT DIFFERENCES, 'JAM' WITH THEM
 OPENNESS: DISCUSSING THE IMPACT OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
 AWARENESS: BECOMING AWARE OF THE DIFFERENCES
 TRUST PEOPLE MORE THAN PROCESS
 TRANSPARENCY
• PEOPLE WITH EMPATHY HAVE A HIGHER PROPENSITY TO PUT THEMSELVES IN THE SHOES OF ANOTHER PERSON.
THEY CAN LIVE INTO ANOTHER PERSON'S REALITY, UNDERSTANDING HIS OR HER BELIEFS, REASONING, FRAME OF
REFERENCE. THEY ARE ALSO MORE INCLINED TO ACCEPT DIFFERENCES AMONG PEOPLE. AND THEY OFTEN
APPRECIATE THE DIVERSITY, PLAYING 'WITH' THEM INSTEAD OF AGAINST. DISTRIBUTED COLLABORATION IS
FACILITATED BY EMPHATIC PEOPLE. THIS IMPLIES THAT HAVING SOME PEOPLE WITH EMPATHY IN EACH TEAM
HELPS. ONE SPECIFIC ROLE THAT REQUIRES EMPATHY IS THE SCRUM MASTER.

17. • THE DEGREE OF OPENNESS ABOUT CONCERNS, LACK OF INFORMATION, DELAYS, BEING 'STUCK' INFLUENCES
RESULTS. THE MORE OPEN AN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE BECOMES, THE EASIER IT IS FOR PEOPLE TO
COLLABORATE. IT ALSO LEADS TO INCREASED AWARENESS ABOUT CULTURAL DIFFERENCES, A TEAM'S 'STATE'
AND WORK PROGRESS. MOST KNOWLEDGE WORK IS CREATIVE AND DOESN'T FIT INTO A STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS.
SUCCESS DEPENDS ON THE PEOPLE ENGAGED. MANAGING CULTURAL DIVERSITY BECOMES EASIER WHEN YOU
HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE THAT TRUST EACH OTHER ON BOARD. TOOLS CAN HELP THEM SELF-ORGANIZE THE
DIFFERENCES, PROCESSES DON'T.
• TRANSPARENCY ENABLES PEOPLE TO INSPECT AND ADAPT. WHEN ALL THE INFORMATION AND PROGRESS OF A
PROJECT IS SHARED WITH EVERYONE, IT LEADS TO LESS MISPERCEPTIONS. WHEN I KNOW THE PROGRESS ON A
COMMITMENT, I DON’T NEED TO RELY ON THE YES OR NO (WHICH IS CULTURALLY SUBJECTIVE) OF A SPECIFIC
PERSON. WHEN TOOLS SUPPORT OUR COMMUNICATION ABOUT SPECIFIC USER STORIES, IT’S EASIER TO GET THE
CORRECT INFORMATION IN TIME.
• IN THE ABOVE EXAMPLE OF MY GROUP DISCUSSION, I CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE EMPATHIC. AS A FACILITATOR, I
AM AWARE OF THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF OPENNESS IN MY GROUP AND I ALSO RESPECT THEM. IT'S OK. I TRY TO
BE OPEN, BUT NOT BLUNT. I ALSO TRUST THAT EVERYONE IS DOING THE BEST HE OR SHE CAN, WHICH MEANS
THAT SOME PEOPLE ABSORB THE DISCUSSION WITHOUT TALKING, SOME SHARE OPENLY AND DOMINATE THE
DISCUSSION. I TRY TO ENGAGE EVERYONE IN THE TALK AS MUCH AS I CAN, BUT ALSO REALIZE I SHOULD LEARN
BAHASA INDONESIA IN ORDER TO LEAD SUCH DISCUSSIONS MORE EFFECTIVELY. THIS WAS A TEMPORARY GROUP
AND IF I'D NEED TO WORK WITH THEM ON REAL PROJECTS, I'D NEED TO ACCEPT THAT IT WILL TAKE TIME TO
CREATE BALANCE IN THE GROUP.

18. ORGANIZATION
• ENTERPRISES ARE BECOMING MORE DISTRIBUTED AS TECHNOLOGY FACILITATES GLOBAL COLLABORATION.
PEOPLE START WORKING FROM HOME AND PROJECTS ARE DISTRIBUTED OVER DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. TO
ORCHESTRATE THE WORK, ACROSS LOCATIONS, AGILE PRINCIPLES HELP. INTERACTION BETWEEN TEAM
MEMBERS AND STAKEHOLDERS ARE FREQUENT AND BASED ON PATTERNS. THE STAKEHOLDERS, USERS OR
CUSTOMERS ARE CLOSE TO THE DEVELOPMENT TEAMS. ORGANIZATIONS CREATE ROLES, EVENTS AND
ARTIFACTS ACCORDING TO THE SCRUM FRAMEWORK. BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO DECIDE WHAT ROLE
TO PLACE ON WHAT LOCATION OR HOW TO COORDINATE EVENTS WITH PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT TIME
ZONES. NOT SEEING EACH OTHER IN AN OFFICE CREATES CHALLENGES IN ALIGNMENT. IT'S ALSO NOT
NECESSARILY VISIBLE HOW EACH TEAM (MEMBER) IS PERFORMING

19. • QUESTIONS
 WHAT SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK(S) DO WE ADOPT? (SCRUM, LESS, KANBAN, SAFE, ETC)
 HOW DO WE MODIFY THE FRAMEWORK TO FIT OUR DISTRIBUTED SETUP?
o ROLES: WHAT ROLE WHERE? (E.G., PROXY PRODUCT OWNER)
o EVENTS: WHAT'S DIFFERENT IN THE EVENTS WE ORGANIZE? (E.G., VIDEO RECORDING IF TIME ZONE DIFFERENCE DOESN'T PROVIDE OVERLAP)
o TOOLS: WHAT TOOLS SUPPORT THE FRAMEWORK DISTRIBUTED? (E.G., JIRA VERSUS STICKY BOARD)
 DO WE CREATE DISPERSED TEAMS (EVERYONE REMOTE OR SPLIT TEAMS) OR COLLOCATED TEAMS?
 HOW DO WE MEASURE SUCCESS? WHAT ARE OUR KPI'S?
 HOW DO WE SHARE KNOWLEDGE EFFECTIVELY ACROSS ALL TEAM MEMBERS?
 HOW DO WE SHARE PRODUCT VISION, ROADMAP, USER FEEDBACK?
 HOW DO WE ALIGN ON STRATEGIC, TACTICAL AND OPERATIONAL LEVEL IF WE WORK IN PARTNERSHIPS?
• ONE OF THE MAIN CHALLENGES IN DISTRIBUTED AGILE TEAMS IS THE AVAILABILITY OF THE PRODUCT OWNER AND THE STAKEHOLDERS. TEAMS ARE OFTEN IN THE DARK, BECAUSE THEY ARE
NOT AVAILABLE. PRODUCT PEOPLE ARE AMONG THE BUSIEST IN EVERY ORGANIZATION. THEY NEED TO BALANCE THEIR TIME BETWEEN DEVELOPMENT TEAMS, STAKEHOLDERS AND
MANAGEMENT. THEY ARE OFTEN PART OF MULTIPLE PRODUCT TEAMS. TEAMS THAT ARE COLLOCATED WITH PRODUCT OWNERS HAVE A HIGHER CHANCE OF INTERACTING WITH THEM. BUT A
REMOTE TEAM LACKS THAT OPPORTUNITY. WHAT'S MORE, REMOTE TEAMS HARDLY SPEAK TO USERS OF THE SOFTWARE THEY CREATE. THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO PRODUCT VISION,
ROADMAP AND RELATED PLANS. HENCE, THEY HAVE NO 'EMOTIONAL BOND' WITH THE PRODUCT THEY MAKE AND THIS INFLUENCES MOTIVATION AND QUALITY. ORGANIZATIONS NEED TO
THINK THROUGH THE DISTRIBUTION OF KEY ROLES AND THE WAY DEVELOPMENT TEAMS CAN ENGAGE WITH USERS AND STAKEHOLDERS. WE ALSO NEED TO THINK HOW TO SHARE
KNOWLEDGE AND PRODUCT INFORMATION THROUGHOUT THE DISTRIBUTED ORGANIZATION.

20. VIRTUES
 AGILITY: KEEPING AN OPEN MIND IN RESPECT TO MODELS; AVOID BUREAUCRACY
 SELF-ORGANIZATION: LET TEAMS FIGURE OUT STUFF
 COLLOCATED TEAMS ARE SIMPLER
 DIRECT ACCESS TO STAKEHOLDERS: AVOIDS THE MIDDLE MAN (A PRODUCT OWNER FACILITATES TEAM-USER INTERACTION INSTEAD OF BEING 'IN BETWEEN', NO TEAM LEADS, NO
HIERARCHY)
 WIKI IS KEY; SHARING KNOWLEDGE, VISIONS, FEEDBACK USING THE RIGHT TOOLS
 CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TEAMS AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS
 ALIGNED AGILE TRANSFORMATION VISION AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS
 KAIZEN INSTEAD OF KAIKAKU
• APPLYING THESE VIRTUES TO THE 'BEING IN THE DARK' EXAMPLE DESCRIBED ABOVE: WE CAN USE AGILE PRINCIPLES TO ORGANIZE. INSTEAD OF CREATING STRICT RULES AND REPORTING
SYSTEMS, WE MOVE AUTHORITY TO TEAMS. THROUGH RETROSPECTIVES, TEAMS CAN FIND WHAT BLOCKS THEM. EMPOWERED, SELF ORGANIZED TEAMS CAN OPENLY COMMUNICATE THOSE
BLOCKS TO PRODUCT OWNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS. THROUGH GOOD PRODUCT OWNERSHIP AND ITERATIVE IMPROVEMENT, TEAMS WILL FIND WAYS TO SHARE PRODUCT INFORMATION,
ROADMAPS AND USER FEEDBACK.
• BUSINESS PEOPLE AND DEVELOPERS COLLABORATE ON A DAILY BASIS. THIS AVOIDS THE PRODUCT-OWNER-BECOMING-MIDDLE-MAN PROBLEM. USING VIDEO CONFERENCING SOFTWARE OR
COLLOCATION, DEVELOPERS CAN INTERACT WITH THE USERS AND STAKEHOLDERS. IT HELPS IF ORGANIZATIONS STIMULATE TEAMS TO USE WIKI-LIKE TOOLS. MAKING THOSE FREELY
AVAILABLE, IT BECOMES EASIER TO SHARE PRODUCT VISIONS, ROADMAPS AND RELATED DOCUMENTS.

21. • ANOTHER KEY ORGANIZATIONAL AREA TO BE AWARE OF IN DISTRIBUTED AGILE IS NOT TRYING TO DO TOO MUCH TOO FAST. IN
JAPANESE THIS IS KNOWN AS KAIKAKU OR RADICAL CHANGE. THIS MAY MEAN UPENDING ALL OF YOUR TEAMS AND CHANGING
ALL OF THEIR JOB TITLES AND ROLES JUST TO TRY AND FIT INTO AN AGILE FRAMEWORK. THIS CAN OFTEN CAUSE CHANGE
FATIGUE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION AND PREVENT TEAMS FROM BEING EFFECTIVE, AND RATHER TRAPPING THEM IN A CONSTANT
CYCLE OF "FORMING" AND "STORMING" (TEAMS TYPICALLY GO THROUGH A CYCLE OF FORMING, STORMING, NORMING AND
PERFORMING - THE PREFERENCE IS TO BE IN THE NORMING AND PERFORMING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE).
• IN A RECENT CASE JOHN IS FAMILIAR WITH A LARGE BANK TRIED TO ADOPT AGILE ACROSS ITS LOCATIONS USING A KAIKAKU
APPROACH. RENAMING ALL OF THEIR MANAGERS TO AGILE COACHES (THOUGH THEY KNEW LITTLE OR NOTHING ABOUT
AGILE), AND MAKING MANY OTHER LARGE AND TRAUMATIC CHANGES IN ONE FELL SWOOP. WHILE THE BANK INITIALLY FELT
THAT THEY WERE MAKING GREAT PROGRESS WITH SCRUM, IT WAS A MATTER OF ABOUT 18 MONTHS BEFORE THE
ORGANIZATION AND TEAMS HIT THE WALL IN TERMS OF CHANGE FATIGUE. AFTER THAT SIGNIFICANT RESISTANCE TO THE
CHANGE BECAME APPARENT AND FORCED THE BANK TO SIGNIFICANTLY ROLL BACK THE AGGRESSIVE PACE OF ITS CHANGES. THE
BANK THEREAFTER MOVED TO A HEALTHIER KAIZEN (CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT) PACE IN ITS ADOPTION OF ENTERPRISE
AGILE. AS FAR AS JOHN KNOWS THIS HAS BEEN MUCH MORE SUSTAINABLE IN THE BANK AND CONTINUES TODAY.
• A RECOMMENDED APPROACH IS RATHER TO TRY AND USE A KAIZEN (CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT) APPROACH TO
CHANGES. RATHER THAN ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE EVERYONE'S ROLE AND TITLE IN THE ORGANIZATION MAKE SMALL
INCREMENTAL CHANGES THAT IMPROVE THE DISTRIBUTED AGILE TEAM AS YOU GO. YOUR TEAM'S WILL APPRECIATE THIS, AND
IT SHOWS RESPECT FOR PEOPLE (A FREQUENT PILLAR IN THE "LEAN THINKING HOUSE"). AS A GENERAL RULE OF THUMB THE
PRIMARY SCENARIO WHERE KAIKAKU OR REVOLUTIONARY CHANGE IS EFFECTIVE MAY BE IN A NEW ORGANIZATION OR START-
UP WHERE THERE IS NO OR VERY LIMITED ORGANIZATIONAL "BAGGAGE" TO DEAL WITH

22. SUMMARY
• DISTRIBUTED ORGANIZATIONS FACE CHALLENGES THAT DON'T APPEAR WHEN EVERYBODY IS
COLLOCATED. SOME CHALLENGES ALSO OCCUR IN COLLOCATED WORK, BUT THE IMPACT IS
SMALLER. OUR FRAMEWORK SUMMARIZES THE MAIN CHALLENGE AREAS INTO 8 BUBBLES.
WE'VE DESCRIBED WHAT OCCURS IN 'CULTURE' AND 'ORGANIZATION' WHEN PEOPLE AND
TEAMS ARE WORKING REMOTELY. TO GUIDE PEOPLE IN ASSESSING THEIR ORGANIZATION,
WE'VE LAID OUT A SET OF QUESTIONS WITHIN EACH BUBBLE. IN LATER ARTICLES, WE WILL
SHARE THE OTHER 6 BUBBLES. WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO RECEIVE YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE
FRAMEWORK AND THE QUESTIONS AND VIRTUES WE HAVE DEVELOPED

23. DIFFERENT ROLES IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
• 1. EXECUTIVE SPONSOR
• THIS ROLE HAS THE HIGHEST INTEREST IN THE PROJECT AND ITS END RESULT. EXECUTIVE SPONSOR HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO
MONITOR THE BUDGET AND CONTROL THE SPENDING. EXECUTIVE SPONSOR IS THE ULTIMATE DECISION MAKER FOR THE
PROJECT, ITS RESOURCES AND OUTCOME/DELIVERABLES.
• RESPONSIBILITIES VESTED WITH THIS ROLE ALSO INCLUDES:
 ALIGNS PROJECT TO ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY
 PROVIDES FEEDBACK
 RISK GOVERNANCE
 BUSINESS PRIORITIZATION

24. 2. PROJECT SPONSOR
• PROJECT SPONSOR ROLE IF AT ALL EXISTS, REPORTS INTO EXECUTIVE SPONSOR ROLE. EXECUTIVE SPONSOR
MAY DELEGATE ANY OF HIS RESPONSIBILITIES TO PROJECT SPONSOR. PROJECT SPONSOR HAS THE SAME
LEVEL OF INTEREST AND CONTROL OVER PROJECT AS EXECUTIVE SPONSOR. PROJECT SPONSOR ALSO
LOOKS INTO PROJECT MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES (MINIMUM) AND HELPS PROJECT MANAGER IN
PROVIDING INFORMATION WHILE PREPARING CHARTER AND DIFFERENT PLANS. THIS ROLE MAY EVEN
EXPRESS INTEREST TO BE INVOLVED INTO PROJECT PHASES. MOSTLY PROJECT SPONSOR WILL BE A PART OF
STEERING COMMITTEE.

25. • PROJECT MANAGER
• INDIVIDUAL IN THIS ROLE IS PRIMARY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT AS PLANNED
AND AGREED. HE MIGHT BE GIVEN PEOPLE MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITY ALSO. HE IS ONE WHO DRIVES
THE TEAM IN REQUIRED DIRECTION. HIS RESPONSIBILITIES ALSO INCLUDE STATUS REPORTING TO PEOPLE
ABOVE HIM, STAKE HOLDER MANAGEMENT, BUDGET MANAGEMENT, RISK MANAGEMENT, SCHEDULE
MANAGEMENT ETC… IT IS DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN THIS ROLE IN SHORT, BUT THIS ROLE IS THE FIRST
RESPONSIBLE ROLE FOR A PROJECT AND ITS HEALTHY RUNNING. THIS ROLE BRIDGES THE GAP BETWEEN
DELIVERY TEAM AND BUSINESS OR CLIENT.
• PEOPLE MANAGER
• THIS ROLE IS TO MANAGE PEOPLE IN A PROJECT AND SEE TO THAT THEY ARE GIVEN WITH ALL THAT IS
REQUIRED FOR THEM TO WORK SMOOTHLY. DELIVERY IS NOT A RESPONSIBILITY OF THIS ROLE.

26. • DELIVERY MANAGER
• PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY OF THIS ROLE IS TO SEE THAT THE PROJECT IS DELIVERED WITHIN AGREED TIME
LINES AND WITH REQUIRED QUALITY. THIS ROLE MANAGES DELIVERY TEAM. PERFORMS RESOURCE
ALLOCATIONS AND DECIDES DELIVERY PRIORITIES. THIS ROLE HAS AUTHORITY TO CHANGE OR ADJUST THE
SCHEDULES AND ADJUST RESOURCE ASSIGNMENTS. THIS ROLE ALSO HAS A MAJOR SAY IN SCOPE. THIS
ROLE IS PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR MEETING TECHNICAL AND FUNCTIONAL EXPECTATIONS OF THE
BUSINESS.
• PROCESS CONSULTANT
• THIS ROLE HAS THE EXPERT KNOWLEDGE REGARDING THE PROCESS THAT IS FOLLOWED INTERNALLY. THEY
ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR EDUCATING THE DELIVERY TEAM ON THE PROCESS AND SEE TO THAT THEY CAN
ADHERE TO INTERNAL PROCESS. THEY HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF SUGGESTING PROCESS
IMPROVEMENTS TO INCREASE THE PRODUCTIVITY AND TO MAXIMIZE THE BUSINESS VALUE.

27. • BUSINESS:
• USUALLY, A TEAM FROM BUSINESS SIDE WHICH IS DEDICATED TO BE AS PART OF THE PROJECT TILL THE
PROJECT IS COMPLETED AND BENEFITS ARE REALIZED. THESE PEOPLE ARE EXPERTS IN RESPECTIVE
BUSINESS FUNCTIONAL AREA.
• CLIENT/CUSTOMER
• WHO HAS A BUSINESS NEED AND OUR DELIVERED PRODUCT OR SERVICE WILL SATISFY THEIR BUSINESS
NEED. THEY ARE THE ONE WHO PAYS FOR OUR SERVICES.
• STEERING COMMITTEE
• THIS IS A TEAM FORMED WITH MANAGEMENT REPRESENTATIVES, STAKE HOLDERS TO OVERSEE AND
CONTROL THE PROJECT. THEY APPROVE THE DELIVERABLES, MAKES POLICY-BASED DECISIONS, PROVIDE
GUIDANCE TO THE PROJECT. IT IS THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR SPONSORS. IT IS AN ESCALATION POINT
FOR PROJECT MANAGERS. STEERING COMMITTEE PROVIDES LEADERSHIP SUPPORT.

28. • VENDORS
• THEY PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES NECESSARY FOR THE PROJECT. USUALLY, THEY WILL BE
CONTRACTED FOR A PERIOD.
• PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE
• PMO IS A BODY WITH GROUP OF PEOPLE. ITS MAIN PURPOSE IS TO BUILD SET OF STANDARDS AND POLICIES FOR
INTERNAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND TO SEE THAT THEY ARE ADHERED ACROSS ALL PROJECTS. THEY DECIDE
THE PROCESS AND THE LEVEL OF THAT PROCESS TO BE FOLLOWED INTERNALLY. THEY HELP CREATING STANDARD
TEMPLATES FOR THE ORGANIZATION. COLLECTS, ANALYSES AND PRESERVES PROJECT RELATED DATA FOR FUTURE
USE. PMO EXTENDS PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUPPORT TO PROJECT MANAGERS.
• TEAM LEAD
• THIS ROLE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR TEAMS WORKING AND IN MOST OF THE ORGANIZATIONS HE IS THE FIRST LEVEL
OF MANAGER TO WHO TEAM REPORTS INTO. PERSON IN THIS ROLE HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF COACHING,
COORDINATION, PROBLEM SOLVING, INFORMATION SHARING, STATUS REPORTING, AND LIAISON TO HIGHER
MANAGEMENT OR ADMINISTRATION ETC…, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF ORGANIZATION AND INDUSTRY. HIS
TIME IS SHARED BETWEEN MANAGEMENT AND TECHNICAL/FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES.

29. • PROJECT COORDINATOR / PROJECT FACILITATOR
• THIS ROLE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SMOOTH RUNNING OF PROJECT OPERATIONS, WITHOUT HAVING TO FACE ANY COORDINATION
ISSUES. THIS ROLE IS VERY IMPORTANT WHEN THE PROJECT TEAMS ARE SPREAD ACROSS THE GLOBE AND WORKS IN DIFFERENT
TIME ZONES.
• PROJECT MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS:
• Q1. ONE OF YOUR TEAM MEMBERS COME TO YOU SAYING THAT THE WEEKLY REPORT NEEDS SOME TAILORING TO INCLUDE THE
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WHAT CLIENT HAS ASKED. AFTER LOOKING AT LAST WEEK’S REPORT YOU ALSO AGREE THAT IT
NEEDS MODIFICATION. WHAT IS THE IMMEDIATE ACTION YOU NEED TO TAKE IN GETTING THE REPORT TEMPLATE ALTERED?
1. MODIFY THE REPORT TEMPLATE YOURSELF AND MAIL IT ACROSS TO ALL TEAM MEMBERS ASKING THEM TO START USING IT
WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT.
2. INFORM TO THE CLIENT THAT IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO CHANGE THE REPORT AS IT IS A STANDARD ACROSS ALL PROJECTS IN THE
ORGANIZATION
3. TAKE UP THE ISSUE TO PMO AND GET THE TEMPLATE MODIFIED WITH PROPER JUSTIFICATION.
4. START SENDING TWO REPORTS TO CLIENT. ONE WITH REGULAR INFORMATION AND OTHER WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
WHAT CLIENT HAS REQUESTED.

30. • Q2. IN RECENT AUDIT IT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED THAT YOUR PROJECT IS NOT MAINTAINING ALL THE
RECOMMENDED AND MANDATORY DOCUMENTS. WHEN ENQUIRED WITH TEAM LEAD, HE CAME OUT SAYING
THAT HE HAS NO IDEA ON WHAT DOCUMENTS THE AUDIT TEAM IS SPEAKING ABOUT. AFTER LOOKING INTO
PROJECT REPOSITORY, YOU FIND SOME DOCUMENTS BEING CREATED, BUT YOU ARE ALSO NOT SURE WHAT THE
DOCUMENTS AUDIT TEAM IS SPEAKING ABOUT ARE. WHAT IS THE BEST IMMEDIATE ACTION YOU CAN ASK YOUR
TEAM LEAD TO DO, SO THAT THE AUDIT FINDING CAN BE CLOSED?
1. ASK YOUR TEAM LEAD TO GO TO THE AUDIT TEAM WHO HAS CONDUCTED THE AUDIT AND FIND OUT WHAT
ARE THE DOCUMENTS THEY ARE SPEAKING ABOUT.
2. ASK YOUR TEAM LEAD TO SPEAK TO OTHER PROJECT TEAMS IN THE ORGANIZATION AND TRACE OUT WHAT
DOCUMENTS TO MAINTAIN.
3. REFER TO ORGANIZATIONAL ACHIEVES TO SEE IF SIMILAR PROJECT IS EXECUTED IN THE PAST AND REFER TO ITS
DOCUMENT LIST.
4. FIND OUT WHO IS THE PROCESS CONSULTANT FOR YOUR PROJECT AND TAKE HIS HELP IN KNOWING THE LIST
OF MANDATORY DOCUMENTS TO MAINTAIN.

31. • THANK YOU