Episodes

Asymmetrical risks are frequently discounted in the estimation and management of projects, yet the impact of a risk with a high downside can cause major issues within any project. This article considers why we are so bad at conceptualising asymmetric ...

In this article we consider how important it is to maintain a consistent message when leading teams. Having all of the project team leaders not just say the same thing, but act in a way that reflects their words,

The recently released movie 'The Martian" contains some excellent examples of the difficulties of communicating in an extreme virtual team environment. Without giving away the plot to the book or film, this article tries to draw out the examples and b...

Engineering projects have been using virtual teams for over a decade to deliver major facilities and equipment, along the way they have had varied success in the outcomes of their projects. This article considers how the highly technical focus taken a...

The value of strong personal networks can not be underestimated in a virtual team environment. Having trusted colleagues and friends distributed around the organisation means you will get insights and support in areas you may not have ever considered ...

Podcasts are emerging as a great addition to the selection of tools available for members of virtual teams to stay in touch with each other, learn about each other's cultures and be kept appraised of project status.

For those undertaking an expat posting, the challenges of cultural assimilation are real and can be surprising and complex. This article considers some of the challenges faced by a new expat when they are working to blend into their new location and u...

Choosing the right communication technologies to support your virtual teams is critical to their ability to interact efficiently. Having the right tools and knowing how to use them will make your teams more productive,

Being aware of your personal beliefs and perspectives is a very important attribute in an effective communicator. Your personal beliefs will influence how you deal with others and how you communicate both one on one and in a group setting.

Failing to communicate in a robust and effective way has been the cause of many project failures. Issues fail to get the attention they need because of the reluctance of some in the project to communicate with others and to ask for assistance where ne...

This article explores some of the communication skills needed to successfully lead a team through the use a series of metaphors written around hand tools. Learning to communicate in different ways, with different people.

Burnout is one of the less discussed, yet most destructive side effects of many virtual teams. Due to the global nature of many virtual teams, leaders, managers and team members find themselves continually engaged with the work at hand,

Teleconferences are the backbone of communication for many virtual teams, yet they are often incredibly ineffective and unproductive exercises, resulting in wasted time, disengagement of personnel and for those participating outside of their core hours...

This article discusses how we all apply filters to our cultural experiences. These filters can either help of hinder our ability to work effectively in cross cultural situations. If our filters lead us to react badly to some of the experiences,

Working across multiple timezones can bring many challenges to those involved, not least of which is how to maintain a healthy work life balance. In this article we consider some of the major issues to be addressed when a project manager is faced with...

Understanding the relationship between outsourcing and the use of virtual teams is important to facilitate strong working relationships between offices. When a business starts to outsource its work it needs to plan for how it will manage its relations...

Corporate culture is a critical part of building and maintaining a brand. Matching employees and business partners to a business's culture will ensure that the business has a clear public image and will help clients and future employees determine if y...

There are a number of scenario's to consider when thinking about the future of work. Clearly technological evolution and indeed revolution will have a major impact, that is very much a given, the big question is how will society respond to the technol...

Delivering and receiving feedback in cross cultural teams is a relatively high risk, but high reward endeavour. Done well it can help built strong and dependable teams who understand each other and are committed to supporting each other in their work....

Effective workshare planning is imperative for the success of any virtual team project. Planning the way in which the work to be undertaken will be shared, who will be responsible for the outcomes of the project and obtaining the full engagement at the...

Building trust across cultures is a complex and difficult task that is critical to the success of a virtual team. Without a fundamental level of working trust between individuals and groups it is not possible to establish or maintain a high performing...

Team building is one of the keys to successful virtual teams. With the teams forming to undertake a specific project or deliver a change to an organisation it is often easy to overlook the bonding phase between virtual colleagues,

Understanding how to balance the different team attributes of personnel from different cultural backgrounds can unlock a broad range of potential synergies in a virtual team. Team members from individualistic cultures,

Visiting your partner offices as part of a virtual teal project can be brought with potential risks. Cultural, business and personal mistakes are relatively easy to make, but equally easy to avoid, or at the worst,