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Leading Virtual Teams The N.O. L.I.M.I.T.S. Approach

Leading Virtual Teams The N.O. L.I.M.I.T.S. Approach. Presentation to MS Project Users Group Southfield, Michigan; April 7, 2011 Dr. William A. Moylan, PhD, PMP Eastern Michigan University Assistant Professor - Construction Management. Virtual Teams.

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Leading Virtual Teams The N.O. L.I.M.I.T.S. Approach

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  1. Leading Virtual Teams The N.O. L.I.M.I.T.S. Approach Presentation to MS Project Users Group Southfield, Michigan; April 7, 2011 Dr. William A. Moylan, PhD, PMP Eastern Michigan University Assistant Professor - Construction Management

  2. Virtual Teams “Virtual Teams Reflect the Ever-Increasing Non-Traditional Work Environments of the 21st Century” (Lee, 2009) L

  3. Virtual Teams – A Definition • Group that Electronically Communicates • Not In the Same Location • Placed Across • City • State • Region • World L

  4. Virtual Team Workspace (Edwards & Wilson, 2004) L

  5. ICT – Virtual Team Tool Enabler Information and Communication Technologies L

  6. Virtual Team Enabler B

  7. Social Infrastructure - Role of Technology Meeting Place Repositories (Anantatmula, 2008) B

  8. 1st Attempt Not Necessarily a Whole New World! PRACTICES (Rad, 2002) B

  9. Questions Of Project Impact (Talha, Maqsood, & Durrani, 2006) B

  10. Difference: Co-Located vs. Virtual Project Need for New Skills • Using new Communication Technologies • Working with People from Different Cultures • Professions • Nationalities • Languages (Crawford, Morris, Thomas, & Winter, 2006) L

  11. Virtual vs. Co-Located Virtual Co-located • Limited Face-2-Face • Communication-Explicit • Time Zones (24/7) • Cultural Differences • Less Costly (Debatable?) • More Creative • Best World Talent • Harder Integration L Face-2-Face Communication-Implicit Same Workspace Company Culture More Costly (Debatable?) More Timely Easier to Build Trust Change Management

  12. Leadership Delegation: Virtual Team (Zhang, Tremaine, Egan, Milewski, O’Sullivan & Fjermestad, 2008) B

  13. Effective Virtual Project Management (Nauman, Mansur Khan, & Ehsan, 2009) B

  14. N.O. L.I.M.I.T.S. • Nurturing • Out of Sight, Out of Mind • Leadership • Interests (Of Team Members) • Mind Reading • Individualized Attention • Tools & Techniques • Subject Matter Experts L

  15. “N” 4 “NURTURING” Bringing Team Members Up to Speed Encouraging Excellence Nurturing L

  16. Encouraging Excellence (Peterson, 2007) L

  17. “O” For “OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND” On/Off Switch Being Vigilant Out of Sight, Out of Mind B

  18. On/Off Switch B

  19. Being Vigilant • Motivation • Code of Conduct • Goal Setting • Reward Systems • Team Members • Leverage Strengths • Assist – Weaknesses • When You Don’t Succeed @ First: Try TryTryTryTry Again! B

  20. “L” 4 “LEADERSHIP” Early “Wins” Empowerment Trustworthy & Ethical Leadership L

  21. Early “Wins” • Build It Into the Project Plan • Socialize It • Management • Sponsor • Team • Stakeholders L

  22. Empowerment • Leads To • Substitute for Face-to-Face Meetings • Mentoring • Flexibility • Satisfaction L

  23. Be Trustworthy & Engaged L

  24. “I” For “INTERESTS” Building Community Culture Interests B

  25. Building Community “Cooper’s idea of development was to tap into each settler’s own interest in improving himself and make that self-interest redound to the Community’s Interest and his own.” (Wood, 2009) B

  26. Culture Ethnocentrism B

  27. “M” 4 “MIND READING” Put Self In Other’s Shoes Checklists Mind Reading L

  28. Put Self In Other’s Shoes L

  29. Checklists L

  30. “I” For “INDIVIDUALIZED RECOGNITION” Trust Know Team Member’s Names Individualized Recognition B

  31. Trust • Know Your Audience • Use Proper English, Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation • Consult Specific Email Etiquette • Always Keep the Courtesy • Face-To-Face (Know the Importance) (Agnew & Hill, 2009) B

  32. Know Their Names “People who don’t know one another’s names don’t work together nearly as well as those who do.” (Gawande, 2009) B

  33. “T” For “TOOLS” Communication Knowledge Management Generations “Silver Bullet” Trained Tools L

  34. Marshall McLuhan The Medium is the message L

  35. Technology - Tool Categories (Anantatmula, 2008) L

  36. Technologies’ Generations 3rd Generation 2nd Generation 1st Generation (Lee-Kelley & Sankey, 2008) L

  37. No ‘Silver Bullet’ • Experience(s) • There Is No “One Tool” Answer • Tool Is Only as Good As Those Who KNOW It • Tool Is Only as Good As Those Who USE It L

  38. Training • Know You Have It! • Know How to Use It! L

  39. “S” 4 “SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS” Gap Filling Yellow Pages Centers of Excellence Subject Matter Experts B

  40. Gap Filling • Sponsor • Project Manager • Team Members • Stakeholders B

  41. Yellow Pages SME Accessible to the Team Contact Information B

  42. Develop Centers Of Excellence (COE) B

  43. Phone Conferences Solutions • Have Protocols & Guidelines • Agenda • Attendance List • Phone Conference Host/Leader • Keeps Phone Conference Out of CHAOS! • Everyone Listens to the Host/Leader • Everyone Takes Orders from the Host/Leader • Topic • Germaine to the Phone Call Topic • Parking Lot Issue to be Followed Up? B

  44. Phone Conference Solutions • Everyone Identifies Themselves • Before Speaking • “Hi, this is Bill and I think….” • Schedule Social Time Before Call • Call In Early • 10-15 Minutes Should Do The Trick • Publish Conference Call Controls • Mute the Line • Allows for “Multi-Tasking” but • No Crying Babies, Animals Barking, Meowing, Mooing etc! B

  45. Group Site - Solutions • Give A Reason To Be There • Project Plan • Work Breakdown Structure • Knowledge Repository • Documents • Links • Place to Submit Finished Work • Center For Communications • Discussion Forums • Email • Task Updates • Games L

  46. Video Conferencing - Solutions • Quality Equipment • (Try IT On Cheap Stuff???) • Moderator • Training • Make Sure Everyone Knows How • Support Staff • Keep Bells & Whistles Out • If Possible – Show Whole Person • Protocol L

  47. Email Correspondence • READ the WHOLE message • Use a Word Processor • Grammar/Spelling • Courteous and Thorough • Respond in a timely manner (24 hours) • Address the person by name • Answer their question/comments • Volatile Email • Do NOT answer it immediately • Give it some thought • Do answer it B

  48. Email Correspondence • ALWAYS RESPOND • (Acknowledge You’ve Read It) • (You’re Paying Attention) • Get In the Last Word • (You’re the Final Arbiter) • (Goes with the ALWAYS RESPOND POINT TOO!) • Be Blunt • Beating Around the Bush Does Not Translate Well • Do It Diplomatically (You Don’t Have To Be Mean!) • Adds to the Clarity of the Conversation B

  49. Conclusions • Understand • The Culture • The Technology • Same Things Apply Virtually as Co-Location • Medium Is the Message • No Tool is a “Silver Bullet” • Use the One Appropriate For the Situation • Use a Combination of Tools • Train On How to Use It • Protocols • Until Transporters Are Invented L

  50. Contact Information Dr. William A. Moylan, PhD, PMP Eastern Michigan University William.Moylan@emich.edu WA Moylan & Associates wamoylan@aol.com Project Management Institute William.moylan@bod.pmi.org

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