Mastering Virtual Teams : Strategies, Tools, and Techniques That Succeed

Virtual teams can communicate from great distances or be part of a group that works in the same building. No matter where they are, today s virtual teams are complex entities that rely on technology to make up for the lack of face to face meetings. Managers are under pressure to assemble the best talent they can find from wherever they can find it. But once these teams are in place, managers must also find ways to help the team—who are often from widely different backgrounds—work smoothly together. Using the principles in this book, virtual teams can be as tight knit and effective as on location teams. The best selling first two editions of Mastering Virtual Teams offered a succinct guide for managers who must help people from different parts of the company, different countries, and different cultures work together efficiently and effectively. In this newly revised and expanded third edition, the authors—both respected global management experts—have updated the contents to reflect the most current analysis and reflect today s changing business environment. In this comprehensive book, the authors tackle the challenges of today s virtual team head on. The chapters include: Critical success factors How to use technology as "an additional team member" Impact of culture Myths and realities of leading virtual teams Six major steps to starting a virtual team Team dynamics Building trust Virtual team meetings The authors have also included tools from the book on a CD ROM that offers solutions to the unique challenges of working with a virtual team. Full of exercises, checklists, and competency assessments, the CD ROM s toolkit can be customized or simply printed as is for team use.