Managing Projects Remotely

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Patrick Morgan
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1 Managing Projects Remotely Amy Fick Maryl Wassom 1

2 Agenda Company Development/Company Process Team Planning/Communication Building A Team Monitoring Progress and Communication Use of Technology Pitfalls/Strategies The 7 T s Checklist 2

3 Overview Companies/Organizations changing views (Collocated to Remote) Definition of Virtual Team A group of individuals who work across time, space and organizational boundaries with links strengthened by webs of communication technology. Different Definitions of Remote/Virtual Down the hall, different floor, different bldg Another company down the street Virtual Offices at Home Another City Offshore or International 3

4 Company Development/Company Process Understanding of Changes to Company Organization Reason for Change Main Benefits Direction/Process/Support for Virtual/Remote Teams Human Resource Management Learning/Development Activities Company Promoting Organization Culture and Leadership Information Technology Support 4

5 Team Planning How will YOU manage your team? Objective/Ground Rules Goals Roles Plans/Schedule Delivery Dates/Schedule or WBS Human Resource Plan Communication Plan Risk Management Plan 5

6 Communication Communication Plan Describes the communication needs and expectations for the project How and in what format information will be communicated When and where each communication will be made Who is responsible for providing each type of communication 6

7 Communication Types 7 Same place (co-located), Same time (synchronous) -Face-to-face meetings -Computer-supported meetings Same place (co-located), Different time (asynchronous) -Library (resource center) - War room Different place (distributed), Same time (synchronous) -Audio (telephone) conferencing -Video conferencing -Instant Messenger Different place (distributed), Different time (asynchronous) -Voic -Electronic mail -Computer conferencing -Groupware (Intranets)

8 Building A Team What is team? Created around a specific task. Members of the team are selected based on their role and expertise in relation to that task. These teams are created for the life of the project. Remind the team They are a team Be Considerate of Diversity Opportunities to Socialize as Team Trust 8

9 Monitoring Progress and Communication Monitoring Progress Challenges- Monitoring and Evaluating Employee Observation Employee Equity /Organizational Concerns Manager lack of Knowledge/Awareness Monitoring/Evaluating Ideas Balance Scorecard Information flow increases Alternative 9

10 Use of Technology-Managing Project Technology When Used Pros/Cons Teleconferences Most popular. Meetings involving more than 2 participants who are not located in same building. Pro: Connects multiple people simultaneously. Con: Hard to keep team attention Multi-tasking. 10 Video Conference Formal Meeting when no travel available Project Start Up Pro: Like meeting in person with lower costs. Con: Equipment Expense both sides

11 Use of Technology-Managing Project Technology When Used Pros/Cons Web Conferencing When meeting is more complicated. Need to share documents Pro: Enhanced ability to share documents Con: Technical issues with larger groups. 11 Need to reference for future Person not available to talk or meet Pro: Ability to share lots of information/documents Con: Ability for others to interpret the writing.

12 Use of Technology-Managing Project Technology When Used Pros/Cons Instant Messaging Communicating instantly between two or more people Pro: Faster than immediate interaction More informal or quick questions Con: Distracting when work needs to get done. Collaborative Tools As project repository Pro: Easy to share files or applications. Need to exchange and modify information Con: Software needs 12 Other -VM Limited Urgent Pro: Ability to engage Con: No back up

13 Pitfalls/Strategies Leveraging Collaboration Tools Incorrectly How to Read Body Language Ignoring Diversity No News Is Good News Communication 13

14 The 7 T s Checklist: Part 1 14 Target Team Trust Talk Continue to communicate company/project visions and objectives. Clearly define roles and responsibilities. This is very important. Trust your team. Don t let distance let you become control freak. People can do what you have asked them to do. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. If necessary you might need to meet more often.

15 The 7 T s Checklist: Part 2 Travel Technology Time Face to Face meetings are luxury. Should be used early to build team. Select Technologies to match task. Need to determine what works best for situation/team. Valuable commodity. Use effectively. Think about where others are located. Assume 50% of day will be on phone. 15

16 Conclusion Company Development/Company Process Team Planning/Communication Building A Team Monitoring Progress and Communication Use of Technology Pitfalls/Strategies The 7 T s Checklist 16

17 17 Questions?

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