project management communications – virtual and global teams

Project Communications Virtual and Global

!Dimitrios Litsikakis, PMP©

Project Manager at Edenred !

8th April 2014 Greek PMI Chapter Events

!

DefinitionA group of workers who are geographically dispersed

but not necessarily distributed across expansive

geographic locations. !

They are working together toward a common purpose

and goal and using electronic communication as

their primary medium

The main difference

between virtual and traditional

teams is separation by

time and distance

!

Diverse backgrounds!!

Temporary!!

Adaptable !

Characteristics

Why use Virtual Teams?• Reduced operating expenses

• Utilize global talent pool

• Staffing flexibility

• Improved productivity

• Workforce diversity

• Reduced travel expenses

• Better work life balance

vPModelLinking the main issues in Virtual Project Management

!!

Physical Variables (Time & Space)

Organization Trust

Communication

Geographical distance

Record and monitor activities in a much more convenient way than in traditional projects.

Pros Cons

Easier assessment Expensive

Free-riding becomes more difficult

Creates stress and raises ethical questions

Increases performance in highly skilled teams

Different Time zones

Use Asynchronous Communication

Time consuming

Less Effective

Decrease commitment

1 hr Overlap

Use this one hour for synchronization and information flow between teams.

Same sources of conflict as traditional teams

More time to think Keep emotions down

Recorded communication makes it easier to identify conflict initiation and cause, therefore resolve faster

More likely to chose avoidance negative performance effect

Cooperation

Recommendations• Virtual project teams do not seem to be suitable

for extensive control and monitoring or a very directive approach of management

• PMs should try do adopt a more guiding approach and act as a coach

• They should focus on controlling the outcome, not the work itself, and establish trust

Trust

Pre-project Post-Project

Increases social motivation and therefore enforces team

member commitment

Generate multi-level feedback which in turn

influences individual actionsTrai

ning

PMs cannot enforce trust

Different individuals, with different cultural backgrounds,

have different levels of resistance

Cultural Differences

Misunderstandings

PM as Cultural Interpreter

Interfere when an individual is emotionally tensed and fails to cooperate with other team members

PM

Language

Essential for the PM to consciously understand the issues behind language variation

3 keys to success

Shared Understanding

!

Coaching

!

Learning Climate

Learning in Virtual Teams

Organisational StructureVirtual teams may not only consist of people from places of long distance, but also from organisations of different nature.

• Information is the most valuable asset

• PMs must create and maintain of a secure environment for sharing information

• Security can also help build trust

• Cost, policy conflicts & complex procedures should be weighted by the PM

Progression of Virtual Teams

Conclusions• Without clearly established communication

channels, conflicts and misunderstandings become more frequent

• The language barrier and lack of trust worsens things even more.

• Reliable communication channels with consideration to provide the necessary level of security without sacrificing the advantages of efficiency and cost-effectiveness

What PMI suggests?The Virtual Project Manager: Seven Best Practices for Effective Communication - by Hassan Osman, PMP

1. Establish a Clear Communication Plan

2. Account for Informal Discussions

3. Be a Master of Technology

4. Conduct Structured Meetings

5. Leverage Video When Needed

6. Determine a Range for Time-Zone Differences

7. Use Email Effectively

Strategies for Effective Virtual Meetings

How to Make Virtual Teams Work Successfully - by Kunal Sen, PMP

1. A detailed agenda

2. Clear expectations from each person

3. Who joined?

4. Participation

5. A pregnant pause

6. Team bonding

7. Multitasking

3 Critical Success Factorsby Peter Leung, PMP

!

1. PMs manage People and Projects

2. One project team

3. Willingness to take Ownership

Suggestions from the fieldby Mario Bourgault, PMP

1. Encourage Shared Leadership

2. Pay attention to the decision-making process

!Lenghty consensus building

Debate and confrontation

Informal 1on1 discussions before a formal group meeting

Choose a direction quickly, make adjustments later

Communication is Key

!!

Physical Variables (Time & Space)

Organization Trust

Communication