Virtual Teams are everywhere, and growing in numbers every day. So how do we define them?
Wikipedia defines a virtual team as,
"A virtual team - also known as a Geographically Dispersed Team (GDT) - is a group of individuals who work across time, space and organizational boundaries with links strenghtened by webs of communication technology. They have complimentary skills and are committed to a common purpose, have interdependent performance goals, and share an approach to work for which they hold themselves mutally accountable."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Teams
If you are looking for some resources on virtual teams, you may want to check out the following sites and resources:
Carter MacNamara's Management Help Portal : In addition to resources on virtual teams, there are many additional resources applicable to management topics for both for profit and not-for-profit organizations
Cynthia Cantu: Virtual Teams : A wonderful research paper on virtual teams which will provide you with great background information
There is lots more out there on the web. If you have some great virtual team resource links, please feel free to post these as a comment.
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
www.potentialsrealized.com
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Virtual Teams - What's all the Buzz?
Globalization, shrinking travel budgets and enhanced technology have led to virtual tams becoming common place in today's business world.
Virtual teams span distance, timezones, geographic locations, and often language and culture.
As a former Director and Manager of Programs, a large part of my job involved virtual team management. In the 1990s, prior to today's technological advances, my role as a virtual team in leader was often undertaken by long-range radio, and at best, telephone. This was before the days of Email! Interspersed were blessed times of face-to-face meetings with my virtual team. Email has certainly made virtual team management. My last role as a Manager involved managing staff across 10 countries -- no easy feat but made much easier through email and communications technology.
The advent of the Internet and other wireless communication has provided a catalyst for virtual teams popping up in most industries, sectors, and countries around the world. And yet the challenges have not changed - communication, trust, and finding a way to work effectively across distance.
In following posts, I will be exploring the world of virtual teams, virtual team management and virtual team performance. What's your biggest question about virtual teams?
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
Web: www.potentialsrealized.com
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Virtual teams span distance, timezones, geographic locations, and often language and culture.
As a former Director and Manager of Programs, a large part of my job involved virtual team management. In the 1990s, prior to today's technological advances, my role as a virtual team in leader was often undertaken by long-range radio, and at best, telephone. This was before the days of Email! Interspersed were blessed times of face-to-face meetings with my virtual team. Email has certainly made virtual team management. My last role as a Manager involved managing staff across 10 countries -- no easy feat but made much easier through email and communications technology.
The advent of the Internet and other wireless communication has provided a catalyst for virtual teams popping up in most industries, sectors, and countries around the world. And yet the challenges have not changed - communication, trust, and finding a way to work effectively across distance.
In following posts, I will be exploring the world of virtual teams, virtual team management and virtual team performance. What's your biggest question about virtual teams?
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
Web: www.potentialsrealized.com
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Monday, October 16, 2006
How Engaged Is Your Workforce?
I'm reposting a blog post from one of my companion blogs, Your Balanced Life!, which I wrote almost a year ago (November 16 2005). I've been having a lot of discussions lately around employee engagement lately with organizations here in Canada and am sure that you will appreciate this one:
"A recent study of 85,000 workers in 16 countries across four continents found that only one in seven employees are "highly" engaged in their jobs and willing to go that extra step. This study was carried out with people working for large and midsize companies
The Towers Perrin Global Workforce Study found that 14% of workers surveyed around the world are highly engaged, 62% are moderately engaged, and 24% are disengaged. Employee engagement is the measure of people's willingness and ability to give discretionary effort at work.
Here in Canada, 17% of the 5,100 workers surveyd indicated that they were highly engaged, 66% moderately engaged and 17% disengaged. We ranked fifth, with respondences from Mexico indicating the highest levels of engagement (40%) followed by Brazil (31%). The US rakned thrid with 21% of respondents indicating that they are "highly engaged", 63% moderately engaged and 16% disengaged.
The Toronto Star (November 15 2005) indicates that in Canada the most important factor influencing their rating was senior management's interest in employee well-being. Two years ago a similar study found that 21% of employees were highly engaged."
What is the state of engagement in your organization? What is senior management's interest in employee well-being? What is one thing you can do this week to boost the level of engagement for yourself and your team?
I'd be interested in hearing your story and speaking with you if you are looking to boost employee engagement in your organization.
To an "engaged" week,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Web: www.potentialsrealized.com
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com
"A recent study of 85,000 workers in 16 countries across four continents found that only one in seven employees are "highly" engaged in their jobs and willing to go that extra step. This study was carried out with people working for large and midsize companies
The Towers Perrin Global Workforce Study found that 14% of workers surveyed around the world are highly engaged, 62% are moderately engaged, and 24% are disengaged. Employee engagement is the measure of people's willingness and ability to give discretionary effort at work.
Here in Canada, 17% of the 5,100 workers surveyd indicated that they were highly engaged, 66% moderately engaged and 17% disengaged. We ranked fifth, with respondences from Mexico indicating the highest levels of engagement (40%) followed by Brazil (31%). The US rakned thrid with 21% of respondents indicating that they are "highly engaged", 63% moderately engaged and 16% disengaged.
The Toronto Star (November 15 2005) indicates that in Canada the most important factor influencing their rating was senior management's interest in employee well-being. Two years ago a similar study found that 21% of employees were highly engaged."
What is the state of engagement in your organization? What is senior management's interest in employee well-being? What is one thing you can do this week to boost the level of engagement for yourself and your team?
I'd be interested in hearing your story and speaking with you if you are looking to boost employee engagement in your organization.
To an "engaged" week,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Web: www.potentialsrealized.com
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com
Monday, October 02, 2006
What are your strengths?
What are your strengths? If you are interested in looking at what your signature strengths are, you may want to check out www.authentichappiness.org . This free 30 minute online assessment is a fantastic tool for business leaders, business teams and business owners to get a sense of what your core character strengths are. The assessment will identify your top strengths of out of a total of 24 strengths including love of learning, ingenuity, integrity, honesty, and zest.
This assessment has evolved out of the research undertaken by those in the Positive Psychology field which focuses on strengths and potentials of individuals, rather than mental illness. For more information on this amazing field, you will want to read Dr. Martin Seligman's book - Authentic Happiness.
Enjoy!
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
Web: www.potentialsrealized.com
Email Me
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
This assessment has evolved out of the research undertaken by those in the Positive Psychology field which focuses on strengths and potentials of individuals, rather than mental illness. For more information on this amazing field, you will want to read Dr. Martin Seligman's book - Authentic Happiness.
Enjoy!
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
Web: www.potentialsrealized.com
Email Me
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
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