How do you know if you are doing a good job at virtual teams project management? What is your criteria for making sure your team is on the right path to get results? Being responsible for project delivery requires more than just telling your team what you expect. You have to get involved by listening, questioning and coordinating.
Although deliverables are measurable, and therefore straightforward, they can become comingled with the other elements of team success- communication, trust/accountability, and conflict management and are subject to similar pressures and complexities.
Managing virtual project teams is not easy when teams are distributed globally and when you factor in intricate technological issues, outsourced work groups, cultural differences, budgetary pressures, and disparate regulatory requirements.
Driving Virtual Teams Project Management Deliverables
“The difference between GOOD and GREAT remote project management
is in the delivery.”
Yael Zofi
Getting deliverables out the door is specific to the team, and since teams exist to accomplish results, managing the strategic management process successfully is an art as well as a science. Strong project delivery capability is the result of effective planning, sound processes, and careful monitoring, all of which translate strategy into action.
Ask yourself, “What can I do to make sure my virtual team meets our milestones and completes the project?”
Focus on these three behaviors:
- Aligning: Make sure everyone understands and is committed to the same goals. Many virtual managers fail to realize that team alignment must be addressed not just initially during TEAM SETUP but throughout the entire team life cycle. Productivity will suffer without alignment. So keep your team heading in the same direction. Hint: Be specific, clarify due dates and keep communicating! Aligning goals and expectations consists of orchestrating multiple processes and mechanisms, and your role as the team leader is to get your virtual players to play in concert.
- Tracking: Successful teams differ in approach, but they all engage in four steps: establishing standards, creating measurable metrics, producing required documentation and holding regular check ins. By tracking your project management plan, you can identify mistakes or problems early on, increasing the likelihood of prompt resolution. The very act of checking in keeps team members focused and on track.
- Establishing Frequencies: Once project deliverables are aligned, and tracking mechanisms are set, you’re ready for this final step. How often do you connect with your team, and what communication modes do you use? Frequency is the lifeline that allows you and your team to stay connected and equipped to deliver results.
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